new
opening
Amanda Baker reports on
the new fitness and sports
development at The Royal
National College for the Blind
he first thing you notice when He says: “In 2004, an inspection by
A
Y
T
you arrive at The Royal National The new facilities OFSTED confi rmed the excellence of the
College for the Blind’s (RNC) were funded in part teaching at the college, but highlighted that
new Sports and Complementary by grants, as well some of our facilities and resources needed
Therapies Centre is the staff. There’s a as by the sale of to be upgraded. We were keen to create
bubbling sense of urgency and excitement land. They cater for proper work-based training as a pathway
in the air, coupled with outbursts of both student and to qualifi cations, giving students the
laughter and broad smiles. And smile they community use opportunity to work alongside experts in
should: the new £14m centre has not been the leisure sector. The new facilities mean
easy to bring to fruition, taking 16 months that, for the fi rst time, we can offer learners
to build, and yet here it stands, nestled in the glorious aged 16 and over the opportunity to study at NVQ Level
Herefordshire countryside. 3, whereas before, only Levels 1 and 2 were offered.
E W
The centre is part of a £23.5m campus “We also aim to offer knowledge of all different areas
redevelopment project which was funded by grants of life so that, when they return to their local area, they
from the Learning Skills Council (LSC), Advantage have the confi dence to use any sport and leisure facility;
West Midlands, The Football Foundation, Garfi eld many arrive here with no knowledge of health and
H
Weston Trust and Sport England. fi tness centres or spa environments.
The cost wasn’t purely fi nancial either, as part of the “Now we can provide an unrivalled experience for our
funding came from the sale of woodland owned by the students on the vocational side, as well as enhancing
college to a local development company. Additional the leisure facilities available for their use here.”
income continues to be raised by the college.
But the contribution this centre will make to the all-inclusive
lives of the 150 residential students, as well as the local The new centre replaces a small football pitch which
community – there are already 215 members – leads to a had been for general training, and a small gym which
G T
consensus that it was undoubtedly worth the hard work. had predominately been used as a teaching area and
offered little time for learners’ recreational use.
facility upgrade Called thePoint4, the primary purpose of the new
Ex-professional footballer Tony Larkin, who is currently centre is to aid education and training for people with
team manager for the National English Blind Football sight loss. Nearly 76 per cent, or 107, of the residents
I
N
Squad, is now head of events and conferences at RNC. at the college are registered blind, while 32, or almost
Larkin was one of the main movers behind the 23 per cent, are registered partially-sighted.
development of the new facilities, having worked with RNC is, however, keen that the 5,680sq m
D
the RNC for more than 20 years. (61,140sq ft) centre will benefi t all local users, both
disabled and able bodied, as well as attracting local,
regional, national and international disability sports
groups. As a result, there’s a mix of accessible equipment
The new gym offers in the large community gym, which is open to students
students a realistic
and members, as well as in the training gym, which
is used primarily by RNC students who are training
transition into their
to work in the fi tness industry. Both gyms feature IFI
stage 2 accredited CV and strength equipment from
L
E
A
local health club
Cybex, with 73 stations of this equipment in total – 50
in the community gym and 23 in the training gym –
representing an investment of more than £200,000.
36 Read Health Club Management online september 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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