Testimonials
Mike Ayres Design is founded on principles of quality, innovation and a genuine aim to provide the best equipment and installations.
Customers enjoy working with us, and often return again and again. The equipment is well conceived, installed to a high standard and everything has the customer in mind.This is why most of the projects we are commissioned to deliver are based on recommendation.
But don't take our word for it. Here are a small selection of our customer's comments on the Mike Ayres Design experience.
If they inspire you to involve us in your project, simply call the friendly team on 01359 251551 or, if you prefer, email email the team.
August 2019
“A huge thank you to all at Mike Ayres for the fantastic sensory room we have, we love it.
Thank you for the professional fitters that came on Tuesday and Wednesday, they have done a fantastic job and it did not affect the Ward at all.
It’s been a long time coming but definitely worth it. I can’t wait for our official opening in 2 weeks time so I can show it off to the Charity”
Carina Roberts
Health Play Specialist
July 2019
Private domestic address, Twickenham
"I know that it is some time ago that we had my son's sensory room fitted. Just wanted to say a massive thanks and how much we love it"
"I am extremely happy with the end product. My son is slowly getting used to it, which brings me joy.
Wishing you and your team all the best."
Mrs Young
Parent
April 2019
"I just wanted to say thank you very much for all of your team's hard work and efforts with our sensory room which was fitted today. Luke and Evan were top lads and did a fantastic job and we are extremely pleased with the finished product. The demo they gave us was very informative and they worked professionally and tidily throughout the whole day. We will definitely recommend your company to any other school or provider that is considering a sensory space/room and if we require any more work or equipment we will definitely be in touch."
Mike Wickham
Director of Inclusion & Head of Dyson
March 2019
Locks Heath Day Services, Southampton
"We are absolutely thrilled with our new sensory studio!! It looks incredible and it all came together pretty smoothly in the end, all considering; the electrics were a nightmare, but I think you knew that!
We are very much looking forward to supporting our users to enjoy this new facility.
I would also like to give a huge thank you to Luke and Matthew, they always managed to come up with a solution to the problems we encountered and I certainly felt that they went the extra mile. It was a pleasure working alongside them on this project."
Karen Skinner
Service Manager
Locks Heath Day Services
February 2019
Swiss Cottage School Development & Research Centre, London
"Our school provision meets the needs of learners with complex layered needs. This includes learners with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Communication Disorders, Sensory Needs, Physical Needs, and/or Emotional Mental Health Needs.
During the project planning Mike Ayres Design had an excellent understanding around our vision for the tactile murals, and they created designs that reflect our school community. All of the team at Mike Ayres were committed to making sure that everything was completed to the highest specification and with an eye for detail.
We had three clear themes for our designs which were: living, deep learning and creative patterns and texture. Our tactile murals have transformed our building and have given all staff opportunities to extend the sensory learning outcomes across the building.
Having different textures and experiences on each floor of the school has really increased outcomes such as independence for individual pupils, which has also developed a clear identity of which areas of the school the pupil or staff member is transiting through."
Edward Pitcher
Leader of Technology
Swiss Cottage School
April 2018
“This is the third time I have worked with Mike Ayres Design. Each time they did not disappoint – from design to installation. It was a very personalised service; they listened to our requirements and were very patient until we knew we had the right design and products to meet the needs of our school.
Good value for money; excellent quality equipment that is robust and lasts. The after service is very good for annual services or for any small repairs or queries.
The products and services are a little more expensive but they last longer and are more innovative. Mike Ayres Design is always ahead of other competitors for the products and services they can provide.”
Rachel Grimwood
Headteacher
Durham Trinity School
April 2018
Ivel Valley School, Biggleswade
“I just wanted to say that Luke and Robin have been great the last few days. I know that it has been a lot of work with very long days and they have done a great job and were always very approachable and friendly - not something that many contractors manage! I've had a demo and I know the children are going to love it.”
Hannah Doran,
School Business Manager
Ivel Valley School
March 2018
"Working with Mike Ayres has been a fabulous stress free experience. We have worked with previous companies in the past and Mikes Ayres are totally different. They planned out the room to meet our needs and made practical suggestions to improve our ideas and to make things work better. The planning was very detailed and all angles of the room were considered. The installation was easy and stress free, staff were prompt and worked quickly. I feel the equipment the service and after sales are fabulous and great value for money. Other equipment can be found cheaper but at a cost, this equipment is quality for SEN pupils."
