Village for independent living opens first cabins

A "village" aimed at enabling young people with special educational needs to live independently has opened its first cabins.

The Village at Le Murier in St Sampson's currently includes two cabins and a wilderness area, designed to equip people with essential life skills, support independent living and enhance their opportunities for employment.

When completed it will include a further two cabins and a small working farm, all made possible by donations to the charity behind the project.

It has taken about 10 years to raise the £2m needed to get this far, with warden Gary Dovey describing the resulting cabins as "absolutely amazing".

Dovey told BBC Radio Guernsey: "We want to provide a place where we can teach all the life skills to make students with additional needs lead a life as independent as possible.

"I'm fully aware that it's not going to be the case for everybody, but if you can live your life independently then that can only be a good thing."

He added: "They are stunning and they have really exceeded my expectations... and the students are definitely not slumming it."

He continued: "Seeing them open really is a dream come true because it has been niggling away in my head for years."

The next phase of fundraising for the facility has now begun, as the Village at Le Murier charity seeks to finance two further cabins.

Progress had a been made thanks to donations by individuals and corporations, Dovey explained.

"We will need £600,000 to get it all done because when you buy the big wooden shed there is no furniture, flooring or toilets inside," he said.

"So, we want to do it properly."

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