New lease of life for Littlehampton therapy centre

The Fire Fighters’ Charity Marine Court base, in Fitzalan Road, Littlehampton, is being redeveloped, with existing sheltered housing flats being demolished, and a new main entrance, extended kitchen facilities and the therapy centre being built.

It comes at the end of a long battle with retired firefighters, who were told they had to leave the “homes for life”, in order to make way for the new facilities.

Charity chairman, Keith MacGillivray, said: “Introducing therapy and rehabilitation programmes will bring a new lease of life to Marine Court, which was the charity’s first centre, purchased in 1964.

“Its modernisation will enable more members of the serving and retired fire and rescue service community, and their dependants, to receive the help and support they deserve in times of need.”

After the redevelopment, Marine Court, which already has a state-of-the-art swimming pool, will be able to host rehabilitation programmes, which offer treatment for a range of conditions and injuries to serving and retired fire-fighters, and their families.

A spokeswoman for the charity said that as well as the new building, which had been designed to be “environmentally responsible and resource-efficient”, there were also be modifications to the existing Ronnie Green Wing.

She added: “This will enhance facilities, to bring the Littlehampton site in line with the therapy centres in Cumbria and Devon.

“All being well, Marine Court will welcome its new therapy clients at the start of 2013, when the site will have the capacity to accommodate its valued residents, recuperation and therapy clients, and the provision of rental breaks at quieter periods.”