Children with complex disabilities made a splash at a sensory pool disco at New Barnet Leisure Centre

chilred and adults play in a swimming pool lit with brightly coloured lights — Families, including Sameerah and Ariana, taking part in the first aqua sensory disco. Photo: Sense

A first-of-its-kind sensory pool disco especially for disabled children has opened with a splash at New Barnet Leisure Centre. 

The disco is designed to get children with complex disabilities, aged 4 to 16, and their families into the water, doing exercise and having fun.

The all-new party sessions have been launched by the national disability charity Sense at New Barnet Leisure Centre. Hailed as “an absolute game changer” for disabled families in the area, the 30 places for the first session were rapidly snapped up and the session could have been filled four times over as the wait list swelled to 120 people. In response, the charity has added extra discos for the coming months.

During each hour-long session, the pool’s newly installed multi-coloured lights are switched on, disco tunes play and the pool is filled with glow-in-the-dark balls, inflatable musical instruments and microphones, and floating rubber ducks. This can be very sensorily stimulating for children with complex disabilities, as well as encouraging physical exercise in a fun and inclusive environment. 

 An instructor encourages the children, along with their siblings, parents and carers, to take part in party games and dances, and ensures there’s free time to play with the equipment before a final chill-out ten minutes to calm down before home time. The sessions are completely free for participants.  

Ariana is 11-years-old and has complex disabilities, including severe mobility delays and learning disabilities. Her mum, Sameerah, says Ariana has a new lease of life since attending the aqua disco. Sameerah explains that she really struggles to get Ariana to do exercise and keep active at home, but when Ariana gets back from the disco she’s “knackered”.

Sense came up with the idea of holding the discos to help children with complex disabilities to improve their balance, be sensorily stimulated, meet new people and get moving – but wasn’t sure at first if it’d be possible. The venture has been strongly supported by Better, who run the leisure centre. Better installed the sensory lights system in July 2023 and ensured disabled disco goers can now access the learner pool using a lift. Barnet Council, who approved the spend, has also given their full backing to the project.  

Sense has been using a £2.2 million grant from Sport England to reimagine and reinvent different activities, like tennis and football, and now the aqua disco, to help people with complex disabilities to enjoy activities that were once inaccessible.

Katie Sawyer, Sport and Physical Activity Co-ordinator at Sense, said: “When Sense first dreamt up the idea of a sensory disco, we didn’t know if it would even be possible. But we committed to the idea because swimming and aqua disco is a great form of exercise but it can often be impossible for disabled families to access swimming pools, because of the cost, the lack of pool lifts, crowded mainstream sessions and pool closures in so many areas.  

“Seeing the disco come to life has been a brilliant experience. At the first session, everyone went ‘ooohhh’ as soon as we turned the lights on and parents are saying they absolutely loved it, they want to come again and they think it’s an absolute game changer for their children and the area.” 

Dan Morris, Partnerships Manager for Better in the London Borough of Barnet, said: “We’re proud to host the sensory disco session at New Barnet Leisure Centre in partnership with Sense. When we installed the sensory lighting system, we expected it would benefit people in the local community and we have been blown away by the demand for the disco sessions. Swimming has so many benefits for everyone and it’s incredible to see how much it means when sessions and facilities are accessible to all.”

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