Foster parents Milly Dobson and Daniel Pointer have transformed The Old Chapel on Birmingham Road in Coleshill into Giggle Wiggle and Grow, an inclusive play café designed for children of all ages and abilities to explore imaginative, sensory and physical play while parents and carers relax in the café.
A family vision becomes reality
The couple, who are raising five children aged between ten months and eight years, including three foster children, developed the idea after struggling to find a local venue where the whole family, with their different ages and needs, could play safely and enjoy themselves together. The facility occupies the 4,304 sq ft Old Chapel, following a deal completed by Birmingham commercial property agents Shepherd Commercial.
Upstairs, children can visit an imagination village featuring a supermarket, hair salon, school and fire station, alongside a sensory pod and designated baby area. A two-level play structure downstairs includes slides, a ball pit, monkey bars and a bubble tube walkway.
Opening details and pricing
The venue opened recently with a free launch event for local families and is open seven days a week, with three play sessions each day from 10am to noon, 1pm to 3pm and 4pm to 6pm. Weekday admission is £8.95 for children aged one and over, £5.95 for babies aged six to 12 months and £2 for adults, rising to £9.95, £6.95 and £2 respectively at weekends.
Milly’s experience as a foster carer and parent of a child with additional needs has helped shape the venue’s approach, with plans to introduce dedicated SEND sessions, providing a supportive environment for children while giving parents and carers an opportunity to meet, talk openly and share their experiences. She also hopes to secure Ofsted registration so the venue can take part in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme in future.
Founders share their inspiration
Milly said: “We wanted to create somewhere children of different ages and needs could play together, while parents and carers could enjoy a coffee and feel comfortable spending time here too. Our own children were the inspiration. We struggled to find an indoor venue where all five of them could have fun and feel safe without travelling a long way, so we decided to create that space ourselves.”
She added: “My mum and dad Helen and Tony Dobson have supported us so much in this journey so we are extremely grateful to them for their help, as well as our business advisor Rob Healy and Carly Dobbins from Launch Start Up. Children learn so much through play and imagination, whether they are exploring everyday situations, communicating with others or discovering shapes, colours and numbers. It’s something we’re really passionate about and we’re really proud to be bringing it to Coleshill.”
“Supporting children with additional needs and their families is especially close to my heart, and we want our SEND sessions to provide a safe and understanding space for both children and adults. We fell in love with The Old Chapel as soon as we saw it. It has so much character, and our carpenters have done a phenomenal job of bringing the vision to life.”
Property agent comments on the letting
Kaine Arkinson, managing director at Shepherd Commercial, said: “The Old Chapel is a distinctive property and this was not a straightforward, off-the-shelf letting. Milly had a strong vision for the building, and we remained closely involved throughout the negotiations to help establish a structure that worked for both parties. Our role was not simply to complete the transaction, but also to consider the long-term future of the asset and identify a use that suited the character of the property, the needs of the occupier and the local market.”
He concluded: “Giggle Wiggle and Grow has brought the building back into productive use and created a fantastic destination for families in Coleshill, and we wish them the best of success in this new chapter.” For bookings and more information visit www.gigglewiggleandgrow.co.uk.
