What Gympanzees does

Gympanzees is a registered charity (Charity number 1189375) founded in 2016 by Stephanie Wheen and headquartered in Aust, Bristol, providing inclusive exercise, play, and leisure services for disabled children and young people ages 0–25 across South West England and South Wales. The core service stack comprises three interlocking offerings: a Lending Library of 150+ specialist sensory, physio/OT, music, soft play, and switch-activated equipment; recurring Pop Up inclusive play sessions (the 10th scheduled for summer 2026); and a permanent UK-first fully inclusive leisure centre under construction on the former Aust services site near the M48 Severn Bridge, expected to open late 2026 with 10 inclusive rooms including climbing wall, trampolines, soft play areas, and accessibility hoists. Supporting services include an Online Resource Hub covering ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, sensory processing, and wheelchair users, plus therapy webinars and additional parent resources.

The technology layer is intentionally lightweight and outsourced: the Lending Library runs on the Booqable rental management platform (online catalogue, reservations, equipment tracking); donations are processed through Stripe checkout; newsletters via Mailchimp; and corporate workplace giving through the Benevity platform. Equipment fulfilment operates through a hub-and-spoke model — free collection/drop-off at 7 named partner hubs (South Glos Parent Carers, Red Lodge Children and Family Centre, Caerphilly Children Centre, Serennu Children's Centre, Old Printworks Arts Radstock, Gwent Parent Carer Hub, Baytree Clevedon) on Tuesdays, plus home delivery within one hour of Aust on Tuesdays. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML, and no native mobile app.

The revenue model is predominantly charitable rather than commercial. £7.6m of cumulative funding has been raised toward the £8m centre build, including a near-£1m grant from the National Lottery Community Fund in March 2026 and a prior National Lottery award of ~£625K in December 2024. Commercial income from Lending Library rentals is nominal (£3/item for families, £5/item for schools, £15 home delivery, with Universal Credit and Mothers' Union hardship waivers). GTM is direct-to-consumer for families via Pop Ups and digital channels, community-led via the partner hub network, and event-driven via Charity of the Year corporate partnerships, Dragon Boat Race, Wing Walk, and the 2026 Supporter Sprint campaign targeting the final £1m.

Name

Gympanzees

Legal name

Gympanzees

Website

https://gympanzees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gympanzees is a Bristol-based UK charity operating an inclusive play, exercise, and equipment-lending service for disabled children and young people (ages 0-25), building the UK's first fully inclusive leisure centre opening late 2026 and serving families, schools, and therapy centres across the South West.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inclusive Leisure Services for Disabled Children

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs–Inclusive Nursery & Playgroups (EDACACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH), Accessibility & Special Needs Equipment (Assistive Devices, Adaptive Furniture, Sensory Rooms) (EDAEAIAM), Adaptive Physical Education (APE) Collaboration & Motor Skills Support (EDAKAGAF)

Keywords

• Inclusive leisure services
• Disability play services
• Equipment lending library
• Sensory equipment rental
• Charity disability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue through individual donations (one-off and recurring), corporate partnerships, Charity of the Year programs, and community fundraising events. The 2026 Supporter Sprint campaign aims to raise £1m.
2. Lending Library Rental: Equipment rental service charging £3 per item for families and £5 per item for schools/organisations. Delivery service available for £15. Financial assistance available for Universal Credit recipients.
3. National Lottery Community Fund: Major grant of nearly £1 million from the National Lottery Community Fund toward building Britain's first fully accessible leisure centre for disabled children, bringing total funding to £7.6m.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gympanzees is a UK charity providing inclusive play, exercise, and leisure services for disabled children and young people ages 0-25. It operates the Lending Library (rental of 150+ specialist sensory and exercise equipment items to families and schools), recurring Pop Up inclusive play sessions across the South West, an Online Resource Hub covering conditions such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Sensory Processing, Therapy Webinars, and is constructing Britain's first fully inclusive leisure centre (10 accessible rooms) in Aust, Bristol, expected to open late 2026.

Product overview

Gympanzees operates as a charity providing inclusive leisure and fitness services for disabled children and young people. The core offering consists of two interconnected services: (1) The Gympanzees Inclusive Leisure Centre - a permanent UK-first fully inclusive exercise, play and leisure facility opening in late 2026 with 10 inclusive rooms, and (2) Pop Ups - temporary inclusive play sessions. Supporting these is the Lending Library - an equipment borrowing service with 150+ specialist items across categories (Sensory Boxes, Physio/OT Equipment, Music Equipment, Soft Play, Switch-Activated Equipment) that extends access to equipment between centre visits. Additional services include an Online Resource Hub for condition-specific information and Therapy Webinars. Room and equipment funding opportunities are available for corporate partners wanting to sponsor specific areas of the new centre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gympanzees Lending Library: A borrowing system for families, schools and organisations to borrow specialist exercise and sensory equipment. The Lending Library allows families to try equipment before buying and provides access to over 150 pieces of kit.
• Gympanzees Pop Ups

Products and services

• Gympanzees Inclusive Leisure Centre The UK's first fully inclusive exercise, play and leisure centre designed for disabled children and young people ages 0-25, featuring 10 inclusive rooms, climbing wall, trampolines, soft play areas with accessibility hoists, and outdoor equipment, located in Aust near the M48 Severn Bridge.
• Pop Ups Temporary fully inclusive play sessions for disabled children, young people and their families, offering specialist activity rooms, adapted equipment and welcoming sessions for ages 0-25.
• Lending Library A borrowing system for families, schools, and organisations to borrow specialist exercise and sensory equipment for try-before-you-buy access, with 150+ items available across sensory, exercise, physio, soft play, and switch-activated categories.
• Online Resource Hub Digital resources and information hub providing condition-specific information covering ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Delay, Down Syndrome, Sensory Processing, Syndromes, and Wheelchair users.
• Therapy Webinars Online therapy resources and webinar content supporting families and professionals working with disabled children.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of children with disabilities cannot access regular leisure facilities - Gympanzees addresses this gap with purpose-built inclusive centre
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Oakland ConstructionminorOthersBristol-based construction firm delivering the build of the inclusive leisure centre project. Construction began over a year ago on the former Aust services site.
• Mothers' UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding support enabling financial hardship waivers for Lending Library delivery fees for families experiencing difficulties.
• South Glos Parent Carers HubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner hub location at The Kingswood Centre, New Cheltenham Road, Kingswood BS15 4FS for collection and drop-off of lending library equipment.
• Partner Hub NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of collection points including Red Lodge Children and Family Centre (Stonehouse GL10 2NP), Caerphilly Children Centre (CF83 2WP), Hub Serennu Children's Centre (Newport NP10 9LY), Hub Old Printworks Arts (Radstock BA3 3EP), Gwent Parent Carer Hub (Abergavenny NP7 5BB), Baytree Partner Hub (Clevedon BS21 6YF).
• BenevityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving platform enabling companies to run workplace giving, matching, and volunteering programs for Gympanzee supporters.
• Amazon Wish List SupportersminorOthersAmazon Wish List program allowing supporters to purchase equipment and resources directly for Gympanzees operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gympanzees