West Lothian Veterans’ Centre Praised for its Design and Accessibility

11/22/2011 11:53 AM EST

The design of The Linburn Centre takes inspiration from a Chinese Dragon sculpture which was a gift to the charity and was housed in the original Linburn Workshops. The building is now a hive of activity for Scottish War Blinded, which aims to provide assistance to former veterans of the armed forces who are affected by a visual impairment.
The centre has received much architectural praise for its unique design and continues to attract interest from architects and designers across Europe. The Glasgow Institute of Architects has announced the centre as one of the design winners in its healthcare category.
It was also announced on Friday that the centre has won a Good Access Award from Disability West Lothian. This second award commends the centre on its accessibility and conveys the organisation’s commitment to supporting individuals who are blind or partially sighted.
Rosie McLaughlin, Centre Manager, says; “We are delighted to have won these recent awards. The design of the building is integral to developing our members’ independence. They are able to navigate without assistance to make full use of the services we offer. The design also allows us to make the best use of the lighting we have in this setting. We look forward to new members joining us in our exciting building”
These awards come shortly after the centre was shortlisted for the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award 2011from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. This particular award has been described as the ‘richest’ award in architecture.
The Good Access Award will be presented to Centre Manager Rosie McLaughlin and Chief Executive Richard Hellewell on Wednesday 23 November by West Lothian’s Provost Tom Kerr.
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Notes to Editors:
1. This story is for immediate use and the words and pictures are free to use.
2. Scottish War Blinded is a charity that supports former members of the armed forces who are now affected by a visual impairment.
3. Scottish War Blinded, charity number SC02652, shares the same office address and administration as Royal Blind which provides services for blind people. It encompasses the Royal Blind School, Braeside House and the Scottish Braille Press. Our registered office address is PO Box 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4HZ, telephone number 0131 229 1456, website www.royalblind.org, charity number SC017167.