The Duke of Westminster today visited RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home in Coventry to celebrate a key milestone in the construction of a new school and children's home for young people with complex needs and sight loss.
Topping out ceremony
His Grace, who is President of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), visited RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home based in Ash Green, to see the progress of the new RNIB facility which will offer 24 hour support to young people from across the UK.
During the visit several young people who live and learn at RNIB Rushton performed a traditional 'topping out' ceremony by mixing symbolic ingredients which were moulded into a brick. His Grace laid the special brick as an everlasting commemoration of the new school to mark the completion of the highest point of the building by the main contractor Shepherd Construction.
Life changing
His Grace, The Duke of Westminster, said: "RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home offers life changing support for children with complex needs and sight loss, and their families. Our plan is to build on the work RNIB has already accomplished here, to offer a pioneering care, education and health facility, which will make a real difference to the lives of children with multiple disabilities now and in the future.
"People from all over the country have already given generously towards the redevelopment of the school and children's home here in Coventry, but we still have some way to go before we can reach our £3 million target."
Excitement
Jacqui O'Neale, mother of 14 year old Fabian, who has attended Rushton for seven years, said: "Fabian has been very excited about His Grace's visit, he talked about nothing else recently. All of the children at RNIB Rushton School and Children's home have been really looking forward to it. It's a very special event not only for the young people and staff, but for everyone who has helped raise money for the new facility that will provide outstanding support for disabled children."
RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home is currently being transformed to provide state-of-the-art purpose-built facilities for children with complex needs and sight loss from all over the UK. For further information visit www.rnib.org.uk/rushton
ENDS
For further media information contact Liz Gutteridge on 024 7636 9531 or email liz.gutteridge@rnib.org.uk.
Notes to editors.
For more information visit www.rnib.org.uk/rushton
The topping out tradition originated in Scandinavia, and originally involved the placing of a branch at the top of the building to thank the trees for providing the wood for the build. The tradition later changed to placing wine, oil, corn and salt in a ceremonial box filled with mortar. Each of these ingredients had a symbolic meaning. The wine symbolised fertility and wisdom, the oil liberty and prosperity, the corn was to ripen prosperity into abundance and the salt symbolised purity and hospitality. At RNIB Rushton, each element will be placed in a box and inserted into the wall.
For further information about Shepherd Construction and its work on the RNIB project please contact Amanda Brown at A2B PR on 01423 740048 amanda@a2bpr.co.uk