Louise Dewis
Middle Phase Leader & ICT Lead
Castlewood School, Coventry
March, 2018
"Thanks to you and your team. Love the new equipment. Have to say the two guys from your installation team were really good and helpful, thought they worked exceptionally hard whilst here."
Joe Kitchen
Service Manager
Thomley
Feb 2018
Helen Tyzack
Head of Primary
The Bridge
Feb 2018
Sue Price
Children's Occupational Therapist
East Anglia Children's Hospice, Cambridge
Dec 2017
"At Share Scotland, we provide 24-hour support for people with complex learning and physical disabilities, so they can live in their own homes in the community that they choose.
As part of our future development, we wanted to ensure that our service users could access the highest quality activities in their local area, and our starting point was to build a state of the art Sensory Room for both their use and that of the wider disabled community.
Mike Ayres Design was recommended to us by Hazelwood School, and from the very first conversation with David, I knew we had made the right choice. Following a series of initial phone conversations, he came to visit us, and completely understood what we were trying to achieve. We only had a small space and a limited budget, and David managed to accommodate all our needs, for a very diverse group of users, within our finances.
The planning, design and installation of the room were all seemless, and all delivered with great efficiency, the build being completed 3 days earlier than quoted!
The room has been used by many of our service users and staff, and they have all commented on how easy it is to use, and how superior it is to other similar facilities. Even our most profoundly disabled users have really enjoyed the relaxation and particularly watching staff members leaping round the room bursting bubbles and squashing fruit!!
We would not hesitate to recommend Mike Ayres Design to anyone planning a similar development. From the very outset to the aftercare and training offered, they have been exceptionally professional, friendly, good value and a joy to work with."
Catriona Connelly
Head of Communications and Fundraising
Share Scotland
May 2017
Radlett Lodge, part of the National Autistic Society, is a specialist school for children and young people with Autism aged between 4 and 19. We originally used Mike Ayres Design to help us create a new sensory room and despite the space constraints they came up with a project that was within budget, time scales and our pupils have enjoyed over the past 10 years.
We are now about to have an exciting upgrade which will allow the pupils to incorporate their iPads when using the sensory room.
I would recommend any school considering Soft Play or Sensory equipment to contact Mike Ayres Design for the professional service they deliver.
Jeremy Keeble
Principal
2017 April
"When we moved into our newly renovated site in February 2017, we had no reservations about approaching Mike Ayres Deign to help us create a new Soft Play room, a Calming space and a Multi-Sensory room, having worked with them on previous projects.
Their design and sales team listened to our very specific needs and produced appropriate designs for us to consider. They also made some useful suggestions
based on their experience in working with special settings.
All the work was carried out within our time-scale, ready for when we moved premises. The rooms are used every day and provide a valuable resource.
I would recommend any school considering Soft Play or Sensory Equipment to contact Mike Ayres Design for the professional service they deliver."
Anna Brady
Head of Centre
Aurora House, Wyvern Federation
2017 April
"As soon as Nick started to speak about the kind of work Mike Ayres do, I knew that we had found the suppliers for our new sensory room.
Hazelwood is a school for children and young people aged between 3-18 with sensory impairments, as well as a wide variety of other additional support needs. Therefore our sensory room had to be a very flexible and adaptable environment. Nick just "got" what we were after and his recommendations were absolutely fantastic. Our staff have grown in confidence in using the equipment and we have seen some huge developments in our pupils' decision making skills, independence and overall engagement.
We are extremely proud of our school, and our new sensory room has been a great addition to our existing resources."
Mr FergusonDeputy Headteacher
Hazlewood School
2017 April
Ferring Country Centre, Worthing
Just to let you know, we are pleased with the Sensory Room, it looks good. Your guys worked hard and were polite and professional.
Lynda Vowles
General Manager
Ferring Country Centre
2017 March
"I have to say that we are really happy with our new soft play area, it has been a huge hit with the pupils and staff. The range of facilities in the soft play area serves a really wide range of need and it has been a real asset to the delivery of our curriculum.
If we do find ourselves in that position [to invest more] then we will definitely be in touch with you."
