Gympanzees

Gympanzees: Anna and Arthur's Story

Hi, I'm Anna. I'm the mother of Arthur who is six. We've been lucky enough to be coming to Gympanzees for four years now. Arthur is the most loving, happy, confident, intelligent, good boy I've ever met.

He knows every single dinosaur. He loves books. He loves people, and especially music and dancing. Arthur was born at 26 weeks, so he was three and a half months early.

I didn't even think you could have babies that premature until it happened. When he was two weeks old, we were told that he had severe cerebral palsy because of a bleed on the brain that was so severe that they said he'd never walk or talk. But luckily, because he was so prem, a neonatal neurosurgeon advised us that we could create new pathways for the brain. So I was obsessed with music, massage and skin to skin.

He has absolutely excelled. He was home a month before his due date, and he is just an absolute joy and delight. We get invited to a lot of places, events, parties, activity centres where Arthur might be able to join in maybe one, if at all. It breaks my heart for him because he wants to be involved.

He wants to copy what his friends are doing. He wants to climb up to the high climbing frame on the apparatus. So everywhere we go, I'm always telling him no, or explaining to other children why he can't do things. And it can be pretty soul-draining and heartbreaking to see that he's always the one that can't do things, until we come here.

Not only can he explore and access everything, he can see children and I can meet families that are like us, and we don't feel so isolated anymore as well. We've been really lucky that Cerebral Palsy Plus have treated us to sessions. It's just wonderful because every room is completely different and every room has a different benefit for Arthur, whether it's his vestibular system, whether it's his cognitive enhancement, or even just relaxation in the sensory room. With toddlers, they will fall over and they will catch themselves.

That's how we learn to balance and how we learn to walk. Having cerebral palsy and being in a wheelchair, Arthur has missed out on that. So when he's falling about on the trampoline, when he's being pushed in the sled, all of that helps his vestibular system. So I'm hoping that is going to help him walk one day, but it's just wonderful to see him so happy and so comfortable.

And at home, when you say the word Gympanzees, he just jumps up so excited. Apart from the fact that we can see our children really thrive and interact with their peers, for parents I think it's really lovely for us as well, especially the dark sensory room, because you can actually just fully relax and switch off. And I actually think that all parents of children with additional needs need that. I just think it helps my mental health and my wellbeing overall, and I think that every human being should experience Gympanzees.

Gympanzees (film 1)

I'm Owen. This is Dexter who's eight and row who's 12 Dex is a lovely boy. He's very cheeky. He loves music you like bands, don't you?

What's your favorite band? Dad's band. That's not in a band. That hasn't been in the band for 30 years.

If we go to most regular normal places, they generally have a disabled toilet or something like that and they might have a ramp so it's easy to get in but sometimes things like swimming facilities are sometimes quite difficult to get into playgrounds are a bit of a bugbear of mine because load of playgrounds. I know we like going to the playground, but sometimes you can't go in everything. Can you I think it's really nice how we can build memories and do things maybe before Dexter gets really heavy. Every time we come here it gets better and better when you come here everything so inclusive, but you do question.

Why isn't everything like this? Anyway, why shouldn't we have like more playgrounds with more inclusive things? So we've been coming to Gympanzees for some time. Now if we went on a spring we could go on together and I can maybe tickling and start laughing even more.

I just like watching them both playing together because they just have so much fun. The trampoline was always fun. There were wasn't limited to what was there he could kind of just do what he wanted to do and it was quite nice just to share him with Dexter in Gympanzees. We were opened up to lots of kit that we don't normally get to play with things wouldn't have even thought about there's lots of really good things here like the interactive sand the Innowalk which we wouldn't get to use anywhere else.

So I think it's quite nice how there's a massive range of different things. You can enjoy as a family. Well, I think it's a lot more kind of open and there's a lot more things to actually do and enjoy together. Whereas at home maybe them I'd be playing basketball in the garden.

There's only a limit of maybe one or two things we can do whereas at Gympanzees. There's so many different things and different ways of doing things. It's just so many different kind of opportunities to make memories at Gympanzees. I think it really destroys that Brother relationship and it really brings in the brother brother relationship.

