Alumna opens neuroinclusive sensory play centre

To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026), University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is proud to share the inspiring work of Sandra Richards‑Davies, an alumna whose pioneering social enterprise is transforming access to inclusive play for children and young people in West Wales.

Sandra, who graduated in 2022 with a BA (Hons) in Rural Enterprise Management and is now studying for an MBA in Sustainability Leadership, has recently launched Bubbles Bounce and Sensory Play CIC at Parc Dewi Sant, Carmarthen - a pioneering play centre in Wales designed around the seven sensory experiences. The centre provides accessible, sessional play for all children, with particular focus on those who are neurodivergent or have additional learning needs.

With a career spanning almost three decades in mental health nursing and community‑based care for younger adults with complex needs, Sandra’s career has always focused on supporting people and strengthening communities, but a sudden change in her health forced her to step back from the work she loved.

“I couldn’t be at home not doing something,” Sandra says. “So while I juggled my health issues along with a loss of role and identity, returning to education gave me both direction and opportunity during a very difficult time.”

Returning to education required adjustment, but Sandra found the learning environment at UWTSD to be supportive and confidence‑building.

 “Going back to university as a mature student was definitely different… there was a lot participation and a lot of new technology - my biggest challenge,” she says. 

“Being in a mixed-demographic study group was inspiring and extremely helpful - especially when it came to help with technology! My tutors were also great - very friendly and approachable and happy to listen and debate - very different to when I was a nursing student in the 90s.”

During her degree, an idea that had been forming quietly for several years began to take shape. Her studies prompted her to reflect on her own experiences as a parent of a child with autism, particularly the lack of sensory‑friendly spaces available when her son was younger - a challenge she notes still persists today.

“Every child has the right to play,” she says, “yet too many are excluded because their needs haven’t been considered.”

This combination of lived experience, professional insight and academic study led to the creation of Bubbles Bounce and Sensory Play CIC, a Centre dedicated to inclusive, child‑centred environments. The space brings together sensory‑rich areas, imaginative role‑play and movement‑based activities, including Pod Play technology, with outdoor and covered play zones that support exploration and regulation.

Sandra credits the University’s Enterprise Team with helping her take the next steps in building the business. Through this service, she accessed specialist guidance, one‑to‑one advice and opportunities to develop her business planning and digital capability. This support also enabled her to welcome a UWTSD’s Swansea Business School student intern, who is now helping to strengthen the centre’s digital identity and online presence.

“UWTSD Enterprise team gave me the opportunity to work directly with the officers and to join their free business start-up workshops,” Sandra says. “I’m also very fortunate to have been given an intern – someone with fresh eyes and a flair for marketing, websites and socials. Having an intern with the skills I lack, and who shares a passion for neuroinclusion, is a big help to the business.”

As Bubbles Bounce and Sensory Play continues to establish itself within the community, Sandra is already looking ahead to further development and collaboration. Her motivation remains the same as it has been throughout her career:

“Making a difference was all I had wanted to do since I was a teenager… I could see an opportunity to do this through business, not for self‑gain or profit, but to make a difference and for social impact.”

Further Information

Mared Anthony

Communications and PR Officer: Alumni Relations   
Corporate Communications and PR    
Email: mared.anthony@uwtsd.ac.uk    
Phone: +447482256996