Gympanzees Crowdfunder

What Are We Raising Money For And Why?

Project Home Appeal - Under One Roof

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. 

Our solution is a world-class play, exercise and social facility for children and young people with disabilities right here in Bristol. We need your help to secure this permanent home for Gympanzees. We need to raise £2.2million which will secure us a building and fill it with specialist rooms and amazing inclusive sensory and exercise equipment. Help us take one step closer to achieving this goal with our Christmas Crowdfunder. 

Why is a permanent Gympanzees needed now more than ever?

The Covid-19 outbreak meant we had to rethink how we provided support- we needed to support families at home, helping them feel less isolated whilst engaging in specific and inclusive play and exercise activities. Our Lending Library and Online Resources Hub were our solution. The Lending Library gives families access to specialist equipment such as sensory boxes, specialist swings, sensory and movement toys at home. We support parents to select items that will support their child with kits tailored to their specific needs. Without specialist equipment many of the children and young people we support cannot stay active and activity is essential for them to maximise their developmental potential. This impacts not only their physical and mental health but the wellbeing of the whole family.

 Covid-19 significantly reduced the level of support for families and intensified pre-existing challenges. Gympanzees supports them by providing guidance, access to equipment and support systems; giving them confidence and tools to ensure their child thrives.

1,000s of children’s physical and mental health has deteriorated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Access Sport recently reported that ‘94% of families said the health and wellbeing of their disabled children had been negatively affected by COVID-19.’

It is time our families had a more permanent solution, access to a purpose-built facility that is specifically designed to meet their play, exercise and social needs all year round.

Catering for people (0-25yrs) with sensory, physical, learning difficulties, SEN and any mild to profound disability 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.

Explore our exciting and life changing plans for the main Gympanzees facility below!

Children living with disability want more understanding and acceptance, more choice of activities, more motivation and encouragement. 72% of parents with a disabled child suffer mental health issues as a result of isolation.

The Gympanzees facility will change that by offering a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone, catering for children with disabilities, their siblings and providing a space for families to socialise and meet others. 

Our plan has always been to build for better and create a permanent home for Gympanzees, now you can help us make that dream a reality. #BuildForBetter #UnderOneRoof 

Rewards

Please support our Christmas campaign. By donating not only will you be helping our #ProjectHomeAppeal but we also have some fantastic rewards on offer. 

We've had some brilliant organisations offer rewards including Bristol City Hospitality Tickets, Bristol Bears VIP Matchday Hospitality Tickets, Paddleboarding, Cupcake decorating, a Three course meal for Two at Pizzeria Villaggio in Cardiff, a Christmas Hamper and much more! 

We've also got these limited edition Gympanzees t-shirts and hoodies!

Thank you

Thank you for supporting our Christmas Crowdfunder, your support will make a big difference to the lives of thousands of disabled children and young people across the South West and beyond.

You can find out more about our Project Home Appeal appeal here

Team Gympanzees. 

Charity number 1189375