New Building
Last updated: 18th Dec, 2009
When we sold the Guild Hall in Cotton Street, Leicester in 2000, we designated the funds we raised from the sale to go towards a new building, In 2000 we carried out a big consultation to find out what disabled people wanted from a new building. People valued the role the Guild Hall played in being the venue of regular social activities and fundraising events. It was a ‘hive of activity’. The Guild Hall offered a ‘drop in service’ and was a place where regular appointments were made to complete benefit applications etc. Good parking and good public transport routes were thought to be important. People wanted a location that recognised that work across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland; a central location was important. We originally envisaged that we would have a purpose built building. It has taken some time to come anywhere near achieving this ambition. We have looked at a lot of sites across leicester and dismissed them for lots of different reasons. At one point we were negotiating to build a centre at Watermead Country park but this also came to nothing. Earlier this year we met with Westleigh Properties and are now buying a building at Ratby Lane (at the traffic lights at Hinkley Road).
We are hoping that it will be completed in early 2010 and we may be moved in by the end of February. While the outside of the building is standard for a business park we have been able to design the inside to our own specification. This will include fully accessible toilets (one with a ceiling track hoist, changing bed and clos-o-mat toilet), a cafe area, meeting rooms, interview rooms and a training kitchen. We are hoping to be able to offer volunteer placements and create new services. There is excellent parking and a good public transport route, It is also near the A46, M1 and M69