Stadium Donates Timber to Support Local Charities New Sensory Spaces

Stadium Export Services has proudly donated timber and plywood to support the expansion of The Special Lioness, a local charity in Washington, Tyne and Wear that provides immersive sensory experiences for children with additional needs.

Founded eight years ago, The Special Lioness supports families of children with disabilities and life-limiting conditions, offering a safe, inclusive space where children can explore, play and thrive.

Following the success of its first sensory facility, The Roaring Rainforest, the charity recently began expanding into a second location to meet growing demand. This expansion has resulted in the creation of the Planetarium Sensory Room and the Music Therapy Room.

To support this important project, Stadium Export Services donated enough external grade plywood and timber to line the walls and build stud partitions to create the new activity areas, generating a huge saving for the charity.

The materials used provided a blank canvas to allow for the transformation of each area into a fully accessible, stimulating environment tailored to the needs of children with sensory sensitivities.

Stadium Export Services is honoured to support such an inspiring and impactful local initiative. As a self-built charity, The Special Lioness welcomes all families, regardless of diagnosis, and is uniquely equipped to meet a wide range of additional needs. It stands as one of only a few facilities in the North East offering fully inclusive sensory support, making its work even more vital to the local community.

“We’re proud to support a cause that’s making such a meaningful impact in our local community,” said Brian Smith, CEO of Stadium Export Services. “After being lucky enough to receive a tour of the facility by Claire, we could see how cleverly each activity area has been designed and the incredible enthusiasm all the volunteers have for this project as well as all the hard work behind the scenes to make this happen.

By donating these materials, we were able to contribute to something that will benefit many families for years to come.”

The project reflects Stadium’s ongoing commitment to supporting community-led initiatives and making positive use of excess materials that might otherwise go to waste.

Claire Stewart, Chair of Trustees at The Special Lioness, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Stadium for their generous donation to help prepare the building for the creation of our sensory rooms. As a small local charity, we rarely ask for financial support, but donations of materials and equipment like this go an exceptionally long way. Thank you for standing with us in such a meaningful and practical way.”

Find out more about The Special Lioness and donate here.

You can also read about how Stadium delivered lifesaving equipment to Sierra Leone for a local MBE doctor here.