Our ambitious £250,000 therapy pool appeal was officially launched on Thursday 19 June at the Diamond Activity and Therapeutic Centre at Tickhill Road in partnership with representatives from Choice for All Doncaster (CHaD), who are working in partnership with us to co-design the new pool area.
The Centre provides care and support to adults with a diagnosis of learning disabilities, with associated physical disabilities, communicative disorders, neurological barriers and, or health needs. It provides a variety of sensory and physical activities and therapies for clients and is open Monday to Friday.
We require £250,000 to replace our existing pool, which was installed in 1996, with a brand-new modern version.
Due to space limitations, only one member of staff is able to safely support a client in the water at any one time in the existing pool, this restricts the number of clients who can use the pool and limits the variety of therapeutic exercises that can be offered.
The new pool will offer more space, enabling multiple staff to work with each client simultaneously, increasing the number of clients who can access the pool and receive therapeutic support.
Hydrotherapy or water therapy involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. It is different from swimming as it involves performing special exercises in a warm-water pool, and different from water aerobics as it focuses on controlled movements and muscle relaxation.
It can be a highly effective form of therapeutic exercise for people with muscle-wasting conditions. Studies suggest that when patients with muscle-wasting conditions receive physiotherapy in association with hydrotherapy, they achieve measurable improvement in the quality of daily living.
Having a thoroughly modern new pool and enriched sensory environment will greatly help us to provide a wider range of therapeutic support to a larger number of clients, their families and the wider community.
Feedback from our families and carers
“My son attends the Diamond Centre. He is severely disabled as is most of the clients there. As anyone knows if a person cannot walk, talk or freely move at all and is stuck in a wheelchair all day any kind of relief from this challenging existence is vital.
“Please do not underestimate the benefits of this therapy resource. For him it hits the trinity of ‘Mind, body and soul’ after a session he returns to us content, relaxed and calm. He is an absolute delight to be around and engage with. I am sure staff will have noticed this considerable change in him as well.
“In conclusion, I sincerely hope the Spa Pool continues to be an essential part of the Diamond Centre and any kind of refit and upgrade can only benefit the people using it.”
“Our daughter is wheelchair bound, one of her greatest pleasures is being able to move freely as she wishes, this is obtainable when she is fully supported by water in the pool, she has always loved being in water but due to health issues me and her dad are no longer able to take her ourselves. So having a pool on site at diamond with qualified staff would enable her to enjoy the simple pleasure of being in the water.”
“We would like to send this letter in to hopefully help get funding for a larger spa pool our daughter uses this facility and it really helps her so much with strengthening her legs up… she uses a is not be able to have any more operations so we have to try and get her to strengthen her muscles by physio at home and at Diamond, we are so thankfully for the spa pool every Friday or when enough staff are available she can stand so easy and it even stops the legs wobbling we would love to get her walking unaided like she used to when she was younger and thanks to the water it really is helping her.
“She loves water and we have a large pool in the garden for summer use… so we know not only her but all clients will benefit from this larger spa, to give people a helping hand to maybe walk a few steps unaided even out water must be great for not only physical health but mental health too.
“We support Morag 100% to keep this going and get what the team need for the centre we hope all concerned will also help support them.
“Thank you Morag for all the help you and the staff give to her from physio to the best this spa pool.”
“My son is a client at the Diamond Centre and has use of the pool. The benefits to him are great not only for his physical wellbeing but his mental health to.
“He is a kidney transplant patient and as such needs a certain amount of exercise, but gentle exercise. The hydro pool does this excellently, Hydrotherapy pools can help with pain, stiffness, swelling, and muscle tension. They can also improve circulation, range of motion, and cardiovascular fitness, all of which benefit him as he does have bouts of sever cramp at times.
“Mentally, he gets a lot relaxation from his pool time, which helps with his autism and mood swings both at home and at the Centre.”
Published: June 25, 2025