Supported arts, training and housing centre a UK first
A ground breaking £7.5million facility that offers arts, training and supported housing for disabled and disadvantaged people was opened this week in Ongar, Essex, by HRH The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO.
Zinc Arts Centre will be the first fully accessible residential centre of its kind in the UK, dedicated to education, innovation and excellence in the arts for disabled people and socially excluded groups. The Centre is run by arts and education charity Zinc, and now offers nine supported housing flats, 25 accessible short stay bedrooms, a community/performance hall, exhibition facilities and teaching spaces available for hire for activity groups and businesses across the UK.
The new centre includes two types of accommodation: 25 short stay rooms for up to 41 guests and nine supported housing flats that are fully self contained. The supported housing scheme, called Tolpuddle House, was delivered by project partner and supported housing specialist East Thames. Residents of Tolpuddle House will also receive a tailored programme of support, education, training and employment at the neighbouring Zinc Arts Centre. This package is designed to help people with support needs become more independent and learn new skills, and East Thames will manage the flats and provide any personalised care and support the residents need.
Residents of Tolpuddle House can stay up to three years to take part in training that covers: arts, catering, hospitality, housekeeping, independent living, and essential life and employability skills.
Tolpuddle House is the first East Thames scheme to be developed without upfront Supporting People funding. That is, the revenue will be provided through the residents’ personal care budgets, as part of the Government’s new personalisation agenda. The units were built with a Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Local Housing Grant of £720,000 which was supported by Epping Forest District Council, whose residents get first choice of the placements. The total capital cost of the Zinc Arts Centre was £6.2 million, with over half of the funding raised independently.
Chris Woodhead, East Thames Assistant Director of Care and Support said: “The vision for Tolpuddle House was to create a unique service combining supported housing and employment training which will help adults with support needs become more independent and build new skills. Improving employability skills in disabled and disadvantaged young people is more important than ever and we hope the package available at Zinc Arts Centre will break down some of the barriers to independence these young people face.”
Jeff Banks, Chief Executive of Zinc, says: “Today is the most important milestone in Zinc’s 21 year history. We believe that this centre is truly a national landmark for social arts organisations. It will allow us to increase our work in support of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in society to engage in the arts and help them lead a rewarding and fulfilling cultural life. In difficult economic times it is even more important to invest in creating opportunities that will provide these groups with the chance to develop new skills and benefit from pathways to employment.”
New Tolpuddle House resident Jason, 26, said: “I’m most looking forward to getting into more drama training and fitness. Drama is my strong point, but I’m also interested to learn about other things at Zinc, like catering. I’d also like to get a job and once I’ve got more experience here I will start sending out my CV. Being here has given me new motivation and I’m looking forward to getting as much new experience as possible.”
Naisha Polaine, Head of Area for the HCA said: “I am personally delighted that we have been able to support this scheme which not only supports young people with their individual housing needs but provides them with an environment in which they can gain skills and employment through the arts centre. This is a real asset to the local community.”
Paul Jordan, managing director of the project construction company, Hill Partnerships, said: “This is our second landmark development to address issues of inclusion for disabled and disadvantaged people. This project has transformed the original Victorian school buildings and complemented them with new fully accessible teaching and residential spaces. The supported flats were designed and built, with our long-term partners East Thames Group, to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes level 3 and the whole project includes renewable energy generation through the use of photovoltaic and solar panels.”
