A CHARITY supporting people with learning disability has celebrate the opening of a refurbished accommodation block.

Stable Family Home Trust, which is based at Bisterne, near Ringwood, recently marked completed works to the residential premises in Southbourne.

The facility supports people with a learning disability to lead more independent and fulfilled lives.

Service users, guests and staff gathered for the grand opening where a toast was proposed and a cake cut by Cllr Eddie Coope, who is a vice patron of the charity.

Colin Waters, Cllr Eddie Coope CEO said: “This is an exciting time for the Stable Family Home Trust and we are committed to a person-centred approach for each person that we support.

"Our aim is to enable people to reach a point where they can live more independently and to provide high quality housing for them to do so.”

The property has been refurbished to a high standard to provide studio flats for 8 people, with each person having their own kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living space.

eople are encouraged to do their own shopping, cooking and domestic chores and SFHT also provides training opportunities so that people can find employment or voluntary work.

The charity launched a £4.7 million capital appeal in January 2017 to provide accommodation and training opportunities for people with a learning disability to live more independently.

The appeal has so far enabled SFHT to purchase one additional property and a second will be purchased by spring 2018.