Claridge House looks to the future
Claridge House to undergo major refurbishment work
Major refurbishment and improvements are on the way for Claridge House, the Quaker retreat centre in Dormansland, Surrey.
The work includes making all bedrooms en suite and enhancing facilities for people with disabilities. The centre will be closed for the first half of 2016, to enable all the work to be completed.
Two generous legacies and a sum from the sale of Lattendales, a similar Quaker retreat centre in the north of England which closed in 2006, have provided the funds needed for the work.
This refurbishment programme will bring Claridge House in line with other Quaker residential centres.
‘Claridge House is a wonderful retreat centre, much loved by those who spend time here,’ said the clerk of trustees, Anne Simpson. ‘Our aim is to make the centre more accessible for current users and to encourage more new visitors.’
The trustees acknowledge that there have been difficult decisions to make, in terms of staffing and postponing courses already planned for 2016.
Anne Simpson explained: ‘We have a responsibility to ensure that the legacies are well spent, so that this important retreat centre can thrive and continue to be there for future generations.’
