Update on £4.1m Haven Centre in Inverness to be given at Wick meeting
An update on Scotland’s first multipurpose centre for young people with learning disabilities and complex needs will be given at a meeting in Wick next week.
Local parents, teachers, health and social care workers and all professionals involved in special needs are being given an opportunity to hear about the Haven Centre development in Inverness.
The £4.1 million centre is taking shape at a site in the Smithton area of the city and is due to open next spring. It will comprise three two-bedroom respite flats for young adults up to the age of 30, an indoor specialist play centre with childcare facilities, meeting spaces, outdoor garden and community café.
The project is being led by the Elsie Normington Foundation.
Founder and chairperson Elsie Normington is arranging meetings in various parts of the region and will be at the No Limits Caithness base at Wick Family Centre in Bank Row on Thursday, November 3, from 10am to noon.
“We plan to try and get to as many places as we can, just to get the word out," Mrs Normington explained.
She is keen to emphasise that families from across the Highlands and Islands will be able to benefit from the centre.
“That has always been my vision right from the beginning – we very much want to see people coming in from the rural areas to use the centre," Mrs Normington said.
“Inverness is a real hub with people coming in to do shopping, or for the weekend. I hope that they'll then be able to leave their disabled children at the centre and go and have a bit of free time and enjoy that.
“It's particularly children that have got very severe disabilities because to be honest they're the ones that have no voice. Who is speaking up for them?
“So it's very much about severely disabled children and providing a meaningful play service for them.
“But also parents – there will be a coffee shop there, and people can connect with other parents. We will have family play sessions as well where folk can hook up and we hope there will be a lot of synergy that will happen in relationships."
A Zoom link will be available for those unable to attend the Wick meeting in person.
Anyone wishing to confirm their attendance can do so by emailing info@enfoundation.co.uk but people can simply turn up on the day if they wish.
“They can just come along, it's fine – I just want people to show up,” Mrs Normington said.
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The project has received support from the Scottish Government, the National Lottery Community Fund and Highland Council.
“These are the main funders but there have been a lot of small grants as well and a huge amount of community fundraising,” Mrs Normington said.
Work is progressing well on the centre and it is hoped it will be finished by April. The principal contractor is Compass Building and Construction Services.
“It's a flurry of activity, that is all I can say,” Mrs Normington said.
Meanwhile, the Elsie Normington Foundation is approaching its 10th anniversary.
“Next month I'm going to have a small celebration dinner with past and present trustees because it was November in 2012 that I had my first-ever meeting to set up the charity," Mrs Normington explained. "So it has been 10 years in the making and now it's all being constructed and it's very exciting.”
