The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland assisted a major house rebuilding and refurbishment project at the Sheiling School Ringwood, Hampshire, with a loan to top up the community’s fund-raising efforts.
The £1.5 million project provided opportunities for more 16-19 year-olds with special educational needs to participate in the Sheiling School’s three-year Seniors’ Programme, assisting the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Around one third of the house needed to be demolished, and it was decided to rebuild it about 30% larger to provide more individual privacy for students and co-workers and to meet all existing and anticipated regulations. It provides accommodation for eight senior students and for a similar number of co-workers to keep a staff to student ratio of around 1:1.
Around half the total cost of the rebuild was covered by donations received as a result of the community’s fund-raising activities. The loan provided by The Camphill Foundation was on an interest free basis for the first year and the Sheiling School repaid it in that time so that no interest was paid on any of the development cost.