£2.4million care centre in Exeter could open next April
MORE details have been revealed about plans for a Chinese billionaire to fund a new £2.4million centre for disabled children in Exeter.
As revealed in yesterday's Echo, Sir Li Ka-Shing is giving £1million to pay for the new centre which will be built between Vranch House and Honeylands off Pinhoe Road in Whipton.
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'FIRST-CLASS SERVICES': Col Graeme Wheeler, chief executive of Vranch House, with plans for the new £2.4million centre for the disabled to be built thanks to a £1million gift by Hong Kong entrepreneur Sir Li Ka-Shing
Work on the single-storey building, which would house staff from Honeylands, could start next month if planning consent is granted, as expected, and it would be ready to take children by April 2011.
The new centre will be formally named the Hutchison Whampoa Honeylands Children's Assessment Centre after one of the companies owned by Sir Li, who is the richest person of East Asian descent in the world and the 14th richest man in the world with an estimated wealth of US$16.2b.
Honeylands is a child develoment centre which assesses children aged up to five and is run by the NHS through the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Under the new arrangement Honeylands will come under NHS Devon's control and the existing premises, a listed building, will be retained by the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and a different use will be found for the building.
Vranch House, a charity that works with the NHS and Devon County Council, is a school for children with physical difficulties and sees around 1,000 children a year.
The building was designed by city architects Carole G Trim Associates.
The £1million donation from Hong Kong-based Sir Li Kaa-Shing is a result of his long-standing friendship with former Honeylands League of Friends member Lady Gillian Ford, whose husband was a prominent British diplomat in the former Crown Colony.
Colonel Graeme Wheeler, chief executive of Vranch House, said the gift meant it was able to construct a building worth £2.4million because of the benefits of charitable status.
"This unique project brings together the best of the charity and public sectors to deliver first-class services to an important part of our community, children and young people with a wide range of disabilities who deserve the very best we can provide," he said.
The new building will house consulting rooms, assessment rooms, physiotherapy, a toy library and an outpatients area.
Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council's Cabinet member for children and young people's health and wellbeing, said: "Honeylands provides a highly regarded service to children and their families in the Exeter area.
"The new building will not only offer better facilities; it will also provide children with more profound disabilities with the opportunity to use the services on offer at Honeylands, as well as extending the age range for children who can access the centre," she said.
She added that there would be more specialist residential services in the Exeter area, designed to better meet the needs of the families who use them.
The residential units are based at Meadowpark in Exeter, Hillcrest at Awliscombe and Barnes at Tiverton.
All three units will cater for children and young people from four to 18 and will provide high-quality services with specialist staff.
4 Comments
by Mary Ritchie, Polsloe Bridge, Exeter
Thursday, May 20 2010, 6:08PM
“Here's a thought, with all that money why can't they build an assessment centre on the outskirts of the city? What these people have failed to grasp is that the parents/carers still need their special children to be close to home. Yes I know some live outside Exeter but I bet most of them only live a short drive away. Leaving your child in someone elses care if only for a short while is not an easy decision to make but it is comforting to know they are not far away. I urge the Planning Committee to turn down the proposal.”
by Parent/Carer, Exeter
Wednesday, May 19 2010, 9:56PM
“Councillor Andrea Davis states that it "will also provide children with more profound disabilities with the opportunity to use the services on offer at Honeylands"
Councillor Andrea Davis Please note they already do!!! including Respite but now these children are having to be bussed to the other units.
Has she visited Honeylands spoken with the staff in the last three days or ever as a matter of fact, no I think not. She has just heard management state this is best for the children who attend, just look at the Facebook page which has been set up with over 1700 people joining in less than 36hrs.to see what people really think
I thought the Government push was for more locally delivered services so how does receiving a service away from the majority of families homes actually deliver that.
This is a done deal and no further discussion will be had the end of an era”
by Jeanjohnston, Newport, South Wales
Wednesday, May 19 2010, 12:40PM
“7 Oakfield, Caerleon, Newport, NP18 3DP
Dear Sir,
Re. Proposals for Meadowpark care centre.
As the grandparent of a child currently attending Meadowparks Centre I find it hard to express adequately my shock, disgust and distress at the proposals which I learned today have been made by the Primary Care Trust to close Meadowpark Centre to my grandson and other children like him with complex and severe learning difficulties. In future they will be offered respite care in Awliscombe and Tiverton, miles away from their homes.
In the recent past families caring for such children in their own homes have been provided with a small amount of respite care within the city. This offers a vital relief to parents and siblings alike from the relentless physical and emotional demands and stress of the care which they provide day and night.
While the provision for the new centre will benefit many disabled children, the proposals for children like my grandson will increase stress beyond endurance for some families. Caring as they do at home they save the tax payer £100,000s each year which would otherwise be required to pay for residential care.
As a tax payer myself I know that rather than restricting respite care within the city to children with physical disabilities, money should be spent on improving and increasing the respite care provide for the whole group.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Jean Johnston”
by Mrs Jean Johnston, Newport, South Wales
Wednesday, May 19 2010, 12:37PM
“7 Oakfield, Caerleon, Newport, NP18 3DP
Dear Sir,
Re. Proposals for Meadowpark care centre. (18/5/2010)
As the grandparent of a child currently attending Meadowparks Centre I find it hard to express adequately my shock, disgust and distress at the proposals which I learned today have been made by the Primary Care Trust to close Meadowpark Centre to my grandson and other children like him with complex and severe learning difficulties. In future they will be offered respite care in Awliscombe and Tiverton, miles away from their homes.
In the recent past families caring for such children in their own homes have been provided with a small amount of respite care within the city. This offers a vital relief to parents and siblings alike from the relentless physical and emotional demands and stress of the care which they provide day and night.
While the provision for the new centre will benefit many disabled children, the proposals for children like my grandson will increase stress beyond endurance for some families. Caring as they do at home they save the tax payer £100,000s each year which would otherwise be required to pay for residential care.
As a tax payer myself I know that rather than restricting respite care within the city to children with physical disabilities, money should be spent on improving and increasing the respite care provide for the whole group.
I urge you to give all the support possible to the parents in their campaign for the withdrawal of these misguided proposals.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Jean Johnston”