Sunshine House is officially named

The new name for Southwark Children and Young People’s state-of-the-art development centre has been officially announced. The centre will be known as Sunshine House. The name, exclusively unveiled to guests at the topping out ceremony, is the result of a competition that involved children and young people as well as staff who will work in the centre.

Mee Ling Ng, Chair of Southwark Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: “I think ‘Sunshine House’ really reflects the excitement and enthusiasm felt for this child and family friendly building.

“We place huge importance on the continuing involvement of local people with the centre, which has been invaluable in ensuring that it meets the needs of children and young people with special needs, disabilities and other vulnerabilities.”

Councillor Caroline Pidgeon, Southwark Council’s Executive Member for Children’s Services and Education, said, “Sunshine House is a fantastic new building and gleaming example of what we are doing in Southwark - putting children and young people at the
heart of all our services and modernising them in a way that makes them more responsive to the needs of those who use them and better equipped to meet those needs. The development centre will bring together specialist services that work in a holistic and easily accessible way under one roof in a wonderful child and family friendly building”.

The new centre is located on the corner of St Giles Road and Peckham Road and will open in autumn 2007. It will provide a range of services that are easily accessible through a ‘single front door’ to meet the needs of children with disabilities in Southwark. Sunshine House is for children and young people aged up to 19 years old who need regular support from specialist services working in partnership with primary care, hospital services, child mental health services, social care, education and the voluntary sector.