The Chamwell Centre Charity provides a visionary and unique centre to enable disabled children and adults throughout Gloucestershire to overcome disability. To transform their lives and the lives of their families by providing a unique, fully accessible centre with a hydrotherapy pool, all-inclusive therapies, activities, sports, groups, work and social experience and an integrated community hub.
Officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in 2021, the Chamwell Centre offers an array of fully accessible amenities.
- 15 metre Hydrotherapy pool, heated to 33 degrees with a maximum depth of 1.3 metres. Life always guarded. Fully accessible. Hoist from an assisted changing room directly into the pool.
- Extensive assisted changing room with changing beds and individual showers.
- Accessible male and female changing rooms with family change areas.
- 3-tier soft play, an extensive activity suite with overhead hoist designed to stimulate the imagination and encourage exercise through play. It includes steps, slides, obstacles and hiding places.
- Frame Running – a liberating sport for those who have impaired balance, for example cerebral palsy, brain injury, high leg amputations, and many other balance impairments.
- Multi-sensory Discovery Zone
- A vast multi-purpose indoor suite for group activities such as chair yoga and the paralympic sport Boccia (pronounced ‘Bot-cha’) Player’s throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto the court with the aim of getting closest to a ‘jack’ ball. It is designed specifically for athletes with a disability affecting locomotor function.
- Adventure playground; a large multi-activity play area for all abilities and ages.
- Outdoor sports areas for exercises such as inclusive cycling and frame running.
- The Charity Café is here for users of the centre and the public, it is an all-inclusive community hub. Light and modern, fully air-conditioned with a children’s play area, book exchange scheme and book club. The café lends itself as a warm space in winter and cool space in the warmer months.
- ‘Changing Places’ bathroom.
- Work experience for students with additional needs
- Volunteering opportunities for people with a disability or special needs
Our beneficiaries are currently 2,017 assessed members, made up of adults, young people and children with physical and mental disabilities, recovering from injury, suffer chronic conditions or persistent pain. During school hours Chamwell Centre serves the therapy and sports needs of 320 children with complex disabilities and additional needs from The Milestone special needs School, aged 2-16 years.
