Developing The Angel Centre - Accessibility

Aim: We want to enhance The Angel Centre's accessibility with refurbishments to the toilets, entrance and waiting areas, and adaptive equipment.

Who are we?

The Angel Centre is operated by Making Fitness Accessible CIC, a Community Interest Company dedicated to breaking down barriers to participation in physical activity where people with disabilities and chronic health conditions are often excluded.

We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to improve their physical and mental wellbeing through movement and exercise, regardless of their disabilities, chronic health conditions, neurological conditions and anxieties. 

The Angel Centre is a collaboration of Therapy Gyms and Sensory Gyms led by Matt Brinkley, and HealthWorkz neurological fitness studio led by Alan Pearson. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

We're raising funds to enhance the Angel Centre's accessibility features, ensuring everyone can access our life-changing fitness services with dignity and independence.

What we are crowd funding for:

Accessible Entrance - Creating flat entry for wheelchair users so we don't need to use temporary ramps.

Fully Accessible Toilets - Installing spacious, wheelchair accessible and all mobility friendly facilities with proper support rails and emergency systems

Inclusive Waiting Areas - Comfortable, accessible seating areas where families and carers can wait whilst supporting their loved ones

Adaptive Equipment - Specialised gym equipment designed for people with disabilities, neurological conditions, and chronic health issues

Community impact

Healthcare Integration - Enhanced accessibility will allow more people with neurological conditions like Parkinson's, stroke survivors, and MS patients to access our Therapy Gym services, reducing strain on NHS rehabilitation services

Family Support - Accessible waiting areas mean families and carers can comfortably support their loved ones, creating a more inclusive environment for the entire support network

Community Resilience - As a Community Interest Company, all profits are reinvested back into community impact, meaning every person we can newly serve multiplies the benefit across Colchester and East Anglia.

Independence & Dignity - Fully accessible facilities enable people to maintain their independence, reducing reliance on care services and improving quality of life

Ripple Effect: Every person who gains access to our services becomes an advocate in their community, spreading awareness and encouraging others with similar conditions to seek support.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st August 2025 at 6:25pm