Livability Millie College welcomed Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, on Monday, 9 October, when she attended its first anniversary.

The college is a centre for people aged 16 onwards with Special Educational Needs, funded by the charity Livability and welcomed its first cohort of students in September 2022.

HRH The Princess Royal is a patron of Livability and was joined by 200 guests on the campus to learn about the college’s provisions and achievements in the last year.

Since opening, the college has more than doubled its number of students and anticipates further growth to meet demand.

In a speech at the event, Princess Anne said: “It’s a real pleasure to stand here and see this as a thriving centre with such a huge future in front of it.”

Her Royal Highness also said: “We know that there is more that can be done here and we know that it needs more investment to allow that to be possible.”

Livability’s Director of Education, Adele Audin, pointed out that disabled young people aged 16-18 are at least twice as likely as their non-disabled peers to not be in education, employment, or training. She said: “After leaving school, inequalities continue for those with disabilities, who are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to non-disabled people.

Mrs Audin added: “There’s not just a gap between education and employment here, there’s a canyon.

“We create careful stepping stones towards independence. The strands of our curriculum incorporate innovation into learning and ensure the work students do is purposeful and authentic, the skills are real and desirable by employers.”

She made reference to the college’s history, part of which dates back to the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury in the 1800s. The present Earl of Shaftesbury and vice-patron of Livability, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper was among the guests. He said, “I think today has been a terrific success. It just goes to show what people can do when they put their mind to it. The amount of work that’s been done here is incredible. Local authorities are under a lot of pressure; something like this is really filling a gap between education and employment for people with learning difficulties.”

The college is based on a 350-acre site in Holton Lee and CEO, Sally Chivers, has launched a fundraising drive to support development projects.

Sally Chivers said: “We’re limited purely by the amount of classroom space at the moment. We need some finance to get some of these demountable structures off the ground and then we would have no limits.”

During a guided tour, The Princess Royal watched students participating in sessions involving animal encounters, horticulture, conservation, and creative arts.

The curriculum at Millie college is a blend of classroom-based learning and practical activities in less formal, outdoor settings.

Part of this means working in partnership with local businesses and organisations to extend opportunities into the community.

Sally Harris is a former trustee who has been involved in Livability for over 20 years.

She said: “There are visions of hope in these places. Livability goes into the nooks and crannies of society and finds people who may otherwise get left behind.”

Her Royal Highness concluded her visit by planting the Millie rose and extending her support of the college and its progress.

After unveiling a plaque commemorating the visit, she was presented with a posy of flowers by student James Oswald.

To discuss getting involved with any Livability projects please contact fundraising@livability.org.uk