Groundworks have begun at CWA’s King’s Lynn campus to kick-start the construction of a new training facility to accommodate the School of Nursing Studies (SoNS).
The £0.5m facility will see high quality training facilities developed at the site, thanks to a successful bid supported by the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk and Town Deal Board. The Accelerated Towns Deal Funding for the SoNS is in addition to the £25 million Government funding allocation for the King’s Lynn Town Deal Board.
David Pomfret, Principal of the College of West Anglia, said:
“We are excited to forge ahead with the new state-of-the-art training facility in order to provide progressive career routes into nursing, working closely with Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Anglia Ruskin University, and with support from KLWNBC and the Town Deal Board to foster and retain local talent.”
Graham Purkins, Chairman of the Town Deal Board, said:
"We’re delighted to see this development progress for the new training facility at the College of West Anglia’s King’s Lynn campus. The healthcare sector is one of the largest employers in west Norfolk. This project will provide opportunities for local people to access nursing training and employment in King's Lynn instead of them having to travel to Norwich or Cambridge.”
Lorraine Gore, Chief Executive of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, said:
“I am pleased to see the next phase of construction on the school of nursing studies take place at the end of the month. This is an exciting project being delivered with financial support from the Towns Fund which will create opportunities for local people to train and develop skills for a career in nursing.”
Alice Webster, Chief Nurse and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“I am delighted that construction work has started on site. This important facility will bring a state-of-the-art School of Nursing Studies to West Norfolk, supporting our future workforce needs and providing career opportunities for those in our local community wishing to study nursing closer to home.”
James Wild MP said:
"It is great to see this progress on this project thanks to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities and the Town Deal funding, creating skilled opportunities in Lynn with the new School of Nursing Studies collaboratively working with the QEH, College of West Anglia, and Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk."
The SoNS is due to recruit its first cohort of 14 students directly from the QEH workforce onto the new Level 5 Nursing Associate Apprenticeship in early 2022. To strengthen its development and support its registration as a training provider with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the School will collaborate with ARU to deliver the course.
The next phase of the build is due to take place at the end of October, with the erection of the two-story modular facility, undertaken by The McAvoy Group, consisting of three rooms; a clinical room, a high-tech simulation suite and a clinical skills room.
