DOUBLE DELIGHT
Royal Blind opens two new residential centres
David Campbell David Campbell
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Advertising Advertising Two ser v i ces offering residential care for visually impaired people officially opened in Paisley yesterday.
The Royal Blind charity has built Jenny’s Well, a specialist 54-bedroom nursing home for visually impaired older people, in Hawkhead Road, Paisley.
Its sister charity, Scottish War Blinded, has also built the Hawkhead Centre, a state- of- the- art activity centre for veterans of the armed forces with sight loss, on the same site.
Scottish War Blinded supports veterans regardless of how and when their vision impairment happened.
Nearly 100 military veterans have already signed up to use the Hawkhead Centre and 11 residents of Jenny’s Well will start moving in to their new home from this week.
The £ 17 million project has also created around 150 new jobs.
Mark O’Donnell, chief executive of the Royal Blind Group, said: “We are delighted to officially open Jenny’s Well and the Hawkhead Centre.
“This has been a unique project for the Royal Blind Group as it is the first time that we have constructed a Royal Blind service and a Scottish War Blinded service side by side, and they will be our first centres in the West of Scotland.
“We have recruited a fantastic team of talented, knowledgeable and hardworking staff and I am confident they will make these much- needed services a success.
“We never forget that it is only with the help of our supporters that we are able to provide education, care, support and employment to blind and partially sighted people, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped make this project a reality.”
Local residents and health and social care professionals toured the services last week, with open days later this week on Thursday and Saturday.
Jenny’s Well is designed to be a ‘homefrom- home’ – the specialist facility reaches two storeys and is spread across four inter-connected pavilions, which have a sensory garden at its core.
Manager Stewart Whyte said: “I am delighted to welcome all of our new residents to Jenny’s Well.
“I feel passionately about making care for older people right, and know that all of us together can make the home the very best it can possibly be to both live and work in.”
The Hawkhead Centre is fully accessible and has been designed so that Scottish War Blinded’s members find it easy to remember and navigate.
Facilities include a sports hall, specialist arts and crafts workshop, an IT suite, a rehabilitation room and a peaceful garden room to promote relaxation.
Hawkhead Centre manager Sally Ross added: “It is a privilege to build a new service at such an amazingly well- equipped and beautiful new building.”
We have recruited a fantastic team of talented, knowledgeable and hardworking staff