
Help Us Build For Better
It’s time our families had access to a purpose-built facility that is specifically designed to meet their play, exercise and social needs.
We need your help with our multi-million-pound campaign, to help us achieve our ambition to build the UK’s first state-of-the-art leisure centre for disabled children.


Help us make our building a home

Hi everyone,
I’m Stephanie Wheen, CEO of Gympanzees, a multi-award winning charity providing exercise and play for disabled children and their families. As a pediatric physiotherapist, I founded Gympanzees to address the lack of exercise options for my clients in their community. We have now secured £3.3m to purchase a site, including £200,000 in Gifts In Kind. A HUGE thanks goes out to our supporters over the last 7 years!
Our journey continues with plans to raise £10.8 million for a purpose-built facility by 2026. The 43,000 sqft building on a 14-acre site with 500 parking spaces and large woodland areas that will serve our vast community.
This property will also allow us to work collaboratively with other organisations and explore commercial opportunities. This year-round headquarters will provide families support, reduce isolation, and improve health and well-being for all!
A UK's first of its kind!

We've got a building but it's not yet a home!
We’re on a mission to create the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise and play centre for 66,000 children and young people with disabilities, and their families.
We’ve secured £3.3 million for our incredible site, which includes £200k of Gifts In Kind, but need to raise £10.8 million to turn it into a spectacular centre with multiple different activity rooms, a highly specialised and inclusive design and filled with extraordinary equipment to meet the play, exercise and social needs of all children and young people that could attend.As we could have up to 200,000 visitors that could visit from across England and Wales.
This funding will not only sustain our current essential services, but aims to cater for people (0-25yrs) with sensory, physical, learning difficulties, SEN and any mild to profound disability and will be open all year round!
72% of parents with a disabled child suffer mental health issues as a result of isolation.
A place to me be, a place to be free
There are 66,000 children and young people with disabilities living within an hour of Bristol. 77% of them cannot access regular leisure facilities, so can’t play, exercise or socialise in the same way as their peers and are twice as likely as non-disabled children to be lonely.
Children living with disability want more understanding and acceptance, more choice of activities, more fun, more joy and experiences other children take for granted.


We are fundraising to open the first-ever Gympanzees centre in Bristol. With world-class equipment and open seven days a week, our new home will provide endless possibilities for health, happiness and support and will create cherished family memories such as a three-year- old laughing for the first time, a six-year-old taking his first steps, siblings able to play together, and parents making friendships with others who understand the disability world.

Why it's needed
There are 66,000 children and young people with disabilities living within an hour of Bristol. 77% of them cannot access regular leisure facilities, so they can’t play, exercise, or socialise in the same way as their peers.

Why it's going to be remarkABLE
Our new facility will cater for children and young people (0-25yrs) with sensory, physical, learning difficulties, SEN and any mild to profound disability.

Come Explore the Plans for Each Room







Isabella's Story - Told by Mum Emma
Isabella, my ten-year-old daughter, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy. She relies on a wheelchair full-time but cognitively, she’s a bright and social child, who enjoys all the things that any typically developing child would.
Gympanzees was a crucial support for us during the summer and easter holidays. As Isabella has got older, organising a day trip or simply going to the local park has become challenging. Fortunately, Gympanzees was a lifeline for our family. Carefully planned sessions enabled us to meet other families in similar situations and make new friends.
Both Isabella and my younger son, George, could access and enjoy all the wonderful equipment. Isabella’s newfound love for trampolining brought her immense joy. Isabella had never been on a trampoline before. She absolutely loved the sensation of bouncing up and down! She didn’t want the fun to end and was heartbroken at the end of every session.
The gym enabled Isabella to try new equipment and work muscles that had never been worked before. It was great to see her using an ‘Innowalk’ and riding an ‘I Joy’. George thrived in the soft play area, and the sensory room provided a peaceful space where both kids could engage.
The facility’s thoughtful design even accommodated her special needs, including accessible changing facilities. All of the staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. They went that extra mile to ensure the whole family had an enjoyable and memorable experience.
Gympanzees provided an inclusive environment where Isabella could fully participate and enabled my daughter to shriek with excitement as she played.

Help Us Kickstart Our Campaign Today!
Donate today and Become A Friend!
Sponsor / Fund One of Our Rooms
Swing Room
Soft Play
Gym
Trampolines
Calm Sensory
Active Sensory
Music
Playground
Hangout Room
Reception
Changing Places (2)
Café
Café Play Area
Kitchen
Physio Studio
Therapy Suite (2)
Exercise Studio (2)
Lending Library Base
Office
Staff Room
First Aid Room
For further information or discuss options contact – 07778032082
“Just want to say a huge thank you for your amazing vision and determination to provide a place for our children to be themselves, to feel safe and secure and most of all to have fun. X and I have loved coming to Gympanzees to be with others that understand. Who get what our children need and having all X’s sensory needs met has been incredible. I’ve found it emotional, that they can just be in their world has meant so much. I’m spreading the word and will support as much as we can. I truly hope this amazing vision becomes a much-needed reality.”

