Paces unveils ambitious plans for National Centre for Conductive Education

A HIGH Green specialist centre, charity and school for children and adults with Cerebral Palsy and motor disorders has unveiled a blueprint for a National Centre for Conductive Education.

The Centre will be the home of Paces, already a specialist in Conductive Education, which was founded in 1997 in the north of Sheffield. They have today announced that they plan to build a new purpose-built home, close to Junction 33 of the M1 at Harworth Group’s Waverley development in Rotherham.

A major fundraising campaign to raise £3.5 million and allow the project to move forwards is launching and, subject to planning permission and other contracts being signed, it is hoped the new build can open in September 2022.

Conductive Education is a holistic package of educational support that aims to help children and adults obtain the greatest level of independence through a range of supportive physical interventions.

The new Centre, which is being specifically designed to meet the needs of the charity and school and provide a UK-hub for developments in Conductive Education, is planned to be sited within Waverley’s residential development, where Harworth has consent for nearly 4,000 homes with just under 1,000 already built.

The new Centre will include:

• A 64 FTE place school (creating both full time and part time SEN places – supporting up to 80 school children) and an Outreach and ‘Inreach’ programme for 0-4’s supporting 28 children.

• An assisted living facility for 20 individuals - 10 adult assisted living overnight places and 10 children assisted living overnight places.

• A 12-place adult day service.

• An adult sessional programme supporting 100+ people each week.

• Hydrotherapy facilities.

• A hub for the community to use alongside the charity – to place Paces at the hart of the development and the residents and employees who live, work and visit the area.

Paces has outgrown its existing site in High Green and, following a citywide search for a suitable plot, today unveiled its ambitious designs for the future of the organisation.

Designed by Sheffield architects Race Cottam Associates, and building on work started by Sheffield University Masters Architecture Team, the modern development aims to be interactive and imaginative, stimulat-