People behind the build

People Behind the Build: Fran Garland, Gympanzees COO

From volunteering at our very first Pop Up in 2018 to helping deliver an £11.5 million permanent centre, Fran Garland has been at the heart of Gympanzees’ journey.

As our Chief Operating Officer, Fran plays a pivotal role in turning our ambitious vision into reality, bringing together the people, plans and expertise needed to deliver the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and leisure centre.

But her connection to Gympanzees began long before the building existed.

With a background in social care, learning disability, management and training, Fran had seen first-hand the barriers disabled people face in accessing everyday activities. She had even explored creating a dedicated hub for disabled adults to help tackle social isolation.

When she heard about Gympanzees through a family she was supporting, something clicked.

“I went home and emailed Steph straight away and said I’d heard about her plan and her idea and was really keen to know more and be a part of it.”

Fran volunteered at our first Pop Up in summer 2018, helping prepare equipment, hoists and activity spaces. But she was determined to do more.

“I hounded her once a week for the rest of the year until she took me on. Basically, said she wasn’t allowed to give it to anybody else.”

As she puts it:

“Steph and I have always said Gympanzees is her baby, but it’s definitely my stepchild. We’ve raised Gympanzees together.”

From an idea to a permanent centre

Fran’s role has evolved enormously since those early days.

Initially, the focus was on establishing Gympanzees and developing the Pop Ups, with staffing, equipment, operational planning and family feedback all helping shape what came next.

After every Pop Up, the team would reflect on what worked, what could be improved and what families needed.

“What did we miss out last time? What do we need to try next time? Was there anything we didn’t do very well, or did really well? What was the feedback from the families?”

That commitment to listening, testing and improving has directly influenced the design and development of the permanent centre.

Today, Fran’s responsibilities span construction, design, specialist equipment, accessibility and the operational planning needed to bring the building to life.

On any given day, she might be discussing the café menu, mechanical and electrical systems, wall colours or how people with different disabilities will move through the centre.

“It is a hugely varied role with lots of different bits and pieces to it.”

When it started to feel real

For Fran, securing the building was a defining milestone.

After years of delivering Pop Ups and sharing the vision of a permanent centre with families, Gympanzees finally had a physical home.

“When we got the building, that was like a huge, huge weight off my shoulders. I could genuinely confidently say to people, ‘We’ve now got it, we’re heading in the right direction.”

But it was seeing the walls go up that made the scale of what they were achieving truly tangible.

“I think the walls going up for me was a real turning point and a real shift in my brain of, actually, do you know what? We’re crossing the line here. This is amazing.”

The journey hasn’t been without challenges. Additional work discovered during renovation meant the planned opening moved from October 2026 to Spring 2027.

For Fran, the delay was particularly difficult because she knows how much families need the centre.

“We’ve been promising families since 2018 we’re opening the centre and we know how much it’s needed, and all of us carry it around with us in our heart and on our shoulders.”

Building something that does not already exist

Developing the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and leisure centre means there is no existing model to follow.

From construction and mechanical systems to specialist equipment and inclusive design, Fran has had to develop expertise across areas she had never previously encountered.

“I could probably become a builder after this!”

Alongside managing the complexities of the project, Gympanzees has continued fundraising and delivering its existing services.

For Fran, collaboration has been fundamental to navigating those challenges, drawing on the knowledge of colleagues, designers, contractors and specialists.

“I don’t think anything’s impossible. I think it’s all possible if we’ve got the right team working on it.”

The small things create the big picture

Delivering a project of this scale requires strategic oversight, but Fran believes it’s equally important to understand the detail.

“The big strategic stuff is happening because of the smaller stuff. You can’t make big strategic decisions if you don’t know the finer details.”

Something as seemingly simple as the direction a door opens can determine whether a disabled person can access an entire space.

Designs have been reviewed and refined repeatedly to ensure they work for the children, young people and families who will use them.

For Fran, this attention to detail isn’t about making things unnecessarily complicated. It’s about ensuring accessibility is embedded in every decision, rather than treated as an additional consideration.

"What can I go on first?"

Ask Fran what she’s most excited to see become a reality, and the soft play and playground immediately come to mind.

The two-storey soft play will feature hoist tracking across both floors, while the outdoor playground is being designed to offer genuine choice and independence.

“I want a child to go into that playground saying, ‘What can I go on first?’ Not just, ‘What can I go on?'”

It’s a simple distinction that captures the ambition behind Gympanzees.

And the impact could extend beyond our own centre. Some designers involved in the project have said the conversations around accessibility will influence how they approach future developments.

“That shows that the wave is greater than just the one centre.”

This should not be exceptional

Fran’s experience in social care meant she understood the barriers disabled people face long before joining Gympanzees.

She remembers travelling 45 minutes with a young person simply to find a park with an accessible roundabout.

For her, the challenge isn’t just a lack of accessible facilities. It’s that families have become accustomed to expecting so little.

While many children can visit a playground or trampoline park and assume they’ll be able to participate, disabled children and their families often have to establish whether there’s anything suitable for them at all.

“I hope that people see that it’s not just above and beyond, although it will feel like that. That is exactly what people should have access to.”

Fran hopes Gympanzees will help raise expectations of what inclusive leisure should look like, both locally and across the UK.

What keeps her going

Despite the demands of delivering such an ambitious project, Fran’s motivation has remained constant: the families.

She recalls meeting a family at a recent summer Pop Up who had previously only managed to leave the house for one swimming session a month and that was for only one of their two children.

At Gympanzees, both children could participate, and the whole family could enjoy the experience together.

“They know they’re safe, and they know that staff are understanding, and that other people in there aren’t staring at them.”

Experiences like these are a powerful reminder of why the centre is so important.

“The bits that keep me going are knowing the family need this space.”

A family journey too

Gympanzees has also become a significant part of Fran’s own family life.

Her children have grown up alongside the charity, attending Pop Ups, fundraising events and celebrations, and seeing first-hand the importance of accessibility and inclusion.

During a particularly challenging moment, Fran’s son Calvin gave her a reminder she needed. She couldn’t simply walk away because she’d made a promise to the families who needed Gympanzees.

It was the encouragement she needed to, in her own words, “tie up my bootlaces” and keep going.

“I’m proud of my kids for showing me why it’s worth it and being a part of Gympanzees.”

When the doors finally open

After eight years of Pop Ups, fundraising, planning and construction, opening the permanent centre in Spring 2027 will be a deeply personal milestone.

When asked how she thinks she’ll feel, Fran doesn’t hesitate.

“I think I’ll be a heap on the floor.”

But beyond the personal achievement, it’s what the centre will mean to families that matters most.

“Seeing the families be able to access something that they just deserve will make everything worth it.”

Looking back at the person who first emailed Steph asking how she could help, Fran knows what she’d tell herself now.

“You can do it. You can learn, and you will take on so much information, and you will meet the most amazing people along the way.”

After years of learning, problem-solving and overcoming challenges, there’s plenty to be proud of.

“I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of the resilience. I’m proud of the learning that’s taken place. I’m proud of the confidence I’ve grown.”

And perhaps most importantly, she’s proud of the people she’s shared the journey with.

Be part of what comes next

Fran became part of Gympanzees by asking one simple question:

How can I help?

As we work towards opening our first permanent centre in Spring 2027, there are still opportunities to be part of making it happen.

Our Go Bananas for Gympanzees crowdfunder is helping us take the final steps towards opening a place where disabled children, young people and their families can enjoy exercise, play and leisure without barriers.

Every donation, fundraiser and share helps bring us closer to opening those doors.

Support the crowdfunder here: Support Go Bananas for Gympanzees