New accessible homes unveiled by local charity in Milton Keynes

The charity announced its plans three years ago when it began fundraising for the first £3.3 million to create new accessible homes for individuals with additional needs.

On March 6th, contractors Watson & Cox handed the charity the keys at the opening ceremony. Their new home was opened to the funders and its ambassadors. Named ‘Bradbury House,’ the new building will house six adults with complex learning disabilities.

Bradbury House is a testament to the best in quality, sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement. Clad in stone from Corby, it has heat source pumps, an air handling system, and solar panels, reducing its draw on the earth’s resources and creating sustainable energy for better long-term running costs.

Planning for long-term housing provision, Bradbury House is innovative and adaptable. It benefits from hoisting to assist people who require support moving from their bed to their bathroom, a passenger lift, fall-and-rise washbasins, and a kitchen worktop to allow individuals, both standing and seated, to access facilities.

This house was made possible by a mix of funders, including the Bradbury Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, MK Community Foundation, Edward Gostling Foundation, and many others.

Tim Davies, CEO at Camphill Milton Keynes, said, “I have been continually thrilled that funders believed in us, in our vision, and in the residents we serve, and they have donated significant amounts of money to create homes adults with learning disabilities deserve. On the whole people are disabled by their environment’s accessibility rather than by health and other needs. These homes will support independence, taking away things that prohibit self-sufficiency such as worktops people cannot reach or steps into rooms which they then cannot access.”

The charity’s patron, BBC Radio 4’s Martha Kearney, attended the opening event. Martha spoke to guests about her brother-in-law Alastair, who lived at Camphill MK for over 20 years. Martha shared emotional stories about Camphill's incredible impact on Alastair and how Bradbury House is so important for other people with learning disabilities.

Camphill MK plans to welcome new residents in late spring 2025 and will kick-start their second phase of fundraising to build more suitable homes for individuals with additional needs.