Stafford’s town crier will officially open a charity’s brand-new home after they moved into bigger premises.
New Directions supports adults with autism and learning disabilities They currently have around 50 service users, aged 18 to 70.
They’ve recently undergone a complete rebrand and have moved into bigger premises at Stafford Education and Enterprise Park on Weston Road.
An invite only official opening ceremony and open day is being held between 11am and 2pm on Friday August 5th. Town crier Peter Taunton will cut the ribbon and unveil the charity’s new brand at 12:30pm.
Guests will be given a tour of the facilities including the arts studio where design, drama, music and art projects take place, as well as the on-site Life Skills Centre which is used to support services users learn independent tasks.
There will also be an opportunity to see a range of activities taking place and lunch will be provided to guests at 11:45am.
The charity offers day opportunities for people with disabilities including drama classes, arts and crafts, technology sessions, independent living skills, one to one support and active days. They have just been awarded funding to encourage their service users to be more physically active by offering swimming and fitness classes.
New Directions’ founder had a stepdaughter with autism and wanted to create a place where there was more support. The not-for-profit organisation has grown hugely since then and now has charitable status as well as employing 16 staff.
Chief Officer Jill Aldridge said: “We were founded in 2013 at a time when local authority day care centres were closing. Adults with learning disabilities needed opportunities to enjoy taking part in different activities and learning new skills which is something we wanted to offer. We support all service users to achieve the outcomes they strive for. Over the last nine years we have grown hugely. We have helped support people and their families and to see the impact our services have on their lives, is fantastic. We’re really looking forward to opening our doors and showing our visitors the activities we run and the brilliant facilities we have here.”
For more information about the charity please go to: https://www.newdirectionssupport.org.uk/
