Paediatric physiotherapist Stephanie Wheen (pictured right) says she ‘lives and breathes’ Gympanzees – the charity she set up in south west England to provide ‘fun, fitness and friendship’ for children and young people with disabilities.

In a recent announcement on her LinkedIn profile, Stephanie, the charity’s founder and chief executive, said: ‘We have just launched our capital fund-raising appeal called Project Home Appeal – a campaign to secure a permanent home for Gympanzees in Bristol.

‘Our facility will offer play, exercise and social inclusion for the 66,000 disabled children and young people who live within an hour of Bristol, supporting their health and wellbeing and taking their families out of isolation.’ She added: ‘You can find out more about the campaign at Gympanzees.org/appeal’

BBC coverage: a ‘world first?’
The funding appeal was picked up by regional BBC journalists, who wrote an article for the BBC website that was published on 26 January. It said: ‘Work has begun on what is thought to be the world’s first fully accessible play centre for children with physical disabilities. The 14-acre (5.7-hectare) site, next to Severn View Services, in South Gloucestershire, is set to be the first permanent home of the charity Gympanzees, which works to create exercise and play facilities for disabled children and young people.’

The article adds that new facility – which will include a trampoline room, soft play and sensory rooms – could open its doors in June 2026, if the charity manages to raise the second half of an £8 million target to complete the renovations needed. For more information, see: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cde99zy3eewo

‘I started Gympanzees in response to the massive lack of options for exercise in the community for my clients. I live and breathe Gympanzees but also love anything social or physical and in the great outdoors including surfing, climbing, hiking and trail running’ [Stephanie Wheen]

Pop Up successes

Gympanzees ran nine successful ‘Pop Up’ events from 2028 to 2024 in temporary sites in Bristol, which attracted 28,000 visitors. ‘People are travelling from around the country to come to us, and they’re staying in hotels,’ Stephanie said. ‘The need is absolutely massive, and the feedback we get is immense.’

The aim is to be as inclusive as possible, said Stephanie. ‘We have things like the inner walk, which is a cross trainer for our most physically disabled children. It can be the first time that they have been out of breath in their whole lives and the first time they’ve ever had exercise,’ she added.

The last Pop Up event happened last summer, since when Stephanie and her team have focused on the fund-raising bid.  

Some Pop Up highlights

• one five-year-old slept through the night for the first time after her session
• two three-year-old boys had their first-ever laugh
• a six-year-old girl took off her coat and scarf in public for the first time
• an eight-year-old ate up in public for the first time
• a 16-year-old who refused any form of sport at home and school rowed a kilometre on a rowing machine
• a 14-year-old built who built their confidence levels at sessions now goes to a mainstream gym with a personal trainer
• a 10-year-old who had never exercised asked to replace his dining room table for a static bike as he enjoyed it so much
• a nine-year-old who held his head up on his own for 10 minutes for the first time
• 57 children and young people who were able to walk in the charity’s specialist equipment for the first time

Stephanie’s story

After graduating in physiotherapy from Leeds Beckett University, Stephanie became a highly specialised paediatric physiotherapist, gaining NHS experience in south west and east London, and in Canterbury, Kent. She then moved into the independent sector, working with Kiki Children’s Clinic in Clapham, south London, and then Physiotherapy for Children Ltd in Bristol. She set Gympanzees up in 2016.

In an ‘about us’ section on the Gympanzees website, Stephanie notes: ‘I am a physio by trade – specialising in working with children with disabilities. I started Gympanzees in response to the massive lack of options for exercise in the community for my clients. I live and breathe Gympanzees but also love anything social or physical and in the great outdoors including surfing, climbing, hiking and trail running.’

To connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wheen-78022925/

For more information on Gympanzees, see: www.gympanzees.org

Photo credit: Emily Negus