Building Brighter Futures Appeal

Background

QAC has undergone significant growth over recent years and has extended its work to support young adults with learning difficulties and disabilities as well as those with visual impairments through the areas of Education (Queen Alexandra College), Residential Services, Community Services and Enterprises.

QAC's history is intertwined with the work of the Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind (BRIB). However, for the last almost 30 years, QAC has been a separate charity independent of BRIB, but celebrates and continues the work started by BRIB whilst continuing to benefit from its ongoing support.

It is this support that has enabled QAC to look at improving and expanding its educational offer. BRIB are gifting the land that we currently rent from them. This generous act provides QAC with the opportunity to look at redeveloping areas of the site to improve its facilities and develop the site to enable us to increase our student intake. 

Why the need for an appeal?

In the last ten years, student intake has more than doubled from just under 200 to 468.  With numbers set to climb further we want to continue to be the college of choice for those who need us.

Therefore, we are proud to launch the Building Brighter Futures Appeal.  This will not only bring about a brand new purpose built medical and therapies centre on our college site but will enable us to then look at repurposing other areas to support the increase in student numbers.

The Centre will:

 deliver a safe, inclusive and fully accessible medical and therapeutic environment that enhances the student experience and contributes to improved health, wellbeing and independence outcomes.

The concept proposal sees a spend of £2.5m-£3m and the charity has identified £1.5million leaving £1.5 million to go.

As the centre acts as a gateway for our students to access Education, the creation of the centre will also act as a gateway for us to then look at developing the site further in the following years.

How will this benefit students?

• A brand-new health and therapies suite will ensure our students have access to nursing and physio input as well as a variety of different therapies in a brand-new purpose-built facility.
• Easier access. The building will be at the centre of the campus so easily access to students from across site.
• Having health and therapy staff in the one building will encourage more and make easier multidisciplinary working supporting our students’ health and therapy pathways.
• Providing students with a less clinical and more comfortable setting to receive their health care and therapies in.
• Moving health and therapies from various areas of the campus releases rooms and areas that can re-purposed as temporary classrooms until we are able to move to the next phases of site improvement.

GIVE TO BUILD, BUILD TO GIVE

To enable this vital new resource to move forward QAC has launched the Building Brighter Futures Appeal.  Can you help?  We are looking for charitable trusts, businesses, community organisations, social groups and individuals to come together to help raise the remainder of the funds required.

Events and Challenges – Whether you want to take on your own challenge or event or get involved in one of QACs we will support you however we can, whether that’s making you look the part with our charity branded shirts or profiling your challenge.

Corporate Challenges – To help raise funds for the Appeal we plan to run some specific corporate challenge events where businesses will get to take on our climbing wall or take on an archery challenge supported by our students.  Is your business up for the challenge?

Community Groups – Want to find out more about the work of QAC?  We’d love to come and share about our work in return for a donation to the charity or why not hold a specific fundraising event to support the project?

Individuals – Make a one off or regular donation to support the Appeal. 

In Memory Giving – Many people like to celebrate a loved one’s life by supporting a cause close to their heart, asking for donations in lieu of flowers at funerals.

Donate now by scanning the code below or visiting Building Brighter Futures Appeal Campaign Page

 

SAYING THANK YOU

In gratitude of any support we receive, anyone contributing to our Appeal will be acknowledged on our roll of honour. Building Brighter Futures Roll of Honour

In addition we will be commissioning a piece of art to appear in the new Medical and Therapies Centre which will showcase our major supporters.  To feature we are looking at donations starting at £2,500.  To consider featuring your support in this way please get in touch.