Photo of Julia Sandhu Fundraising DirectorWe are proud to announce that work on our long-awaited accommodation for 12 adults with learning disabilities in Southwell is well under way. We thank all those who have helped us reach this exciting milestone and are pleased to provide an update.

We're so grateful to all those who have supported our project. If you'd like to find out more, please get in touch with me on julia.sandhu@reachuk.org.

Julia Sandhu, Fundraising Director

Read our stories to find out what a home in the community means to local people with learning disabilities and their families.

Our Progress in Pictures
roof tiles

April 2023

Spring sunshine

balcony

April 2023

Balcony dividers going in (rear view)

roof tiles

March 2023

Exterior shaping up nicely - freshly rendered and scaffolding has come down

roof tiles

February 2023

Kitchen cabinets ready to go in

roof tiles

December 2022

Looking splendid in the Winter sunshine (rear view).

filming

October 2022

Our accommodation project features on BBC East Midlands today

first floor

August 2022

Reaching new heights – work on the first floor is now well underway

build progresses

June 2022

Build progresses apace and clients are enjoying regular visits to feel part of it all

installation of attenuation tank

April 2022

Work commences! Installation of attenuation tanks and foundations, and commencement of external structures.

Sketch of a building

Dec 2021

Robust tender process, contractors appointed. Economic situation leads to increase in estimated costs

Delivery parcel

2021-22

£1.4m raised including £250k+ through our At Home in my Community appeal and grants from local and national funders

aerial picture of land

2018

Reach gifted land and property on a local housing development site. Plans developed with input from clients, families and expert care staff.

Watch this space for more updates as the project progresses!
Need for Accommodation

Across the country the lack of affordable, quality housing means older adults with learning disabilities are still living at home with parents in their seventies and eighties. Nationally, two-thirds of adults with learning disabilities live with their families, usually their parents.

In rural localities like Southwell, affordable accommodation options are especially limited. We know many people living at home with older family carers.

Ultimately, alternative accommodation must be found due to parental illness or death. At a time of great personal change, adults with learning disabilities often find themselves having to move away from familiar community and social networks to new locations. The loss of friends, family and support in one go can have a very detrimental impact on an individual’s emotional and physical wellbeing.

This was a problem our founding trustees sought to address when Reach started life as Southwell Care Project in 1999. Their vision was of accommodation built to a high specification that would enable people to stay in the community where they felt safe and could flourish. Our accommodation will be built to an environmentally, sustainable specification, utilising innovative ecotechnology with low maintenance and running costs.

It has taken us over 20 years to reach the point of being able to build our accommodation, we have met many challenges on the way but have persisted due the high level of need. Please read our Stories for insight into the need for this project.

We could not have reached this milestone without the dedication of former and current Trustees, staff and the support of local community and grantmakers of all sizes. We thank them all.

Watch our films to find out what our project means to local families.

Southwell Accommodation Project - Sarah

Southwell Accommodation Project - Chelsea

To commemorate the wonderful support of our community, we have created our virtual wall of thanks.

Visit our wall of thanks

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Gallery

Overall project £1.7m build (excluding furnishings)

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Watch our film to find out what our project means to local families.