Ar Demolition Clears The Way For £1m Leics Respite Centre
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 31 January 2017
UPDATED: 31 January 2017
THE remains of a former aircraft hangar dating back to World War II, which has since fallen into disrepair, has been demolished to make way for a new £1 million rehabilitation centre in Leicestershire, designed to support those who have suffered catastrophic injuries through sport.
The Get Busy Living Centre, the brainchild of local charity, The Matt Hampson Foundation, will be housed at the site of the former hangar and see a state-of-the-art respite centre raised in its place.
Located at the Burrough Court Estate in Burrough-on-the-Hill, the hangar was used by former owner, Lord Furness, to house his private aeroplane. The aeroplane was regularly commissioned by notable names from both inside and outside of the Furness family, including former Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. He used it to transport him to his historic meeting with Adolf Hitler in 1938. Over time, the hangar has become dilapidated and unusable.
AR Demolition, based in Nuneaton, carried out the removal of the existing framework, allowing ground works for the Get Busy Living centre to begin imminently. The centre is due to be completed by the Autumn.
Speaking of the work, Richard Dolman, director at AR Demolition, said: “This is a great project for us to be involved in. Matt is extremely inspirational and this is sure to be a superb facility that will make a real difference to others, so getting involved was an easy choice for team AR.
“On a personal level, it was great for me to get out on site and we had a brilliant day of team-building by working on this project. I always enjoy the opportunities I get to join in with the work and get my hands dirty!”
Work will now begin on the construction of a new structural frame based on the original footprint of the building, designed to stand the test the time while maintaining the overall look and feel of the creative design. A mezzanine floor will also be constructed inside the building which will double floor space and extend length of the building by one third.
The centre is intended for beneficiaries of the Foundation to receive physical rehabilitation as well as mental and emotional support for them and their families. It will also house specialist gym equipment and regular seminars for beneficiaries to participate in.
Matt Hampson, a former England Under-21 and Leicester Tigers prop and the driving force behind this new facility, suffered a life-changing accident during a training session in 2005 and set up the foundation to offer support and assistance to those who have had similar life-changing events.
Speaking of the progress, Matt said: “This project has been several years in the making and to see real progress on it and know it will be finalised in the near future is very special to both me and the team.
“We could not have reached this stage without the hard work and generosity of our project partners and we’d like to extend a huge thank you to those involved so far, as well as those who have pledged their support in the next stages of this revolutionary build.”
The project is being delivered by a number of local partners, many of which are offering their time, services, materials and expertise for free, including: construction company Willmott Dixon, professional services firm MDA Consulting, architects Corporate Architecture, engineering consultants Couch Perry Wilkes, Salus and BSP Consulting, PR and marketing agency Cartwright Communications, earthmoving, ground engineering and restoration contractor, Barton Plant, and supplier, Peter Bennie, both part of The Bennie Group, building materials supplier GRS Roadstone, and demolitions specialist, AR Demolition.
For more information on the centre, please visit: http://matthampsonfoundation.org/
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