Doncaster Deaf Trust receives vital refurbishment grant for its homes

A specialist children's home in Doncaster is celebrating after receiving a vital grant to realise a dream of refurbishing three extra bedrooms for its users.
Childrens home for Deaf children in Doncaster has been awarded a grant to fully refurbish three extra bedroomsChildrens home for Deaf children in Doncaster has been awarded a grant to fully refurbish three extra bedrooms
Childrens home for Deaf children in Doncaster has been awarded a grant to fully refurbish three extra bedrooms

The Children’s Homes, comprising of Dickson House and the North Flat, which is managed by Doncaster Deaf Trust, provides residential care for young people aged five years-old up to 18 who attend.

Doncaster School for the Deaf is a well loved and used facility, which provides weekly, term time, respite and 52 weeks a year provisions.

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And thanks to the funding from The Percy Bilton Charity, which provides grants to help towards furnishings, equipment, building and refurbishing projects, Dickson House and the North Flat will soon be able to open its doors to more children.

Executive principle at the Trust, Alan Robinson, said: “Dickson House is constantly over-subscribed but the Ofsted regulations mean that we can only have six bedrooms in one building. However, we recently received permission from Ofsted to convert an annexe of Dickson house, called the ‘North Flat’ for an additional three bed-spaces. We have completed the re-designation of those three rooms and the capital parts of the project but we now need to re-furbish the rooms to make them ‘liveable.’ So this grant is really making our dreams to expand our offering become a reality.

“We’ve been able to buy items for the kitchen such as crockery and pots and pans as well as sofas, curtains, a TV, beds, mattresses, bedding, curtains and lamps – all that is needed to make a home from home for the children who stay with us. As a residential centre, it is important to us that we are able to offer excellent learning, living and social environments. We are so grateful to The Percy Bilton Charity for providing this grant which has allowed us to finish off this project to such as high level and ultimately provide these three extra spaces to children who need them.”

Visit www.deaf-trust.co.uk website for more.