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The Ben Daniel Acceptance Centre
Our Vision & Mission
OUR VISION
Our vision is to set up as a charity to either create a new Space or to transform a space in a semi rural location, into a multisensory leisure facility designed to provide a safe and creative environment for anyone in need of extra support and care. we believe over the years, the Centre will grow and evolve to provide more services, care and positive environments for individuals of all ages with learning disabilities, additional needs, dementia, physical disabilities and more – alongside their friends and families.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to have a impact on the lives of hundreds of people across multiple different counties by providing accessible activities to those who find everyday life challenging. The ‘Why?’ of the acceptance centre is simple: we want to provide joy, fun and happiness through a dedicated multisensory environment and to support our visitors and their families. We believe that this is essential having had experience with limited places to take children with severe dissabilities , and the happiness of what could be thousands of visitors per year proves that it would be incredibly valuable to individuals of all ages and abilities.
The Idea
We want to create an extraordinary place that helps people feel accepted and valued. we want to fundraise and work together with companies to create a welcoming and safe centre that brings joy and happiness to all its visitors. We want to bring top core values: acceptance, joyfulness, kindness and playfulness. Celebrating ability, rather than focusing on disability, our philosophy will be to go above and beyond to make all of our visitors feel safe, valued and welcome.
From personal experience we recognise that everyone has individual needs and we will work hard to make sure there is something for everyone.
the centre will be able to offer therapy, creativity, social activities, and simply the ability to just have fun.
we want to be able to allow parents to take time to relax in a warm comforting environment that offers children of all abilities the opportunity to make choices and communicate through alternative means
For individuals who have additional needs or learning disabilities, we understand that everyday life can be a challenge. Active communication, socialisation and environmental sensitivities can make spaces feel unsafe or overwhelming. And the behaviours some people associate with learning disabilities and autism often stem from the person being overwhelmed or placed in a challenging environment that doesn’t suit their individual need to feel safe, happy and comfortable
Multisensory environments, like the ones we want to created, are designed with these challenges in mind. Based on years of development, the centre will been created as a direct contrast to the stress and difficulties of everyday life. And we offer a person-centred approach, so that our visitors can control aspects of their environment that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do—giving them a sense of safety that enables them to thrive.
The Design
When we open our doors we will continually evolve and expand our services to offer more to our visitors.
we will start with four different sensory spaces available for use, to provide joy, relaxation and experiential learning to people of all ages, disabilities and ability levels.
Each room will be designed to offer a unique experience and will be equipped with interactive sensory stimulation, including light, touch, sound, colours and textures. Some are more calming and tranquil, others are more stimulating and interactive. we will also aim to add All rooms to be equipped equipped with hoists.
Our team will be tasked with finding new and exciting ways to bring art and creativity into the work we will do
From yearly events to individual workshops and sessions, we will have a range of different options to suit all our visitors.
We will also aim also offer art and creativity sessions as outreach services, to benefit the wider community and bring the joy of new ways of communication to even more people.
Over time we will also aim also offer our music when we have proved what does and doesn't work with the arts programme
we will have Activity Days taking place weekly on set dayand these will be, inclusive social days delivered locally for adults who have disabilities and additional needs. We Will be able to offer offer a varied programme of activities including music, art, cooking, sports and games, dance and drama. These activities help social skills, confidence and self-esteem through building friendships, acquiring new skills and having fun
The Sensory Rooms
Our first room will provide an experience that will make people want to return over and over again. it will be the largest multisensory room. It will incorporate a range of different features and equipment that can be turned on and off by our visitors whenever they want
Room 2 will be a dedicated, high-accessibility soft play area, designed for use by both adults and children. The room will include a range of different multisensory experiences, including thing such as a climbing platform, giant keyboard, slide and interactive wall. Hoists and equipment could be included to make our soft play area even more accessible.
Room 3 is The Interactive Room. the room will be built around an interactive floor mat, the Interactive Room will have hundreds of different programs and games to explore, both to encourage movement as well as for educational learning. The Interactive Room will also include bubble tubes, fibre optics, light-reactive equipment, making it a positive and enjoyable experience for adults and children of all ability levels.
Along side the sensory rooms we will open a small Café has as a training Café.
The purpose is two fold the first to offer parents somewhere to relax while the children are playing etc serving coffees, teas and hot chocolates, cakes and cookies that could be available to purchase and secondly would be to give the option to train young people in catering and/or front of house skills so they gain confidence, learn new skills and support their independence.
Outside we will ensure a bespoke sensory garden would be made to suit the area available to us
we are currently looking to find someone to offer some artist impression drawings to be able to share with yourselves
The Location
Our Aim is to find a rural location for the centre with easy access
Specifically we are aiming to find a piece of land on a farm enviroment or convert an old barn
The reason for this is that in doing this we can also offer stimulation for the children through the Livestock or farmyard activities that will be happening around them and may be able to offer with the correct farmer feeding activities or other farming activities and may longer term be able to offer "work experience" on the farm
Due to location we will be looking at using septic tank and solar to ensure sustainable moving forward
Access
Everything within the build or conversation will be of level access from the car park through to the centre and inside
we have alluded earlier that we will be aiming to install hoist and the toilet area will be suitable for wheelchairs and other disabled visitors
Funding
We will Start funding through rugby games and tournaments
Our Aim is to Build up a fund pot from this and other sports events of over £100,000
we will also be looking for grants from places such as
Wooden Spoon
Local Councils
Disability Grants Givers
And any others that will help us create the centre
Sponsorship
We will look for sponsorship to build the Centre and kit it out
We are aware the build will not be sponsored but will be looking to get the material sponsored and most of the internal equipment
this may be through alternative grants or companies willing to assist moving forward
We will also be targeting individuals who may wish to support the venture on a commercial basis two of which have been discussed already are based in America who have already verbally expressed interest in supporting us in one way or another.