The Centre
Opening late 2026, the Gympanzees centre is in Aust near Bristol will the be the UK’s first fully accessible exercise, play and leisure centre. We’ll be open 364 days a year, 7 days a week for disabled children, young people, and their families to access one of five session types to meet the needs of all disabled and neurodivergent people.
What will be offered?
Our world-class centre will provide everything a disabled child or young person needs to throw themselves into fun and exercise. We will have:
- 10 specialised activity spaces designed for inclusivity from the ground up.
- 500 pieces of specialist kit that most families could never afford.
- Inclusive sessions for the whole family, siblings will be able to play together.
- Carefully designed sessions to that different needs are fully catered for.
- Fully accessible building with hoists & changing places, even our climbing wall and soft play will welcome those with complex mobility needs.
- Fully inclusive of those with different sensory processing, sensory impact is reduced and controlled throughout.
- Sessions 7 days a week, we’re only going to close on Christmas day.
- A welcoming cafe, with full sensory consideration, and providing training and employment for disabled adults.
- A celebration room that you can book for your own events
- A specially trained team, fully familiar with even the most complex of needs.
- A teenage hangout room for older children.
- Special sessions for disabled adults.
- Flexible pricing with no financial barriers.
Carefully crafted sessions
We entirely understand that some visitors will need quiet and calm, whilst others will thoroughly enjoy a noise filled busy space. To ensure everyone gets what they need, you’ll be able to pre-book the session type that works for you. We tested this concept at our Pop Ups and have refined it even further to make sure everyone gets what they need.
- Jungle Sessions: Open to any child or young person with any special educational need or disability, plus their siblings and friends
- Leopard Sessions: For neurodiverse children and young people with sensory needs, in a moderately busy environment.
- Gorilla Sessions: For loud, physical individuals who prefer their own space and find busy environments challenging.
- Butterfly Sessions: For children with complex medical needs and non-mobile children and young people who may need hoisting.
- Safari Sessions: Open to everyone, with or without a disability, for truly inclusive play together.
Visitor information sessions
We’ll be running in person and online visitor information sessions from March this year. At these, we’ll go through all the operational information you’ll need to feel fully prepared and confident about your visit. This is also your chance to help us design the visitor materials with exactly what you need from us.
Pop yourself on our email list for updates about these sessions.