Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC will officially open a new learning and development centre at Rampton Hospital on Friday 14 January 2011.
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice will also tour the state of the art centre for training and conferences and visit other areas of the Hospital.
The Mike Harris Learning and Development Centre was built at a cost of £3.5m and is named after Dr Mike Harris, the Executive Director with Nottinghamshire Healthcare, who has responsibility for the Forensic Division of the Trust. Mike, who has managed Rampton Hospital since 2001, has played an important part in the development of the Trust as the leading provider of forensic mental health services in the country.
In anticipation of the visit, Kenneth Clarke said: “I am honoured to have been asked to open this new facility and am very much looking forward to visiting the Centre. I am also interested to visit other parts of Rampton Hospital and see some of the services offered in one of the country’s high secure hospitals.”
The Centre has five separate full air conditioned training rooms with the ability to be combined for multi use. Seating options give the flexibility to service events for between 10 to 200 people. An area in the building is set aside for individuals needing to hot desk; telephone point, computer access, Wifi and facility to charge mobile phones is available to visitors and delegates
The Centre boasts a conference centre holding a maximum of 200 people with a high spec audio visual provision, room sensitive lighting and heating, ergonomically designed seating and flexible table arrangements. A full catering menu of refreshments, buffets and hot meals are available on request at competitive rates.
The Centre is also the base for the largest forensic library in the country. It is stocked with a range of books and periodicals exemplifying Rampton Hospital’s leading status as provider of three national services.
The Mike Harris Learning and Development Centre has been designed with the environment in mind and will continue to deliver ecologically sustainable services wherever possible. One third of the centre’s energy is taken from renewable energy resources. Paperless systems wherever possible supported by advanced audio visual technology and high specification photocopying and scanning help minimise excess printer and paper use. Whilst maximising the quality of the service to you.
The Centre will host a range of art work, with exhibitions from the wide portfolio of work from the patient group at Rampton to local artists. Planned rotation of art will maximise the opportunity for artists to exhibit their work.
Mike Harris commented: “It’s usual for a new building to be named after someone who has died or is retiring but I am planning on neither of those yet! I am immensely proud of this new building and the facilities that we can now provide for our staff and indeed the local community. I look forward to the Centre becoming a popular and effective conference venue, with its wide variety of potential uses.”
