Jack Petchey Foundation donation
The Rix Centre received a £30,000 cheque from the Jack Petchey Foundation at a ceremony held at UEL’s Docklands campus on Friday 28 March.
The grant will enable the Centre to continue developing an innovative range of projects aimed at supporting local people with learning disabilities, including the Newham Easy Read website, www.newhameasyread.org , launched in November 2007 to ease the transition from school to work for young people with learning disabilities.
Chris Bullock, Grants Officer at the Jack Petchey Foundation, said: “One of the questions I always ask myself when assessing a project is whether or not it adds significantly to the lives of young people."
“In the case of the Rix Centre, there was never any doubt in my mind. This is the second year we’ve supported the Centre and it’s wonderful to see how our funding has helped. £30,000 is an unusually high grant for us to offer, which goes to show how highly we rate the Centre’s work."
Andy Minnion, Director of the Centre, said: “We believe that with the right help a large number of people could become much more independent and self-supporting, so relying less on their parents and the Social Services and enjoying a better quality of life."
“With the crucial support of organisations like Newham Council and the Jack Petchey Foundation, we’re developing a wide range of multimedia tools to encourage engagement with the wider world. Computers are generally seen as anti-social, but they can actually provide a tremendous platform for social interaction and communication."
“It’s been wonderful to see how projects like the Newham Easy Read website have already inspired real enthusiasm and engagement among local people with learning disabilities.”
The Newham Easy Read website is supported by Newham Council and much of its design has been undertaken by local residents with learning disabilities. Ajay Choksi (27), of Forest Gate, has worked as a technical assistant at the Rix Centre for over a year, updating the site with simple advice and guidance for other people with learning disabilities.
Ajay said: “I’ve really enjoyed building the site and sharing the things that I’ve learnt in my life so that other people can aspire to live more independently. For example, I recently achieved my driving licence; visitors to the website can follow simple guidance about how to approach both the theory and practical tests.”
Zeeshan Naseer (27), of Manor Park, helped to develop the Firstline section of the site, which aims to assist people with learning disabilities in finding rewarding employment.
Zeeshan said: “I’ve really enjoyed working on the project. I first came to the Rix Centre to learn multimedia skills, so it’s been great to put them into practice. I’ve now found a job as a receptionist at Stratford Village; I’m really looking forward to starting and hope that the site I’ve helped to create can enable many other people with learning disabilities find work.”
Lord Rix said: “At a time when 73% of all councils in the UK are planning significant cuts in their services for people with learning disabilities, the Rix Centre provides a far more positive example through our pioneering projects and community support. It’s wonderful to see how our work is already making a major difference to people’s lives in Newham and beyond.”
