A trust dedicated to supporting children with severe learning disabilities has made a gift of £24,500 to Gympanzees as part of its lasting legacy.
Dorothy Pamela Smith CIO (DPS) visited our site in January to see the progress on the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and activity centre. Following their visit, the trustees decided to support our work with a grant that will fund specialist equipment for our sensory rooms.
The donation will help us create spaces where disabled children and young people can explore movement, sound, light and texture in ways that work for them. Our sensory rooms are designed to be calming, engaging and therapeutic – giving families a chance to discover what their child enjoys and responds to, and young people a new way of experiencing the world.
Why sensory spaces matter
For people with sensory processing differences, traditional play spaces often don’t work. Loud noises, bright lights, or crowded environments can be overwhelming. Our sensory rooms flip this on its head.
We’re creating calm, controlled environments where young people can:
- Explore different textures and sensations at their own pace.
- Experience gentle movement activities with full support.
- Engage with light and sound in ways that soothe rather than overwhelm.
- Build confidence and communication skills through play.
Every piece of equipment is chosen with care. Bubble tubes, fibre optic lighting, sensory mats, and specialist projection systems all serve a purpose – helping young people relax, engage, and discover what brings them joy.
A thoughtful final chapter
As DPS winds up its work, the trustees wanted to make grants that would have lasting impact for the young people they serve.
“Dorothy Pamela Smith CIO (DPS) is delighted to support Gympanzees with the purchase of specialist equipment for the sensory rooms. The facilities that Gympanzees are creating are so inspiring and will be transformative for children with disabilities, and their families.
Over the years, DPS has provided grants to grass roots organisations supporting children with learning disabilities, with a focus on sensory play. Having made the difficult strategic decision to wind up the charity, we believe this, the final grant we are making, will ensure a continuing impact of Dorothy Pamela Smith’s legacy”.
This generous donation means we can fit out our sensory rooms to a gold standard – not just ‘good enough’, but genuinely excellent provision that will serve families for years to come.
What happens next
We’re currently procuring equipment for all ten activity rooms in our centre, which opens later this year. The sensory rooms are likely to be among the most popular spaces, providing calm and comfort for young people who need it most.
When we open our doors, approximately 90,000 disabled children and young people will be within an hour’s drive of our centre. For families of disabled children and young people, finding accessible spaces where they can simply be – without judgement, without barriers, without stress – is a gap that we’re closing.
