Launch of Boyn Grove Community Resource Centre

People with learning disabilities and dementia sufferers will soon have a new day centre with the opening of Boyn Grove, Maidenhead, later in the spring - provided by the Royal Borough at no capital cost to local council taxpayers.

In the meantime, the £1m community resource centre - which also includes day care facilities for dementia sufferers - will be launched at 11am on Friday 4 March by Home Secretary and Maidenhead MP Theresa May and Cllr Simon Dudley, Council Deputy Leader.

The event, which will be attended by representatives of local learning disability and dementia voluntary groups and centre users, will provide a before-opening opportunity to view the new building and learn about the many opportunities and facilities it will offer not only to users and carers but to the wider community.

Boyn Grove Community Resource Centre will replace the out-of-date Brunel Centre and Cllr Dudley said it would retain the spirit and professionalism of Brunel but in a purpose-built, easily-accessible hub for adult services.

He said: "Our aim is to give people with learning disabilities real chances to achieve and develop individually. They deserve our very best support and I believe Boyn Grove will become a centre of excellence in its own field.

"I am also delighted that we have been able to include new facilities for people with dementia, which will make a great difference to their quality of life and to the lives of their families and carers."

The building, constructed by Leadbitter Group, has been carefully designed for its users and includes an area for people with complex needs.

The ground floor has an open refreshment area, another for sensory activities, the dementia unit and garden access. There are good sized lifts for easy and disabled access to the first floor where there is a dance studio, activity and art rooms and an office for Ways into Work, which helps people with disabilities into training and employment.

The Bridge That Gap café - to be reprovided from the Town Hall - will offer improved work experience and training for people with disabilities through its close proximity to the Ways into Work team in the same building.

The café will be on the ground floor and open to the public including those using the adjacent Boyn Grove Park. It will be equipped with four internet access computers for public use.

No cost to council taxpayers
The Boyn Grove centre has been provided at no capital cost to local council taxpayers, thanks to a partnership between the council and Housing Solutions.

The centre, built on the site of the former older people's home in Courthouse Road, will replace the out-of-date Brunel Day Day Centre which has been sold to Housing Solutions for a mixed development of 36 affordable houses and flats. The money from the sale has been used to fund the new resource centre.

A car park has also been provided for the adjacent Boyn Grove Park with spaces for seven cars and six cycles and associated tree and shrub planting. A new path links the car park to the popular play area.

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