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EDUCATION & TRAINING


planning permission to build on the estate – something with which those working across older hospital estates may be familiar. Consequently, many of the buildings Eastwood Park used for training have not really been built to the specifications that their specialist nature requires. John Thatcher expands: “We are acutely aware that our land and facilities need to be tidied up, something that falls heavily into our plans for the new-build, which includes complete restoration and landscaping of the estate. However, nowadays we do have to seek comprehensive planning permission for any development or building work on site, and when dealing with a Grade II listed building, this has posed several challenges, not to mention a significant lead time for our new training centre project.


Planning constraints and wildlife protection


Hands-on lift training in progress.


celebrating its own milestone of 50 years. It is, he says, ‘with some disbelief’ that John Thatcher notes that he has been responsible for Eastwood Park for 29 years, over half of the organisation’s life as a training centre. Having seen the estate pass through numerous hands, he reflects on the opportunities the management buyout has created for the training and facilities on offer. “Since 2003, and indeed following the acquisition of the freehold of the estate in 2006,” he says, “we have been able to continue improving and investing in our house and facilities, ensuring that training could continue long term at Eastwood Park. To me, Eastwood Park is as much a place as it is a brand, and so it was vitally important when we looked at the future of the business that the two were not separated.


New training centre


“Our facilities have aged, and this is why we have persevered with rebuilding our own new training centre on site, despite the fact that it perhaps would have been easier at times for us to lease a building on an industrial estate in which to continue delivering our training, as many other providers do. Our 200-acre country estate is as much part of Eastwood Park as our courses; after all, we are one of the few places in the UK where you can stay where you train – allowing for excellent networking, and social opportunities with your classmates and trainers once the day’s formal learning is done. That being said, as many readers will be aware, the road to developing a new training centre has not been a smooth one.” The facilities at Eastwood Park were originally built under ‘crown immunity’, meaning that Eastwood Park’s former owners were not required to seek


56 Health Estate Journal October 2019


“Alongside complex planning constraints, there have been several ecological issues that we have had to work with, including looking after the trees, and protecting the wildlife that inhabits the site; Eastwood Park seems to be home to virtually every rare species in the UK.”


To add further frustration, several developers have come on board with the project only to pull out shortly afterwards, and there have been complex negotiations with the NHS regarding the use of the land – a hangover from the service’s ownership of the estate. Despite this, Eastwood Park has persevered, and is delighted to have now exchanged contracts with a new developer on the development land that will fund the continuing work on site. John Thatcher concludes: “I am so looking forward to the day that all the work is completed, and we are able to welcome our customers to a brand new, state-of-the-art training centre, refurbished house, and landscaped estate – a stunning combination. “Once construction is complete on the centre, a healthcare and training fit-out will need to take place, which we hope will


‘‘


Alongside complex planning constraints, there have been several ecological issues that we have had to work with, including looking after the trees, and protecting the wildlife that inhabits the site


be significantly supported by a range of manufacturers and suppliers. “In the meantime, we have already completed significant refurbishment work on the house, introducing additional recreational facilities including a gym and games room, as well as extending bar and meal times, all to enhance the ‘customer experience’. I can only thank our industry colleagues for supporting and bearing with us this far. Our new training centre has been a long time coming, and it is fantastic that the potential I saw in Eastwood Park 29 years ago is going to be realised, especially as we reach our milestone 50th year. Construction has commenced on site for the next build phase, and, following this, there will be a further year of work for the whole site to be complete.”


hej


Helen Cornes


Helen Cornes is Eastwood Park’s senior Marketing executive. She has been with the company since 2014, originally joining for a six-month graduate placement after leaving university, before joining permanently the following year. In her five years with the business, a key focus has been developing Eastwood Park’s digital marketing programme; this has involved creating a new online community and a redeveloped website. Visitors to Eastwood Park may also have come across her taking photographs during courses, capturing the specialist hands-on training Eastwood Park delivers each week.


Eastwood Park’s drive for career development extends beyond that for healthcare engineering and estates teams, and she is studying for the Diploma in Professional Marketing with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, supported by the business.


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