Esther Rantzen opens Norwood's Pears Wing for Children
Seasoned children's campaigner and Chair of ChildLine, Esther Rantzen lent her support to Norwood, one of the UK's leading Children & Family Services charity's on Monday 2nd December 2002, when she formally opened the organisation's first ever dedicated children's centre.
The Pears Wing for Children is based at The Kennedy Leigh Centre in Hendon, one of three Children & Family Centres run by Norwood across London & the South East. It was opened in the presence of Norwood's Chief Executive Norma Brier, Chairman John Libson, Ruth Bayard, Director of London Services and local Conservative Counsellor, John Marshall.
Named in recognition of a generous donation from the Pears family, the Pears Wing is the latest addition to the Kennedy Leigh Centre, a state-of-the-art community resource open to everyone, with a specific children & family focus.
Robert Pinkus, Head of Centre explained: "The Kennedy Leigh Centre is for families in the community. Anyone can come through our doors and access a multitude of Norwood's services under one roof. Families are able to draw on the skills of a wide-range of in-house experts to ensure that when people come into the centre they get a first-class service, delivered in a warm and friendly environment which is central to Jewish cultural and religious beliefs."
The Pears Wing offers specialist child-based support services for children and their families where they can enjoy confidential access to all the expert help and advice they need to resolve those issues that affect their lives, whether it involves family breakdown, problems with addiction, social disadvantage, educational difficulties or disabilities.
The new wing houses an office for Binoh - part of Norwood's Special Education Services division - an educational resource library and rooms for art therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The Pears family donation also generously covered the costs of the new adventure playground, accessible to children with disabilities.
Esther Rantzen also unveiled extensive refurbishments to the existing children & family centre - including a new kosher café open to the public - which has been made possible thanks to the generosity of a number of committed donors, many of whom were present at the opening.
Speaking just before she cut the ribbon to signify the officially opening of Norwood's latest resource, Esther Rantzen publicly praised Norwood's work in the community and its position as Anglo-Jewry's leading children and family services care organisation. She said: "It's a privilege for me to tour facilities like those offered here at the Kennedy Leigh Centre and see first hand the wonderful work that Norwood does to safeguard the future for the children and families with whom it works. This is a marvellous facility and I urge other children's charities to learn from the services that Norwood offers and use this as a model for any future plans they might have."
John Marshall joined Esther Rantzen in endorsing the quality of services available at the Kennedy Leigh Centre & Pears Wing for Children. He said: "There is nothing in the local area that offers this breadth of support to Jewish families. In line with Government thinking Norwood are developing new ways to work which offers it the potential to support children and their families in a much more holistic way than has previously been possible."
Following the opening, Norwood's cultural advisor, Michael Levin and Geoffrey Segal a resident at one of Norwood's residential homes for adults with learning disabilities conducted a candle lighting ceremony to mark Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights.
The opening concluded with Robert Pinkus and his staff team taking guests on a tour of the centre.
For more information contact...
Ronit Shebson
Public Relations Manager at Norwood
tel : 020 8420 6900
email : ronit.shebson@norwood.org.uk
