When Tom, a regular Gympanzees visitor and supporter who has cerebral palsy, tried the strength training equipment that will help shape the Gym Room in the new Gympanzees centre, his response said everything.
“I’ve used muscles I didn’t know I ever had.”
That moment captured exactly why this partnership matters. The right equipment opens up new experiences and opportunities for disabled children and young people, helping them discover what their bodies can do.
That is why we are delighted to be partnering with SportsMed, a small family-run business supporting the Gym Room with specialist exercise equipment. SportsMed provides rehabilitation and exercise equipment to physiotherapists, hospitals, elite athletes and professional sports teams, helping people recover, move and build strength every day.
Why Gympanzees matters
Although SportsMed works in mobility and rehabilitation, the true need for a permanent centre really hit home at the open day, where the team heard stories of families travelling for hours to attend Gympanzees Pop Ups because there was nowhere else that could meet their child’s needs. They also heard about children smiling, sleeping through the night, trying new activities and making friends, sometimes for the first time.
“We were shocked to learn how few opportunities many children have to simply play, exercise and have fun alongside other children,” said Nikki. “The permanent centre will provide a place for children to feel at home and simply have fun.”
When Steph, Tom and Emily, our Centre Manager, visited the SportsMed team to try the equipment, Tom’s reaction showed how the right kit can turn exercise from something that feels out of reach into something exciting, empowering and possible.
A partnership built on movement and belief
The SportsMed team first met Gympanzees CEO and Founder, Steph, at an exhibition for physiotherapists in 2024. After hearing more about the vision for the centre, Trevor, CEO and Co-Founder, and Nikki, Chief Operating Officer, visited one of our open days to see the project for themselves.
Hearing directly from families made the need for the centre impossible to ignore.
“We instantly fell in love with the aim of the centre,” said Trevor. “To transform an old service station into the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and social centre for disabled children, young people and their families was incredibly inspiring. Hearing the stories of parents who would benefit from the centre made us want to be involved immediately.”
For a company built around movement, mobility and rehabilitation, supporting a project that gives disabled children and young people the chance to experience movement in an inclusive, joyful way felt like a natural fit.
“Every day we work to get people moving,” said Nikki. “That’s rewarding, but nothing compares to the opportunity to provide access to this life-changing technology to children who have faced so many challenges.”
Why Gympanzees matters
Although SportsMed works in mobility and rehabilitation, the true need for a permanent centre really hit home at the open day, where the team heard stories of families travelling for hours to attend Gympanzees Pop Ups because there was nowhere else that could meet their child’s needs. They also heard about children smiling, sleeping through the night, trying new activities and making friends, sometimes for the first time.
“We were shocked to learn how few opportunities many children have to simply play, exercise and have fun alongside other children,” said Nikki. “The permanent centre will provide a place for children to feel at home and simply have fun.”
When Steph, Tom and Emily, our Centre Manager, visited the SportsMed team to try the equipment, Tom’s reaction showed how the right kit can turn exercise from something that feels out of reach into something exciting, empowering and possible.
Specialist kit for the Gym Room
SportsMed is supporting the Gym Room with specialist exercise equipment designed to encourage safe, engaging and inclusive physical activity for children and young people with a wide range of abilities. The equipment will form part of the Gym Room in the new centre, which is set to open in Spring 2027.
The kit includes an AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill, a NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer with adaptations, kindly donated by NuStep, and a range of HUR pneumatic strength training equipment.
TheAlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill uses NASA-inspired technology to reduce a person’s body weight from 100% down to as little as 20%, in precise 1% increments, helping people move more easily and experience walking or running in a way that may not usually be possible. It can feel a little like walking on the moon.
“A young amputee once called the AlterG the ‘space machine’, and we think that’s a pretty perfect way to describe it,” said Trevor.
The NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer allows for full-body exercise without impact. With adaptations including leg stabilisers, hand grips, lap and torso belts, it can support users with limited mobility and can be powered by arms, legs or both.
The HUR equipment uses pneumatic resistance, meaning it can start at a very low load and increase gradually, making strength training more accessible for people who may not be able to use traditional gym equipment.
Why inclusive exercise matters
For SportsMed, movement is about far more than physical health. It builds confidence, supports mental wellbeing, encourages social connection and helps people develop independence. It also gives disabled children and young people the chance to have fun. Without accessible and inclusive opportunities, they are too often excluded from experiences others take for granted.
“We hope the equipment helps create memories for all the family,” said Nikki. “Beyond the physical benefits, we hope it contributes to a sense of belonging and independence.”
That sense of belonging is at the heart of Gympanzees. We are creating the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and social centre so disabled children, young people and their families have a place where they can move, play, connect and simply be themselves.
A message to other organisations
When asked what they would say to other organisations considering supporting the Gympanzees Capital Appeal, SportsMed’s message was clear.
“Learn more about the incredible impact Gympanzees is having on disabled children, young people and their families,” said Trevor. “Visit the centre, listen to parents’ stories and see the work the amazing team are doing.”
“The difference this centre will make is extraordinary, and we’re proud to play a small part in helping bring that vision to life,” Nikki added.
Get involved
We are hugely grateful to SportsMed for their support, belief and commitment to helping us create a centre where our visitors can move, play, exercise and belong.
Gympanzees centre is taking shape, and every partnership helps bring it closer to reality. If your organisation would like to support our Capital Appeal, sponsor part of the centre or help fund specialist equipment, we would love to hear from you.
Together, we will create the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and social centre for disabled children, young people and their families.
