Cuddesdon Corner Family Centre to get makeover

Cuddesdon Corner Family Centre will be extended to also provide space for the Oxfordshire Hospital School

A building housing a family support service is to undergo a £900,000 refurbishment.

Cuddesdon Corner Family Centre, near Oxford, will be extended and reconfigured to also provide space for the Oxfordshire Hospital School.

Described as an "important hub" by the council, it provides support for local families, including a play and learn space, and supervised contact rooms.

Work is expected to be completed by the summer.

The building has been vacant since the Covid pandemic, with the family solutions team moving to alternative accommodation.

The school has been temporarily based at St Nicolas Primary School in Marston after making way for the new Swan School and rebuilt Meadowbrook College.

'Profound impact'

John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for children, education and young people's services, said the centre would become an "even more prominent focal point for families of children receiving support".

He added: "Through spacious play and learn space and supervised contact rooms, we will provide first class, safe environments for children, young people and their families."

The school will base its business support team there, and offer virtual teaching to children as part of its outreach work.

Other enhancements include three single-storey brick extensions to provide an activity and conference space, a disability platform lift, upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems, and a new staff kitchen.

The project, undertaken by contractor Oxford Direct Services (ODS), is jointly funded by the council and the government's Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Mitch Carter, associate director of construction at ODS, said he was "thrilled" to be working on the refurbishment.

It would have a "profound impact on the families across Oxfordshire ensuring they have access to vital resources", he added.

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