Concord Sports Centre, in Shiregreen, has invested in a multi-sensory facility in which disabled children and adults can learn different colours and sounds, relax and stimulate their senses.

It is one of the only publicly accessible multi-sensory sites as similar facilities are usually only available in schools and hospitals.

The three rooms, sensory, relaxation, and interactive, all use lights, fragrance, touch and sound to learn and relax. They include bubble tubes, water beds, bean bags which emit music sounds to feel through the body, aroma oils and an LED wall.

The introduction of the rooms is part of Concord's strategy to cater better for disabled customers. Other initiatives include providing rebound therapy on trampolines for people with mobility problems and having Changing Places dressing rooms specially designed for disabled customers.

Richard Apps, general manager at Concord, said: "We are looking to make use of the rooms for GP Referrals and our Playing for Success classmates as well as the many disability groups we have in the city, creating another community within our centre."