The pop-ups are brilliant in the holidays are really good. But obviously they pop up in the holidays when everyone's available. They're only potential downside is to sometimes they can become very oversubscribed because people are so Keen to get here and they need they know they want to use the facility so much it can actually become quite hard to get in certain sessions. So I think having a permanent facility would obviously alleviate that I think it's quite nice how we can do that now and make the most of it rather than maybe in quite a few years.

We might not be able to do that with Gympanzees. We will be able to do lots of other things.

Gympanzees (film 2)

I am Daniel Kwright and my son is Charlie Kwright and his sister is Millie. Charlie has, cerebral palsy. Charlie's Cerebral palsy. All four limbs are affected.

Charlie is a very cheeky, young man. He has a huge sense of humor and he just loves people. He just wants to be around people, dealing with people. As long as people are involved, Charlie's happy after coming to terms with Charlie's disability.

Finding activities to do as a family is probably one of the hardest things that we have. It takes a lot of planning, a lot of research. We can't just book an activity, book a holiday. We've got to make sure there's changing places, that we can get a wheelchair there.

It's quite stressful. You've really gotta do your homework before you can go. Stephanie, we was Charlie's Physio before she started Gympanzees. First time we came to Gympanzees, Steph held Charlie on a trampoline and then someone was bouncing behind Charlie and he just laughed the whole time.

Just bit of giggles. Charlie loves Gympanzees. He loves seeing all the people here and being able to try different bits of equipment that you've never thought of. Getting Charlie to have a go on it and you think, oh right, this works.

That's amazing. I like going on the trampolines and in the soft play places 'cause it's always really fun and on the trampolines, me and Charlie can bounce together. Coming here has been great to see Charlie playing with heaps of other people to see Charlie and Millie playing together, doing activities together and to meet other parents in similar situations and trade information with them. For me, it's about getting to meet those people and swapping that information.

You just learn so much different ideas, different equipment, different ways of doing things. I think it would be amazing to have Gympanzees as a permanent fixture to be able to access everything that they have would be absolutely amazing for our whole family.

Gympanzees (film 3)

So we're here at another popup. We've been running these popups for five years. They're, temporary versions of what we want to build at our permanent site, and we have now secured a site. So today we're going to show our parents, tell them about the site, give them some details, and see their reactions come on in.

Hi. Hello. Hey, we day four. Hi.

Hey, Frankie. We've got really exciting news. Yeah. We have now secured a permanent site.

Yeah, Actually I've been waiting for this moment for so long. I just, Wow. Hi. Awesome.

Excellent. Do you wanna see what it's gonna look like? Oh, yes. All right.

You wanna turn around? Right On My way. So this is where we're gonna be a really easy access, a mass of parking, so you don't have to worry about that at, it's about 14 acres with about seven acres of Greenland. It's got a load of Greenland, so for kind of picnics or going in the woodland.

This is just on the edge of Bristol, so it's looking out on the old Severn Bridge, amazing views just off the motorway. So really easy access. And it's gonna be there full time. Full time, full time all the time.

Monday to Friday. Yeah. And weekends. And weekends.

Oh my god. Yeah. This, that's amazing. Yeah.

Every room will have hoists in the, so we can get you on all the equipment. And then obviously our gorgeous cafe. And then upstairs we've got our therapy rooms, so for different therapists who can come in and do what they do. So music therapy or art therapy or ot, speech physio, et cetera.

And then our exercise studio for disabled dance or martial arts or yoga or Pilates. So do you think this is something that's gonna work for you as a family? A Hundred percent. I film pretty good.

Oh God. I'll cry. What Do you think, Sophie? What we cook on?

Yeah, exactly. It's what we need. It's what everyone needs. Like it will change our lives for sure.

It's not about me as well. I just think of all the other families that like, we need this like so desperately and I'll be counting down every single day until opens, for sure. Places like this that advocate, for people who have disabilities are extremely important. To have something like this is, I think would be obviously of great importance for a lot of families like us.

