A NEW lease of life has been given to a Worcester school for the blind thanks to a donation of building materials.
New College Worcester, based on Whittington Road, is a school and college for young people aged 11 to 19 who are blind or vision impaired. The building materials were supplied by various partners, including Aggregate Industries.
Following a site visit and consultation with school faculty members, several critical infrastructure improvements were flagged up to enhance safety and accessibility across the school grounds.
The significant challenges faced by newer students who struggle to concentrate amid the noise and traffic were highlighted in particular.
Much of the school’s former infrastructure, including worn-down crossing points and uneven surfaces, had become unsuitable for the students’ needs. Over 460 hours were committed to the project over the course of four days, with the total amount of materials donated amounting to £14,000.
The various teams clubbed together and committed to carrying out a range of upgrades, including installing eight dropped crossings with block tactiles, laying 160sqm of asphalt in place of uneven slabs, updating 17 sets of tactiles areas, remarking zebra crossings, installing brand new signage, cones and barriers, and painting handrails, cutting back hedges and cleaning gullies.
These improvements will ensure that the students have a safe, quiet, and comfortable area to practise their skills, while helping them navigate the real-world challenges they face.
Principal Rachel Perks said: “We have been truly overwhelmed by the generosity, both in terms of human hours and the materials that have been donated over the past few months to transform our spaces. It is so important that our students, who are all blind or vision impaired, can safely and independently travel around the campus and this work will have a significant impact.
“Experiencing different examples of tactile surfaces found in the community, students can safely become familiar with what they will find beneath their feet when they are out and about. The results have exceeded all our expectations – thank you so much to all involved.”
The project was completed by a number of supply chain partners, including TMP Solutions, Alpha Aggregates, Headway Traffic Management and Ringway.
