General Information
A charity that supports adults with learning disabilities in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and former residents of Normansfield (Registered Charity No. 210144).
The Normansfield and Richmond Foundation (NRF), previously the Friends of Normansfield, was established as a charity when Normansfield was a local hospital for people with learning disabilities. It aimed to provide a wide range of additional support to residents. In 1997, in line with the Government's Care in the Community policy, Normansfield closed and the residents were resettled in small, local, family style homes. Following the Normansfield reprovision and also the establishment of a separate Trust for the presevation and development of the Theatre (which was part of the original Normanfield building), the functions of NRF have undergone some changes; these are now:
- to continue and manage the investment of an established Trust Fund (in the region of £1million)
- to allocate grant aid from its annual income for the benefit of adults and young people in transition with learning disabilities and their carers, local voluntary organisations supporting people with learning disabilities and local learning disabilies services. For individuals, this could include grants for special equipment, e.g. to help furnish accommodation for independent living; holidays, leisure experiences; "extras" not provided by statutary services to meet particular needs. For voluntary and other local learning disability services a grant would preferably be for a particular project or development where statutory funds could not be made available. Grants are generally given on a "one off" basis rather than as continuing funding.