Shivaun Moriarty
Headteacher
Sherbourne Fields School, Coventry
2016 December
"Thank you for all your efforts in getting our sensory room installed over the summer. The team were excellent and did a fantastic job. Everyone here is very impressed with the facility and the equipment."
Rachael Webster
PMLD Lead
Riverbank Academy
2016 November
"We are delighted with the new resources. Your team were super. Very hard working, clean, tidy and very professional. Everyone was impressed by their work and manner. The quality of everything looks really good."
Emily Dixon
Deputy Head
Kilpatrick School
2016 June
John Grant School, Great Yarmouth
"Thank you for sending Chris along to the opening of our Sensory Room. It was very reassuring to know that I had a trouble shooter on hand! All the equipment worked beautifully and our invited guests were very impressed with it all.
More importantly, our students are already benefitting from the new activities they are now able to access, thanks to your design and installation.
Thanks once again."
Jill Waters
Assistant Headteacher
John Grant School
2016 April
Chadsgrove School, Worcestershire
"The school is celebrating its 40th birthday and we will be showcasing the Multi-Sensory Room. Can I take this opportunity to say how pleased we are with the room so far, I've had some really positive feedback from the staff and some great responses from the children."
Emma Gilbert
Lead Practitioner
Chadsgrove School
2015 April
"The team have been working so hard and been a delight to have. We are just past the half-way point, so I am getting very excited!"
Yvonne Nossel
Kingsdown School
2015 April
"Your gentleman fitters have been terrific. We love our new sensory room!!"
Jill Owen
Headteacher
Montacute School
2013 March
The SPACE Centre has one of the largest and most versatile multi-sensory rooms in the UK and Mike Ayres has been involved in the design and equipment right from the beginning, over 25 years ago.
We have 8 groups a day and are open 7 days a week, so we have replaced the floor and slide cushions over the years, but the basic design has stood the
test of time, so much so that we are keeping this design in our new sensory room. As always, Mike continues to plan meticulously for our new room,
challenging us to examine our objectives so he can create the best room possible for our needs. Mike endeavours to ensure that the sensory room and
equipment in it are appropriate for your aims and clientele.
We have found equipment from Mike Ayres Design to be of the highest quality, from the cushioning to the bubble tube components which means everything is durable and needs little maintenance. Mike can also adapt equipment in his own workshops which we find very useful as standard equipment does not always meet our needs. It is very reassuring to speak to a company that so clearly understand not only the mechanics of the equipment, but also the therapeutic reasons for it.
In my experience many people struggle with switching systems as they can be complex and temperamental, we have had Mike Ayres Design's Switch2 system for many years and it is still working and is simple and easy to use. The new Switch4 system is the next generation of this system and also offers flexibility and ease of use.
As an Occupational Therapist with 33 years experience in the field of disability I can recommend working with Mike and his team as I know they are committed to producing aesthetically pleasing, high quality products that meet the therapeutic need.
If you would like to find out more about SPACE, click here.
2012 December
Sidestrandhall School, Norfolk
"We are all really pleased with the outcomes of the rooms. Luke and Joe were great. The children are already enjoying them (and the staff!)"
Simon Yockney
Deputy Manager, Clement Lodge
Sidestrandhall School
2012 November
"Just to say a big thank you to you and the team for the great job on the installation of the Sensory Room, Soft Play Room and completed Safe Spaces thus far. Pupils have been using all elements today to really good effect.
We look forward to having your team back with us to complete the installation of the Hydro Pool.
Brilliant!"
James Franzen
Headteacher
Mountjoy School
2012 September
"I just wanted to let you know what a great success the Soft Play area is at Tiverton. The area is getting lots of use for teaching and learning, and the children have been really enjoying the opportunities it brings.
Thank you for all your work to plan and install this."
Headteacher
Tiverton School
2012 January
"Thanks for the manual we received this week, the comprehensive instructions are much appreciated!.
Our Sensory Room is now in full use and is fast becoming a valuable way to introduce the most vulnerable families to the Centre and the services available here.
We are impressed with the service we received from Mike Ayres Design and the speed and efficiency of the installation team. We are hoping to add to the equipment in the future when more funds become available, so hope to continue links with your team.
Jenny Gray
Family Support Worker
SureStart Bowthorpe