Ways to Help Project Home Appeal
There are lots of amazing ways to support Project Home Appeal. Here’s just a few ideas :
Become a Champion
Charity Of The Year
Help us spread the word on social media – #MakeItHappen #APlaceToBeMeAPlaceToBeFree #UnderOneRoof
Volunteering
Gifts In Kind
Sponsorship
Sponsoring Our Events
Sign-up for Our Events

Charity of the Year

Join our Friends Scheme
Be a pal and join our friends scheme. It's a great way to support our appeal. You get a cool Gympanzees trolley key ring as a thank you!

Fundraise for Us
Find a way of fundraising that works for you! We've got lots of ideas to get you started and heaps of resources to help you along the way.
Become a Champion

Business Champion

Individual Champion
This is your chance to make a big impact on the facility by becoming a founding donor and help Champion our appeal from the start.

Hi everyone,
I’m Stephanie Wheen, CEO of Gympanzees, a multi-award winning charity providing exercise and play for disabled children and their families. As a pediatric physiotherapist, I founded Gympanzees to address the lack of exercise options for my clients in their community. We have now secured £3.3m to purchase a site, including £200,000 in pro bono support. A HUGE thanks goes out to our supporters over the last 7 years!
Our journey continues with plans to raise £10.8 million for a purpose-built facility by 2026. The 43,000 sqft building on a 14-acre site with 500 parking spaces and large woodland areas that will serve our vast community.
This property will also allow us to work collaboratively with other organisations and explore commercial opportunities. This year-round headquarters will provide families support, reduce isolation, and improve health and well-being for all!
A UK's first of it's kind!
72% of parents with a disabled child suffer mental health issues as a result of isolation.

A place to me be, a place to be free
There are 66,000 children and young people with disabilities living within an hour of Bristol. 77% of them cannot access regular leisure facilities, so can’t play, exercise or socialise in the same way as their peers and are twice as likely as non-disabled children to be lonely.
Children living with disability want more understanding and acceptance, more choice of activities, more fun, more joy and experiences other children take for granted.
Isabella's Story - Told by Mum Emma
Isabella, my ten-year-old daughter, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy due to oxygen deprivation at birth. She relies on a wheelchair full-time but cognitively, she’s a bright and social child, who enjoys all the things that any typically developing child would.
Gympanzees was a crucial support for us during the summer and easter holidays. As Isabella has got older, organising a day trip or simply going to the local park has become challenging. Fortunately, Gympanzees was a lifeline for our family. Carefully planned sessions enabled us to meet other families in similar situations and make new friends.
Both Isabella and my five-year-old son, George, could access and enjoy all the wonderful equipment. Isabella’s newfound love for trampolining brought her immense joy. Isabella had never been on a trampoline before. She absolutely loved the sensation of bouncing up and down! She didn’t want the fun to end and was heartbroken at the end of every session.
The gym enabled Isabella to try new equipment and work muscles that had never been worked before. It was great to see her using an ‘Innowalk’ and riding an ‘I Joy’. George thrived in the soft play area, and the sensory room provided a peaceful space where both kids could engage.
The facility’s thoughtful design even accommodated her special needs, including accessible changing facilities. All of the staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. They went that extra mile to ensure the whole family had an enjoyable and memorable experience.
Gympanzees provided an inclusive environment where Isabella could fully participate and enabled my daughter to shriek with excitement as she played.





Sponsor / Fund One of Our Rooms
Swing Room
Soft Play
Gym
Trampolines
Calm Sensory
Active Sensory
Music
Playground
Hangout Room
Reception
Changing Places (2)
Café
Café Play Area
Kitchen
Physio Studio
Therapy Suite (2)
Exercise Studio (2)
Lending Library Base
Office
Staff Room
First Aid Room

For More Info On How To Get Involved
There are lots of amazing ways to support Project Home Appeal . Here’s just a few ideas :
Become a Champion
Charity Of The Year
Volunteering
Gifts In Kind
Sponsorship
Sponsoring Our Events
Sign Up To Our Events
Fundraise For Us
Join Our Friends Scheme
Amplify Our Message
Make A Generous Financial Donation (One Of or Regular Gift)