Overview - Working with East Ayrshire H&SCP
In December 2022, Sensory Technology was approached by East Ayrshire H&SCP to design and install a multisensory environment. This need for this new sensory project was identified by a local self-funded charity called Ayrshire Am-asn Warriors Activity Group, who provide support to children with ASN within East Ayrshire.
This new multisensory environment was to be installed within a children’s entertainment centre called Party Palz, based in East Ayrshire. In honour of the founder’s late daughter, the new sensory room is called ‘Mya’s Sensory Room’. Through being run entirely on donations, this fantastic space is fully accessible to the public and completely free to use.
Project Brief
Working alongside East Ayrshire H&SCP and Party Palz, the brief for this project was to create a welcoming multi-sensory environment, which would be fully accessible to users within the community across a range of ages, needs and abilities. The aim was to include a variety of equipment for users to explore, providing both an interactive and calming environment for all.
Design Process
We approach all our designs with due care and attention, ensuring the most suitable products are offered.
As the room would be for users across a variety of ages and abilities, it was important to include a range of equipment that could cater to all – making sure no one would be left behind. It was also important to make sure that all of the proposed equipment and elements featured within the room would enable users to feel comfortable and safe within their surroundings.
The colour palette chosen for the floor and wall padding was a combination of lilac and grey, which matched beautifully with the painted mural on the wall, in honour of Mya.
The equipment within the Sensory Room included:
- Bubble Tube
- Four Way Hand Switch
- Acrylic Mirrors
- Solar LED100 Projector
- Mood Lighting
- Cube Switch
- Quarter Circle Fibre Optic Curtain
- Central Control System
- Bluetooth Sound System
- Seating Plinth
- Wall Padding
- Floor Padding
Installation and Training Process
The installation went smoothly and took around 2-3 days. This included the required electrical work for the installation, along with a training session at the end to ensure users of the room could fully benefit from the equipment. Paula from East Ayrshire H&SCP was particularly impressed with the install engineer, saying:
“The engineer was so accommodating and professional. He kept the space safe and secure, allowing Party Palz to open their main venue while the work was going on. It’s hard to believe it was completed in such a short time, to a very high spec.”
Client Feedback
The Ayrshire Am-asn Warriors Activity Group, Party Palz and those involved at Ayrshire H&SCP are a credit to their community. We’re honoured to have been involved with such a meaningful project and hope the sensory environment brings joy to its users for many years to come!
“The sensory room has brought a fantastic community resource to East Ayrshire, and is the first community based sensory room in Ayrshire. We know families are struggling just now with the cost of living, and wanted to offer this free resource to families with disabled and additional support needs children who can experience isolation and lack of support. The sensory room space was donated by the owner of Party Palz, and the room itself was co-designed with parents. The whole process was made so much easier by all of the staff at Sensory Technology. Their knowledge and experience helped us enormously, and the engineer who fitted the room was just brilliant.”
Paula Raymond, East Ayrshire H&SCP.