New Forest Conductive Education & Guests from Australia
We love sharing our guests stories, this one comes from Toni. Toni Em, and Beth travelled from Brisbane for a four-week stay over Christmas. Toni had recently lost over 40 kilos, and it was wonderful to capture her alongside her incredible daughters, making the most of their time together in the New Forest, and to get to know a little more about them.
Toni and their family were travelling such a long distance to stay on the south coast, so we facilitated a couple of deliveries beforehand so that they didn't have to bring all the essentials with them, and we were able to meet them in the New Forest for one of our favourite accessible walks and to capture some memories to take back to Australia.
We asked her to share her story and experience with us a year later, as we are still connecting on social media, and it was thanks to Toni that we have since worked closely with New Forest Conductive Education, so that they can offer Conductive Education in a residential retreat setting.
In December 2024 we travelled from Australia to England for my daughter to do an Intensive with New Forest Conductive Education. Judit and Mandy recommended looking into Our Bench as an accommodation option (we had previously stayed in Christchurch) and they were spot on.
My daughter has done CE since she was a baby and her intensives have always been with Judit and Mandy at New Forest Conductive Education. They are always so positive and encouraging and get her to push past her own expectations and achieve new goals around controlled movement and mobility. This time they came to us daily at the cottage and it worked really well.
The cottage had everything we needed: profiling beds, a ceiling hoist, fantastic wet room with everything we needed and extra equipment offered if we needed it, a full kitchen (and as we were there for an extended stay this was essential as my daughter is on full blended diet via G Tube). We had access to a laundry (washer-dryer), airing rack, great proximity to a local store and lovely walking areas close by.
Matt and Helen made us feel at home (should I mention the lovely cake waiting for us haha) and went out of their way to make the stay work for us. They even went as far as pumping up my daughter’s wheelchair tyres, offering assistance navigating the local hospital situation when we needed an ED visit, advising on local walks, and organising a photo shoot which was very memorable.
Coming from Australia we did need more heating than the usual guest and they did not add any charge for this (we have incurred it before sadly).
We will definitely be back!
Who are New Forest Conductive Education?
New Forest Conductive Education is a specialist provider of conductive education, supporting children, young people and adults with neurological movement conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Conductive education is a holistic approach that combines movement, learning and daily life skills. Rather than focusing on isolated exercises, it helps individuals develop coordination, control and confidence through purposeful, structured activities that can be carried into everyday life.
Based in the New Forest, the team works closely with families to deliver both one to one sessions and intensive programmes. These can take place in a clinic setting or, as in Toni’s case, as part of a residential stay where therapy is brought directly to the accommodation.
This flexible, family centred approach allows conductive education to fit around real life. Delivering sessions in a familiar, fully accessible cottage can reduce stress, support consistency, and give families the chance to focus on progress while still enjoying time together and a change of scenery.
Our collaboration with New Forest Conductive Education has grown directly from guest experiences like Toni’s. Together, we are proud to support families who wish to combine a holiday or extended stay with meaningful, specialist conductive education in a safe, supportive and accessible environment.
You can find our more here: New Forest Conductive
