Leisure and your child or young person with complex needs

Bucks Horn Oak, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LS www.forestry.gov.uk/aliceholt

This beautiful forest is popular with complex needs families and it’s little wonder. There’s lots of parking space (charged for), but wandering round the forest is free, there are wheelchair accessible paths and a Changing Places facility at the entrance to the Visitors’ Centre. There’s a café, or you can take your own picnic and there’s a Compass Card offer at Go Ape for energetic siblings.

Worthing Leisure Centre, Shaftesbury Avenue, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4ET www.southdownsleisure.co.uk

Amazon Adventure soft play at Worthing Leisure Centre now has a lovely sensory area with a Sparkle Cloud, Rainbow Light Bar and Bubble Tube. There are disability sessions for all ages from 5 to 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as regular sessions and there’s accessible parking and toilets and an onsite Changing Places Facility. There’s also a Compass Card discount of 10%.

Young Street, Fetcham, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 9BS www.bockettsfarm.co.uk

This family farm in the Surrey countryside has good wheelchair accessibility: accessible parking and toilets and lots of areas that are wheelchair-friendly, plus wheelchair accessible tractor rides. There’s loads to do for able-bodied kids too, so everybody’s happy! The Compass Card triggers disabled discounts – £8.60 for the card holder and a carer goes free.

Haywards Heath Road, North Chailey, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 4EF www.chf.org.uk/futures-life-skills-centre.html

It’s hard to match the amazing facilities for over 16s with physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities at Chailey, a purpose-built facility in rural Sussex. There’s a fully-equipped gym, spa and sauna with treatments, multi-media suite, arts and craft facilities, multi-sensory room, café and a gadget-filled kitchen and living skills area. There’s plenty going on in the school holidays, as well as in term time and there’s a 15% discount for Compass Card holders on standard prices (except gym packages), plus it’s fully accessible with free parking and hoist-assisted changing.

Public Jetty, South Street, Emsworth, West Sussex PO20 7AW  www.conservancy.co.uk

On a sunny day, a trip on a quiet, solar-powered catamaran on Chichester Harbour’s Area of Outstanding Beauty is hard to beat. There are accessible toilets on the harbour and the boat is wheelchair accessible. One carer goes free with a Compass Card holder.

 Crawley: Cherry Lane Cycling Track, Langley Green, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7NX www.crawley.gov.uk/wfw

Horsham: Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, Wickhurst Lane, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 3YS www.hdsd.org.uk/Upcoming-Events/horsham-wheels-for-all

Adapted bikes make the fun of cycling open to everyone, so you can take the whole family along. Crawley Wheels for Wellbeing runs throughout the summer every Saturday from 10am to 12pm until 29 September 2018. Horsham Wheels for All runs in term time only, but will be back after the summer holidays from 7 September to 19 October on Tuesday evenings from 4.30 to 6pm. There’s accessible parking and toilets at both sites and a hoist-assisted changing room at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre. Compass Card holders pay £4 instead of the usual fiver at both these sessions.

21-22 Marine Parade, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 3PT www.domecinema.co.uk/worthing/now

We think the Dome Cinema in Worthing is worth a mention. It has regular disability screenings and you can use the Compass Card free carer offer for these screenings as well as for regular screenings – plus the cinema’s directly opposite a Changing Places facility.

Sea Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN16 2NA www.freedom-leisure.co.uk/centres/littlehampton-swimming-and-sports-centre

Interactive games, wheelchair accessibility, accessible parking, a changing facility with hoist and a hoist in the games room make this Compass Card offer hard to match. Even better, it costs just £5 an hour for the whole family and there’s a food preparation area. Suitable for children and young people with special educational needs, as well as other family members, games include a tactile wall, dodgeball, forcefield, dance off, turbo tag, smashball, jump rope, musical squares and splat.

Atlas House, Glenmore Business Park, Portfield, Chichester PO19 7UW www.flipout.co.uk/locations/chichester

Flip Out in Chichester is an indoor trampoline park with a difference. There are regular  one-to-one Rebound sessions and as well as SEND sessions for children and young people with additional needs and you’ll find the venue is wheelchair accessible with accessible parking. The Compass Card triggers the disability rate for the card holder and one or two carers.

Hailsham Bypass, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3PR www.knockhatch.com

Knockhatch has had a good reputation for inclusivity for some time, but it’s hard to match now it’s added a Changing Places facility to its extensive list of disability-friendly facilities. The whole family can enjoy a day out here and there’s wheelchair parking close to the entrance, accessible toilets and level paths. If you show your Compass Card, one carer goes free.

169 High Street, Lewes, Eat Sussex BN7 1YE www.sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/lewes-castle

Only the ground floor of this historic building is accessible, but the ‘Morning Explorer’ sessions are worth a visit. Exclusively for families whose children have additional needs, this is an opportunity to explore without the crowds, get help to access hands-on collections and try out activities. Show the Compass Card to trigger the free carer offer at the castle.

Libraries in Brighton and Hove and West Sussex provide free CDs, DVDs and audiobooks for Compass Card holders and there are free communication devices to borrow from West Sussex libraries through ‘Understand Me – the communication library’. There are also seven regular Story Magic sensory storytelling sessions in West Sussex libraries and they’re ideal for children and young people with complex needs. You’ll find Story Magic at Burgess Hill, Chichester, Crawley, East Grinstead, Horsham, Littlehampton and Worthing – find out more here

Thompson Lane, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1JH www.marwell.org.uk/zoo

Marwell is great for a special day out and there’s an accessible carriage on the road train for a standard wheelchair, accessible parking and toilets and a Changing Places facility. The 140 acre site is home to a range of exotic and endangered animals from insects and fish to giraffes and zebra. A carer goes free if you show the Compass Card.

Forest Way, Off Fareham Road, Gosport, Hants PO13 0ZX
www.planet-ice.co.uk/arena/gosport

We’ve had some good feedback from parent carers about this full size ice rink in Gosport. You can take manual and electric wheelchairs onto the ice at Planet Ice during all public sessions and the venue is wheelchair accessible with accessible toilets. Compass Card holders pay £3 to skate at public sessions and one carer goes free of charge.

Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TB www.visitsealife.com/brighton/

A long time favourite with Compass Card holders in Brighton and Hove, much of the venue is wheelchair-friendly (avoid the steps to the building by using the tunnel off the beach where the Brighton Wheel used to be) and there’s a Changing Places facility close by at Colonnade public toilets on Madeira Drive. The Compass Card offer here provides a free ticket for a carer, but the Annual Pass at £45 is a better deal if you’re a regular visitor.

Bath Road, Taplow, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 0PR (SL6 0EF with satnav) www.tvap.co.uk

Those who feel jaded about play facilities for wheelchair users will find well designed, properly inclusive facilities here that are well worth the journey. There are wheelchair accessible roundabouts and swings here, along with elevated walkways and specially trained staff to offer support. Entry is £8 per disabled child or adult and a carer goes free.

Titmus Dr, Crawley RH10 5PQ www.crawley.gov.uk/pw/Leisure_and_Culture/Tilgate_Park

There are some great facilities at Tilgate Park and plenty of Compass Card offers in place here: Tilgate Nature Centre, the Walled Garden Community Café, Go Ape and Tilgate Forest Golf Centre. There’s also a hoist-assisted changing facility in Tilgate Park.

www.woodlandwondersforestschool.co.uk

‘Wheely Wonders’ is ideal for physically disabled children and young people, siblings and carers and offers nature, animals, arts and much more in a supportive environment. There are also one-off Compass Card offers on some activities.