It was a wonderful day in June 2023 when our 12 tenants moved into our brand new Southwell accommodation.
Everyone is very much enjoying life in their new home and being part of local life. Our dedicated staff have worked as a united team to support people through this major life-change and adjust to a new routine shaped around their needs.
We know that there is an urgent and rising demand for quality accommodation in Nottinghamshire. We are already planning our next steps towards meeting this need. If you can support us in this journey, please do get in touch with me.
Steve Shatwell, Chief Executive
Read Sarah's story to find out how life has changed for her since she moved into the house.
“I’m very happy here. It is different from what I am used to – but in a good way”
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Our Progress in Pictures
January 2025
Highly Commended’ for 'Best purpose built accommodation' at the national LABC Building Excellence Awards
December 2023
First Christmas in our new home
June 2023
Home at last
June 2023
A warm welcome from the neighbours
June 2023
Night time view
May 2023
Volunteers from local company MinsterFB do a spot of gardening!
May 2023
Making a house a home
May 2023
Furniture starts to arrive
May 2023
From a handshake to a handover - we've got the keys!
April 2023
Balcony dividers going in (rear view)
March 2023
Exterior shaping up nicely - freshly rendered and scaffolding has come down
February 2023
Kitchen cabinets ready to go in
December 2022
Looking splendid in the Winter sunshine (rear view).
October 2022
Our accommodation project features on BBC East Midlands today
August 2022
Reaching new heights – work on the first floor is now well underway
June 2022
Build progresses apace and clients are enjoying regular visits to feel part of it all
April 2022
Work commences! Installation of attenuation tanks and foundations, and commencement of external structures.
Dec 2021
Robust tender process, contractors appointed. Economic situation leads to increase in estimated costs
2021-22
£1.4m raised including £250k+ through our At Home in my Community appeal and grants from local and national funders
2018
Reach gifted land and property on a local housing development site. Plans developed with input from clients, families and expert care staff.
Accommodation Films
Take a look inside and hear from some of the tenants and their families about their new home in Southwell.
Inside our new accommodation
Family Carer Steve
Take a tour with Sarah and Ben
Chelsea
Wall of Thanks
To commemorate the wonderful support of our community, we have created our virtual wall of thanks.
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 has been 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.
