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‘Top’ Of the Range Rehab Centre Given Royal Seal of Approval

‘Top’ Of the Range Rehab Centre Given Royal Seal of Approval

A PIONEERING £1 million rehabilitation centre in Leicestershire, designed for those who have suffered life-changing sporting injuries, is one step closer to completion after contractor Willmott Dixon held a topping out ceremony this week (30 March) attended by former England rugby captain and charity patron, Mike Tindall MBE.

The Get Busy Living Centre near Melton Mowbray, the brainchild of the Matt Hampson Foundation, will see the site of a former aircraft hangar, located on the Burrough Court estate, transformed into a start-of-the-art facility for those who have suffered life-changing injury through sport, like Matt himself in 2005.

The facility will be a home for injured athletes where they can spend time with their families and build relationships with others in similar situations as well as offering services such as physical rehabilitation. It will also house specialist rehabilitation and gym equipment for beneficiaries of the facility.

Speaking of the project, Mike Tindall MBE said: “I’ve been a patron of the Foundation for a couple of years now and over that time I’ve gotten to know Matt very well. I have often asked questions of myself and whether I would have the strength and drive to carry on as he has, and to pull other people in a similar situation to himself through their life-adjustments and to inspire others as he does. You can never fully relate to what Matt and the beneficiaries of the Foundation go though, and to be stood today on site in front of the Get Busy Living centre is full credit to Matt.”

The steel structural frame, based on the original footprint of the building has now been completed, along with the completion of a bespoke access road linking the existing Twyford Road to the site of the centre – moving this exciting project one step closer to becoming a reality.

A mezzanine floor has also been constructed inside the building which will double floor space and extend length of the building by one third, designed to stand the test the time and maximise all available space while maintaining the overall look and feel of the creative design.

Matt Hampson, a former England Under-21 and Leicester Tigers prop, suffered a life-changing accident during a training session in 2005 and consequently set up the foundation to offer support and assistance to those who have had similar life-changing events and he is the driving force behind this new facility.

Speaking of the progress, Matt said: “It was a fantastic moment for me to finally travel the road up to the site of where the Get Busy Living centre will be. 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 who have contributed to the build, whether it is materials and supplies or simply their time and expertise.”

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:

  • Main contractor: Willmott Dixon
  • Professional services firm: MDA Consulting
  • Architects: Corporate Architecture
  • Engineering consultants: Couch Perry Wilkes, Salus, Derry Building Services and BSP Consulting
  • PR and marketing agency: Cartwright Communications
  • Earthmoving, ground engineering and restoration contractor: Barton Plant, Barton Civils and supplier Peter Bennie, all part of The Bennie Group
  • Building materials suppliers: GRS Roadstone, Aggregate Industries, Breedon Group, William Hercock Building Supplies, MJ Robinson, Sage Roofing, Bonham & Berry, McGovern Crane Hire, Studwelders, Charnwood Fencing, Morris Vermaport Lifts, Plaza Groundworks, Diamond Flooring UK and Kingspan Insulation.
  • Demolitions specialist: AR Demolition
  • Construction services provider: WysePower, Advante, Michael Smith Switchgear and Portacabin.
  • Retailer: Furniture Village.

The facility hopes to be ready this Autumn with the main aim to create a secure environment to assist those facing new challenges in both theirs and their families’ lives.

Mike Tindall added: “A truly inspirational person doesn’t come along every day and Matt really is one of them.”

For more information on the centre, please visit: http://matthampsonfoundation.org/.


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