Nantwich Primary Academy visit to Wingate Centre July 2025

RC Nantwich’s annual Wingate residential weekend for Nantwich Primary Academy pupils.

Organised by our members Rotarians John Crowe, Ashley Weaver and Robin Latham, for the last 5 years we have paid for (in conjunction with a District Grant – thank you D1180!)  a group of vulnerable and disadvantaged children from Nantwich Primary Academy to attend an overnight stay at The Wingate Centre.  

For those who don’t know, Wingate was established in 1988 by parents of children with a range of disabilities, using gymnastics to facilitate their emotional and physical development.  The charity has now evolved into an organisation dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with all levels of physical and learning disability or who are disadvantaged.  The site comprises of a 22-bedroom specialised accommodation facility and a 7,000 square foot, fully-fitted gymnasium, recreational hall and sensory room.

This year, 30 pupils visited over the weekend of 10th and 11th July.  As you can imagine, at the Wingate our children have all sorts of new and exciting adventures.  These include trampolining, ‘safe’ gymnastics, ball games, soft archery, daytime camping and BBQs (see the photos).  For some, this is the first time that they have ever been away from home. We also provide free ice-cream (courtesy of Cheshire Ice Cream Farm) and petting animals, this year a pony (Rolo).  The children, some of whom have learning difficulties, really benefit from the experience. So much so that one child who had been mute started to talk when patting Rolo and some developed enough confidence to give a presentation to the Club when we visited the school a few weeks later.  

As a Club we believe that investing in our children is an investment in the future.  This is especially important for those children who, for whatever reason, are disadvantaged or disabled.