A MIDDLE Wallop military base has celebrated the opening of an improved nursery area which will help cater for children with additional needs.

The Army Aviation Centre’s (AAC) community centre renovated an office and “dumping ground” space into a soft play area and sensory processing room after a £13,000 Armed Forces Covenant Fund was awarded last year.

The revamped children’s areas will be open to the military and civilian communities living in surrounding villages and Andover as, according to the AAC, currently 20 per cent of children living in the AAC and in the Wallops are diagnosed with additional needs.

AAC community support development worker Janine Shipley said: “We were told the centre was looking a bit dreary by our commanding officer; it was looking tired, outdated and wasn’t welcoming, but we weren’t going to get funding for just painting so what we did was combine Wallop SEN [Special Educational Needs] play into it. It is not just for children with special needs but all kids can use this area with children and parents.

“It was the idea of a mum whose little one is autistic and enjoys all the sensory play, so she and her child needed space where they could go.

“I think it is important that they have a space where they can go.”

The new areas, opened on Friday last week, took around four months to set up before the grand opening but with leftover money from the grant, more equipment for the areas will be added when it is up and running.

Alongside the playing and sensory areas, the funding will also cover a 10-week course for parenting and life skills to help families communicate.

Currently, through a variety of groups and sessions that run at the community centre, around 600-700 people a month use the facilities but Janine wants to see this increase.

She added: “I would like it [the number of people] to increase as there’s always room for more people and it is nice to have a sense of belonging.

“When I was a young mum I went to a group and there wasn’t any room for me so I wanted, when I worked, somewhere to be welcoming and make sure the same thing didn’t happen to others.”

Speaking at the opening, mother-of-four Michelle Millard said the new rooms will allow her to go somewhere with her youngest daughter who has autism and is restricted to a wheelchair.

The 44-year-old said: “It is really good they have secured the funding as I know as a parent how hard it is to get things, and it means for the military community when you feel so alone that when they put on things like this on it lifts your spirits and you can go out.

“I don’t go out much so I don’t know many people but things will change now, it’s fantastic.

“Now I can venture out with my daughter’s wheelchair and see if she would cope, they said I can go around the back to avoid the busy foyer. She will love the room; she needs calm.”

To find out more, contact the welfare office on 01264 784529.