In 2018, a grant of £250,000 went towards the new £5.6m state-of-the-art centre to be built in the grounds of The Milestone Special School, which will include a large hydrotherapy pool with therapy and sensory equipment; facilities for physical therapies, rebound therapy and soft play; and an all-ability play and sports area.

Organisation

The Chamwell Centre Charity was formed in 2015 with a specific purpose to build a fully inclusive and accessible sports and leisure centre for pupils at The Milestone Special School. Milestone is one of the UK’s largest non-residential special schools, with an intake of more than 300 pupils aged 2 to 16, all with severe and complex special needs, drawn from across Gloucestershire.

construction project

The brand new facility will house a café, providing work experience for pupils of the school, a space for young enterprise projects and a fully accessible meeting place. Although primarily for the children of The Milestone Special School during the school day, at all other times the Centre will reach out to the wider community. This will include children with disabilities (such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy) who attend other schools and colleges, preschool children and adults with painful conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis), and people recovering from joint surgery and injury.