MORE home from home comforts have been created for students at Hereford's Royal National College for the Blind.

Yet another stage in a £1.5 million project to fully refurbish its four Halls of Residence has been completed.

Two have already had the treatment but this week it was the turn of Dowdell Hall to be officially opened after an extensive makeover.

The hall accommodates 32 of the College's 170 blind and partially-sighted students and all can look forward to a real home setting in which to live and study.

Their guide dogs have not been forgotten with plenty of room provided for them in the students' new single rooms.

Dramatic enhancement

The opening this week was carried out by Sir Peter Gadsden, vice president of the RNC and the Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Mrs Sue Andrews.

College principal Roisin Burge said the refurbishment of all the halls dramatically enhanced the RCN's holistic approach towards helping people who are blind or partially sighted to gain their independence.

The halls offered a real life home setting in specially adapted accommodation enabling the people to achieve greater independence in the home, learning and social environment, said Mrs Burge.

The refurbished halls have kitchen facilities to help students learn to perform basic activities such as tea making, cooking washing up and laundry; a communal living room to practice social skills leading to exposure to a wider social circle, single rooms with en suite facilities to encourage personal development, independence and privacy and are secure with space to keep computers and plenty of room for guide dogs.

Students at Hereford's RCN study a wide range of subjects including remedial therapy, performing arts, art and design, IT, health and social care, business, sport and recreation, music technology, piano tuning, customer services and administration.