Who: the Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Councillor Tom Wilson
What: will attend a First Brick Laying Ceremony at RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home, to mark a vital development of the current site into a state of the art facility for young people with sight loss and additional complex needs.
Where: RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home, Wheelwright Lane, Ash Green, Coventry CV7 9RA.
When: 1.30pm Wednesday 16th September 2009.
Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Councillor Tom Wilson, will join local business leaders alongside staff, students and residents at RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home, at a First Brick Laying Ceremony. The event will mark a vital stage in the transformation of the current site, into a state of the art facility for young people with sight loss and additional complex needs.
Rushton currently offers specialist education, 52-week residential care, therapies and health support for young people between the ages of 4 -19 years who have a sight problem and additional complex needs.
Because of high demand for places, RNIB is expanding the service over the next two years, to offer 60 residential places for secondary aged young people, who will come from all over the UK. There will be 10 day places too for young people living locally.
Mark Sanderson, Director of RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home commented,
"We are at an incredibly exciting stage of the development. The new facility will place RNIB at the forefront of care and education providers for young people with sight loss and additional complex needs, and will set the standard for other facilities around the world.
"We are delighted that so many eminent figures are joining us to celebrate this important milestone in the project development."
Joining the celebrations of the First Brick Laying Ceremony will be Chamber of Commerce's Doug Squires, who will be launching his "Rushton School Trans-Am Cycle Challenge" at the event.
The challenge will see the cycling enthusiast undertake a gruelling cross-USA adventure in 2010 to help raise £20,000 for the development. In support of his plans, young people from the facility will present a hand-decorated, customised sports t-shirt for him to wear.
Doug Squires commented, "Having witnessed the impact RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home has on the young people and their families, I could not think of a more worthwhile project to lend my support to. I am thrilled to be there to witness such an important event."
For further information about RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home, or to support Doug Squires fundraising challenge, contact Sue Villiers sue.villiers@rnib.org.uk
- End -
To confirm your attendance, request interviews with RNIB Rushton staff, or for further press information please contact:
Kristy MacLeod, RNIB Senior Media Relations Officer
Tel:0207 391 2223 (mobile 07968 482 812)
Email: kristy.macleod@rnib.org.uk
Notes to editors:
1. RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home offers specialist education, therapies, healthcare and all year round flexible residential care for young people between the ages of four and nineteen years who have a sight problem and complex needs. The School also offers education to a small number of pupils who attend on a daily basis.
The new school and home has been two years in the planning and is purpose-designed to be completely accessible for young people with sight problems and complex disabilities. The school is designed to enable young people to be class-based, and will offer a wide range of specialist services including multisensory environments, music, speech and language therapy and also physiotherapy. There will be a stand alone water therapy centre, including a swimming pool and hydrotherapy pool, which will also be used by young people from the neighbouring Exhall Grange School. There will be ten single storey homes for the young people, each with six single occupancy bedrooms, a lounge, dining room, kitchen and gardens.
There is currently 100 staff at Rushton School and Children's Home and this will grow to over 300 by 2011. Most will be in the care sector and there will also be new teachers and teaching assistants. The redevelopment will make a great contribution to the local economy and community.
2. Every day around 100 people in the UK will start to lose their sight. There are 1.8 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk