New Directions has been caring for adults with learning difficulties in the Rugby Community for over 65 years.
During the 1950’s it was created as a respite service by the parents of children with a learning disability.
With hard work, incredible dedication and belief in making a difference, our team at New Directions are proud of what they have achieved.
- In the 1950’s a respite service was created by parents of children with a learning disability who relentlessly fundraised to cover costs (see photo above)
- In 1963 Rugby Mencap was founded
- By 1991 we had grown to the point where we became a charitable limited company
- By 1997 the company owned four homes providing care for 42 residents
- 2005 saw us diversifying into Home Care to support individuals’ changing needs
- In 2006 the company changed its name to New Directions
- In 2007 our Day Activities Centre opened at our Richmond Lodge site
- In 2008 our Sensory Room opened offering a multi-sensory experience to local people with a learning disability of all ages
- In 2010 we began our new building development, Milner House, which opened in June 2011 to provide modern ground floor short stay and respite accommodation to benefit a wide range of people
- In 2012 we opened Community Choices Network in Tom Brown Street, Rugby, providing flexible support and activities for people with learning disabilities
- In 2013 Gateway Court & Park Lane supported living accommodation for 20 tenants was officially opened by HRH Earl of Wessex
- In 2015 our day activities service, Community Choices Network (CCN) moved to newly refurbished premises at The Exchange, Albert Street, Rugby where we also opened a new community space offering rooms suitable for a variety of uses for hire to the local community
- In January 2016 we opened Poppy Place, our new purpose built residential home for people with learning and physical disabilities
- In 2016 we took over the management of Lennon Court in Rugby, providing support to 26 more people including other services
- In 2017 our new development, Richmond Court opened providing 11 x 1 bedroom flats with a communal lounge and garden
- In 2019 our new development, Kings Court opened providing 13 x 1 bedroom flats conveniently situated to access town centre amenities and CCN
- In June 2020 our new development, Queens Court opened providing 15 x 1 bedroom flats conveniently situated to access town centre amenities and CCN.
- In 2020 we managed an unprecedented global pandemic with Covid-19 coronavirus and the national lockdowns that followed.
As a country we are still not out of the woods, we are however now moving from crisis management into a period of stability and reflection over the past four months or so and we are now beginning to plan for a brighter future.
