AMBITIOUS plans to transform a former care home into a college for young people with disabilities have been revealed.

Birtenshaw School has launched a £100,000 fundraising campaign to turn Firwood House and day centre on Crompton Way into an education and training centre for 16 to 25-year-olds who have learning or significant physical disabilities.

The school's director of education and care, Julie Barnes, said: “Birtenshaw College provides an engaging programme of education and enrichment activities which enable young people with significant learning disabilities and other complex needs to continue their education after they leave school, learning new skills in an environment suited to their needs.

“It will help to address the local need for further education for learners who may find it difficult to access mainstream college courses due to the level of support they require and will enable learners, who in the past have needed to go outside of Bolton for specialist provision, to stay within the borough.

“We have strong links with Bolton College and see this as an opportunity for further partnership working with them.”

The new centre will provide functional and vocational courses and local volunteers are being recruited to be part of the newly-established Friends of Birtenshaw to raise the money for a building and renovation programme.

Birtenshaw School’s new £5.6 million campus opened in Darwen Road in 2012.

The school has had the lease for the old people’s home, belonging to Bolton Council, since August and is currently using the day centre to provide further education and independent living skills to local disabled young adults.

A meeting at Birtenshaw School is being held on Tuesday, October 21, starting at 6pm, to recruit local people to “help some of the most disadvantaged young people in the com-munity to be better pre-pared to enjoy an improved quality of life”.

Chairman of Friends of Birtenshaw, Alan Clemence, said: “Birtenshaw School has been in Bromley Cross since the 1950s, educating and caring for disabled children.

“To date, approximately 3,000 young people have been helped to attain an improved quality of life and face the challenges that most of us take for granted.

“Having watched my own children enjoy junior and secondary school in Bromley Cross, I feel passionately that we should love and support Birtenshaw and put a little back into our community.

“Please join us at Birtenshaw when we will present our aims and plans and, over tea and cake, seek your ideas and help in order to make this project a huge success.”

Email enquiries@birtenshaw.org.uk or telephone 01204 304230 to confirm attendance at the forthcoming event.