By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 10:51, Saturday, 06 February 2010

Carlisle businessman Fred Story will formally hand over some of his land to a charity for the disabled next week.

Fred Story

The Story Construction boss is gifting the site, off Garlands Road, to Cumbria Cerebral Palsy to build new homes for its disabled members.

The charity is in the process of closing its residential home at Scalesceugh Hall, near Carlisle, and moving residents out into the community.

It says the existing facilities are out-of-date and would cost too much to bring them up to modern-day standards.

Instead, it is replacing them with several new housing schemes, including the one at Garlands Road.

The development, near both the Creighton rugby and cricket grounds, will include eight new specially-adapted bungalows so disabled members to live independently.

A similar scheme, this time made up of 12 adapted apartments, is also being built at Lister Court, just off Shady Grove Road in Raffles.

However Douglas Baptie, from Cumbria Cerebral Palsy, said some of those affected have lived at the hall since the 1960s so it is a big step, but stressed that they would not be leaving them in the lurch.

“We are not abandoning them. Our staff will still be on hand 24 hours a day but they will also have their independence,” he said.

“Some people have lived at Scalesceugh Hall for a long time but the manner of care delivery has changed a lot.

“It was going to cost too much to do the internal changes that would have been required by current legislation.

“We saw it as an opportunity to develop a completely different style of living for our residents that is much more modern and independent.

“That echoes what we are trying to do as a charity, ensuring people with disabilities are not disadvantaged and can live like anyone else.”

The charity is working closely with residents – who range in age from their late twenties to near pension age – to prepare them for the move and has given them all a choice of preferred location.

Although each person will have their own private bungalow or flat, there will also be a support team on site so they can still get the care they need. There will also be communal areas so residents, who have grown quite close while living at the hall, can socialise. Their Friends Group will also continue to meet regularly.

“It will be quite a change from the care home model, but definitely for the better.

“They will still receive care on a day-to-day basis but the difference is they will also be able to close their door and enjoy their own home.

“Each bungalow and flat is being designed to suit specific individual needs so they can be as independent as possible,” added Mr Baptie.

Mr Story will officially hand over the site at a ceremony on Tuesday.

Funding for both this and the Lister Court development has come from various sources, including Cumbria Cerebral Palsy and Cumbria County Council, with support from Impact Housing.

They hope to have the Garlands Road scheme finished by summer, ready for residents to move in about September. The Lister Court development will open a month or so later.

First published at 09:00, Saturday, 06 February 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk