At Gympanzees, we love seeing our Lending Library support not only families, but also the next generation of professionals. Recently, two student Occupational Therapists, Liam and Lou, used specialist equipment from the Lending Library. This formed part of their studies and placement work, bringing theory to life in a meaningful, hands-on way.
Two journeys into Occupational Therapy
Both Liam and Lou came into Occupational Therapy through rich professional backgrounds.
Liam previously worked as a teacher in a specialist school. Over time, he realised that much of what he was doing in his teaching practice closely aligned with the role of an Occupational Therapist.
“I realised I was inadvertently doing work more similar to an occupational therapist, which led me to make the jump and switch careers.”
Lou’s route was different but equally rooted in care. She spent over 20 years working in NHS mental health services in Gloucestershire and is now fulfilling a lifelong ambition by studying for a master’s degree in occupational therapy.
Discovering a passion for sensory-focused practice
Through this project, both students found their interests becoming clearer. Working directly with children and young people, particularly around sensory needs and sensory integration, has shaped their future career aspirations.
For both Liam and Lou, this placement reinforced a desire to work in paediatric Occupational Therapy, supporting children to engage more fully in their everyday occupations.
Creating purposeful sensory spaces
The focus of their project was to create a sensory environment within a school, transforming two rooms into purposeful spaces, one designed to be alerting, and the other calming.
Using equipment borrowed from the Gympanzees Lending Library, they carefully designed the rooms to meet different sensory needs. Decisions were informed by an audit of the space, observations of how pupils were currently using the environment, and, importantly, feedback from the pupils themselves.
In the alerting room, the focus was on vestibular input, helping students feel ready to learn and engage. In contrast, the calming room prioritised deep pressure and proprioceptive input, supporting emotional regulation and helping students re-engage with meaningful activities.
Learning through real equipment
Having access to real, specialist kit made a huge difference to the students’ learning.
“It definitely helped support our clinical reasoning,” Liam explains. “It was great that there was a service like Gympanzees which could help us implement a long-term plan for the spaces.”
One piece of equipment stood out, the massage mat. This quickly became a firm favourite among the students using the rooms.
They also noted how valuable it was to observe how children actually interacted with the equipment.
“Children often use equipment in ways you don’t expect,” they reflected. “It’s a good reminder not to make assumptions.”
Why access matters?
During their placement, Liam and Lou were working in a school keen to explore new ways of supporting sensory regulation through specialist equipment. Their supervising Children’s Occupational Therapist, Becci Grant, reflected on the value of the project and access to the Lending Library.
“The placement allowed Liam and Lou to explore how sensory regulation impacts pupils’ wellbeing, engagement, and participation throughout the school day. It gave them the opportunity to apply theory learned at university to a real-life project, changing the physical environment of school spaces to better support students’ engagement in their everyday occupations.
They observed how different pieces of equipment affected students’ regulation, reflected on this in supervision sessions, and considered how to ensure equipment was used meaningfully for the diverse needs of the school population.
When Liam and Lou completed their placement, school staff were keen to ensure the work continued beyond their time there. They shared that the students’ input had made a significant impact. As a result, once the Gympanzees equipment was returned, the school went on to purchase replacement equipment to maintain both the alerting and calming spaces for pupils at Kingsweston School.”
Becci also highlighted how invaluable it is to trial equipment before committing to purchase:
“Having access to equipment to try before a school purchases it is invaluable. It allows us to see how it works in the environment and to risk assess it with other students in the class. As many parents and professionals know, sometimes equipment you expect to work simply doesn’t, and other times you find a real surprise hit.”
She shared that after trialling a hammock from the Lending Library, the school purchased one permanently due to its positive impact on several students and the wider sensory environment.
Lasting impact
In a relatively short time, they saw improvements in emotional regulation, engagement, and received positive feedback from both students and staff. This reinforced just how important access to specialist equipment can be for disabled children and young people, and how it can positively influence outcomes for families over the long term. Meeting sensory needs more consistently helped students reach a place where they were more able to engage in learning and other meaningful occupations.
Looking ahead to the permanent Gympanzees centre
In a relatively short time, they saw improvements in emotional regulation, engagement, and received positive feedback from both students and staff. This reinforced just how important access to specialist equipment can be for disabled children and young people, and how it can positively influence outcomes for families over the long term. Meeting sensory needs more consistently helped students reach a place where they were more able to engage in learning and other meaningful occupations.
Both spoke passionately about what a permanent Gympanzees centre would mean, not just for families, but also for developing professionals.
“As a teacher, we were always looking for somewhere like this to take students,” Liam shared. “Now, as an Occupational Therapist, the value of that space feels even greater.”
They see huge potential for the centre as a place for collaborative working, networking, and student placements, alongside its core purpose of supporting disabled children and young people. From their perspective, the impact on families would be profound.
“To have a space where needs can be met in a safe, supportive environment, something many families may not have experienced before in a public setting, would make an immeasurable difference,” said Lou.
A message to future students and professionals
Their advice to other students and professionals is simple:
“Use it. Know about it. We’d never heard of Gympanzees before, and it’s been such a fantastic resource,” said Liam.
“It was absolutely paramount to our success on placement.” Lou agreed.
Stories like this highlight the wider ripple effect of the Gympanzees Lending Library, supporting not only today’s families, but also the professionals who will support families for years to come.
