New Educational Partnership between the University of Worcester and Worcester Snoezelen

The partnership between the two charities includes a new 20-year lease for Worcester Snoezelen and a new educational agreement offering opportunities for University of Worcester students.

A spokesman for Worcester Snoezelen said: "We welcome this 20-year lease. It gives us the tenure needed to raise funds for the "Big Build" project. A newly formed Steering Committee was established last year to encourage wider opportunities for collaborative projects and this has already made a difference to a number of organisational and strategic priorities."

Worcester Snoezelen is an independent charity specifically set up to offer multi-sensory and creative activities for people who have a diverse range of needs and is based within the grounds of the University's St John's Campus.

The new educational agreement will ensure that opportunities for working together will be of benefit to both parties and a number of University of Worcester students, from a range of disciplines, are already enjoying voluntary or work placements opportunities within Worcester Snoezelen.

Ann Jordan, Head of the University's Institute of Education and joint chair of the University-Snoezelen partnership group, said: "We are delighted to have established this comprehensive, mutually beneficial agreement with the Worcester Snoezelen. The University is passionate in our promotion of inclusion and education and this agreement will provide valuable opportunities for child and adult users of the Snoezelen's inspirational programmes as well as for volunteers, students and paid workers for the next generation and beyond."

The People's Million's Project at Worcester Snoezelen is also now complete and hundreds of people with disabilities are already benefiting from use of the recreational space.