Things that are really hard to access, like the, you know, walk stuff in the gym. For a lot of parents, that's just incredible. And if they could have permanent access to stuff like that, It's gonna be safe, it's gonna be fun. It's all, it's just perfect for all, all disabilities or all children.

We were good. So be, we, were fun. I'm gonna look forward to go Seeing their faces and bringing them into the room and showing them the film of what it's gonna be. That really made it all worth it.

Gympanzees (film 4)

As an autistic person, I struggle to find ways to get out into the community and exercise. Going to the gym or to the park is often too noisy or crowded and I have to leave. The world isn't made for my sensory needs and others struggle to understand me. They try to force me to make eye contact and sit still and they don't understand why I'm struggling.

Max is such a happy, joyous boy and has such a zest for life. As a parent, I just wish the world was more accessible for him. Before we go anywhere, I'm filled with fear, not knowing whether it'll be for him, whether there will be a hoist, whether there will be somewhere to change him, and whether they will accept him for who he is. Then we found Gympanzees.

At Gympanzees. I know his needs are catered for and everything is accessible. I also know it is brilliant for his development and he can go and equipment like the Innowalk and actually take steps. Having access to something like this all year round would be life changing.

For my two children Coming to Gympanzees, I feel calm and I know what to expect. I know people understand me here. I love the calm sensory room, the trampoline and the swings. The staff were fun and they never put pressure on me.

I wish Gympanzees had a permanent home all year round, a place to be free and a space to be me. Well, we have some news. We Have a building. Our world class facility will bring everything under one roof for disabled children, young people, and their families.

When we open, we'll welcome 200,000 children per year and be open 364 days. We have a building, but it's not yet at home. We need your help to make it happen.

Gympanzees (film 5)

As a parent of a child with disabilities accessing fun and days out have been a challenge. It's almost like a military operation and you have to get ready. You have to think ahead you have to do the research about accessibility about change in places. Isabella was invited to it.

Her best friends birthday party. It was a swimming pool party and unfortunately because Isabella is a full-time or chair user we were unable to go to the party because I couldn't physically get into the swimming pool. It was heartbreaking to say to your eight year old child. I'm sorry, you can't go to him as party.

Mummy can't get you in the water and I can't get you dry again. We found out about Gympanzees through my circle of friends who are all in disability community. And I remember when the word came out that there will be this massive play center adapted for disabled children are Circle went crazy and everyone were talking about it. We couldn't wait.

So I think we walked in and we were kind of expecting it to be very quiet and just sensory and things but there was a lot of things to do that weren't just aimed at people who are quiet. It's Bella has coach projects ever before he and she's a full-time wheelchair user she can walk and we were limited on what we could do. Gympanzees we've played in the sandpit. We've built volcanoes.

We've smashed sharks. But she doesn't know it. She's working a course. She's practicing her standing but she's having fun at the same time.

We've been on the Omni map. We've jumped and created a raspberry smoothie. We've caught all the butterflies where she can with her feet practice taking steps. We're opened up to lots of kit that we don't normally get to play with things.

We wouldn't have even thought about like the interactive sand the Innowalk and things like that, which we wouldn't get to use anywhere else Gympanzees also caters for those children who are autistic those who've got developmental delay any scope of disability and that's why we love Gympanzees because everything here is absolutely accessible the biggest difference to our life. If Gympanzees has a permanent facility would be just that we can get up and go and we will be we will know that everything is there for us the pop-ups are brilliant in the holidays are really good. But obviously they pop up in the holidays when everyone's available. The only potential downside is sometimes they can become very subscribed because can actually be Quite hard to get in certain sessions.

So I think having a permanent facility would obviously alleviate that. You brings in the brother brother relationship to have a permanent Gympanzees Centre in Bristol would be absolutely life-changing for our family. It would give us a real sense of belonging somewhere that we could come as a family with other families who are like ours but also for Isabella, she could have her birthday party at Gympanzees and all of the play is accessible to her but to her friends as well. Gympanzees is a hundred and ten percent needed they go above and beyond every single session.