£75k grant for disability services in Leicestershire

National disability charity, Sense, is developing a new ‘hub’ of services to support more disabled people living in the region.

Loughborough and wider Leicestershire is set to benefit from an investment of £75k into local disability services run by the disability charity Sense. The grant has been awarded to Sense by the Wolfson Foundation, and will help the charity support more disabled people and families living in the region.

Sense currently run a specialist College in Loughborough for young people with complex disabilities aged 16-25, offering education and personalised learning to support employment and independent living. Later this year, funding from the Wolfson Foundation will go towards renovating the site. The college will continue to operate during its development.

Richard Kramer, Chief Executive at disability charity Sense, said:

“Sense College in Loughborough offers a range of opportunities for disabled young people to support education, independent living and employment goals.

The generosity of the Wolfson Foundation will help us extend our provision in the region, by developing a Hub that offers pioneering services and programmes that support disabled people, their families and the wider community.”

The new Sense hub is expected to benefit 8,000 disabled people, their families and the wider local community in the first year of operation.

Over the next five years Sense will scale up its work in England and Northern Ireland, developing five new Hubs in Leicestershire, Leeds, Belfast, Lincolnshire, and Bristol where they have existing services.

About Sense:

Sense is a national disability charity that supports people living with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind, to communicate and experience the world. Sense supports children, young people and adults in their home and in the community, in their education and transition to adulthood and through its holidays, arts, sports and wellbeing programmes. In addition to practical support to families, Sense also offers information advice, short breaks and family events, and campaigns for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.

About the Wolfson Foundation:

The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 12,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.