A DORSET disability charity is moving to a new base – at a Dorset theme park.

Diverse Abilities, which supports children and adults with physical and learning difficulties, is set to take its Short Breaks Service from West Moors and take over part of the Adventure Wonderland site in Hurn, near Bournemouth.

To be known as The Treehouse, the facility will include play sessions for SEND children and teenagers aged two to 18, for the whole family, for children to attend alone, siblings support sessions and family support.

The services that will move are known as Coping with CHAOS, Project, Awesome Nights, STARs siblings support, and Family Support Sessions.

Mark Powell, CEO at Diverse Abilities, said: “This is such an exciting development for everyone involved and we are thrilled to be able to expand our reach.

“After working alongside the team at Adventure Wonderland over the past few months to assess how this move could work best for us and the families we support, we are pleased to come to an agreement which will see us opening our doors in time for the Easter holidays in 2024.”

Coping with CHAOS, and its adjoining Short Breaks Services, have been based in West Moors since Diverse Abilities adopted the offering in 2012, after its founding by parents, and has steadily grown since.

During the 2022 to 2023 financial year, more than 550 children with additional needs and their siblings and families were supported by Short Breaks Services.

The move has been driven by the increasing needs of more families, driven in part by the closure of other services, and by the charity’s ambition to create a large hub with specialist facilities.

Clare Rochford, manager of Short Breaks Services, added: “This is a fantastic chance to finally be able to open our doors wider and support more families.

“There is a growing need across Dorset and beyond to provide more support for SEND children and their families.

“As a charity we’re always looking for ways to make this possible and this will truly make such a huge difference to everyone involved.”

The charity is moving to Adventure Wonderland, at Hurn, near Bournemouth. Picture: Google

Adventure Wonderland will retain more than half the existing site, including the Alice in Wonderland Maze and Alice Café, and is planning a new family-friendly attraction to open later in 2024.

A spokesperson for the attraction said: “We’ve worked closely with Diverse Abilities over the years to ensure the children and families can visit for days out and make long lasting memories.

“To be able to continue this support providing much needed space and facilities is such a wonderful way to help support families with disabled children.”

Diverse Abilities said it will be opening its doors at its new site in time for the 2024 Easter holidays and welcomes support from the community and any businesses as it looks to fundraise for the refurbishment work, as well as volunteers to help with painting, decorating, and gardening.

For more information about volunteering opportunities, email volunteering@diverseabilities.org.uk or email fundraising@diverseabilities.org.uk for fundraising enquiries. Visit diverseabilities.org.uk for more information about the charity.