Exciting improvements are taking shape across Harmeny’s estate as we invest in the spaces where children and young people live, learn and play.
Work has started on our new adventure playground.
Guided by our 2025–2030 strategy, these developments will help ensure our buildings and grounds continue to respond to their changing needs, now and in the future.
Our estate is much more than the setting for our work. The environment around children and young people plays a vital role in helping them feel safe, supported and able to thrive. From transforming outdoor play and renovating our Primary School to developing age-appropriate living spaces, each of these projects will contribute to a more nurturing, responsive and future-focused Harmeny.
Transforming play at Harmeny
Work is already under way to transform the Venchie, our much-loved adventure playground, which has been part of Harmeny for more than 30 years.
Designed by play specialists CAP.CO, the new Venchie will retain the area’s distinctive woodland character while creating a brighter, safer and more accessible environment for adventurous play. The design has been shaped through consultation with young people and adults across Harmeny, helping to ensure the space responds to different ages, needs and ways of playing.
Alongside the Venchie, we are installing a new Multi-Use Games Area to provide an all-weather space for team games. These improvements form part of our wider ambition to provide opportunities to Play, Learn, Attach and Relax, known as our PLAR approach, every day at Harmeny.
This work is being made possible thanks to the incredible support of donors and funders to our Play Appeal, our ongoing fundraising campaign to improve play, activity and social spaces across Harmeny’s estate. While significant progress has already been made, the campaign continues to raise funds for the remaining Venchie equipment and further improvements to the front lawn, cottage gardens and social spaces for older young people.
Reimagining our Primary School
This autumn, renovation work will begin on Harmeny’s Primary School. Now 26 years old, the building needs to evolve to better reflect modern educational approaches and the diverse sensory and learning needs of our children.
The refurbishment will create more flexible, nurturing and sensory-aware classrooms and learning spaces for both residential pupils and children attending our Day Service. By adapting the physical environment, we aim to create inclusive spaces that support children’s wellbeing, engagement and development, helping them to feel comfortable and ready to learn.
Concept design of our new free play space within the school.
Supporting young people as they grow
Our plans also recognise that children and young people’s needs change as they grow older. Harmeny is committed to minimising unnecessary transitions and, where appropriate, enabling young people to remain within a familiar and supportive community for longer.
Building on what we have learnt from our existing independent living annex, feedback from former pupils and shared learnings with other providers, we will soon be expanding the accommodation options for young people aged 15+ through the provision of three self-contained flats within a converted residential building on our estate.
These flats will offer a supported next step for young people who are already living at Harmeny. They will provide opportunities to develop practical skills, confidence and greater independence in an age and stage-appropriate environment, while continuing to benefit from the relationships and support available to them at Harmeny.
This development is an important part of ensuring that our residential provision continues to respond to the needs of our older young people, helping to prepare them for life beyond Harmeny.
How we are funding this work
As a not-for-profit residential childcare provider, we are committed to ensuring that funds are continually reinvested to the benefit of young people. This year the Board of Trustees have authorised an investment of up to £1.2million from our reserves to help fund the refurbishment of the primary school and creation of three self-contained flats. This decision has been taken in line with our reserves policy to ensure that we maintain at least three months of operational costs in free reserves.
Our aim is to raise the remaining funds for Play Appeal through grants and donations by the end of this year to allow us to complete our plans for developing our play and social spaces across the estate by next summer. We are hugely grateful for all the support received so far. We would like to extend our thanks to the Nancie Massey Charitable Trust for their significant support of the appeal. This has enabled us to enhance the design for our adventure playground and grow our ambitions to ensure that all young people have access to spaces that support emotional regulation, spark curiosity, build friendships and provide opportunities to enjoy the simple pleasure of play.
Working together to build brighter futures
As all these projects progress, teams across Harmeny are working together to coordinate the different developments and minimise disruption to the daily lives of our young people and the adults who support them.
If you would like to find out more about the developments or discuss the opportunities this can provide for a young person in our care, please get in touch.
If you would like to help a child discover the joy of play through supporting our Play Appeal, we would love to hear from you.
You can find out more about our progress to date against our five-year strategy in our 2025-26 Annual Report which is available now.
