Portland College
Portland College is an education establishment near Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated in of Sherwood Forest approximately south of the town of Mansfield. Portland College has around 270 students aged between 16 and 60. It was established in 1949. Foundation The college was originally established as institution for the training for men who had been disabled through war injuries and for miners injured or made ill through working in that industry. The college was founded in 1949. The college's early development owed much to the energy, enthusiasm and vision of Winifred, Duchess of Portland. The Duchess had been inspired to act after regular visits to Harlow Wood Hospital near Mansfield in the 1940s. She shared a vision along with Doctor Alan Malkin an orthopaedic surgeon, to provide provision for the hope of retraining and re-employment of the patients after they had recovered and left the hospital. In 1947 the Duke of Portland had transferred of his land in Sherwood Forest to the Duchess's Charity through a deed of gift. A further had been purchased for the sighting of the new college. Along with these moves a Workers Contributory Fund had been established which encouraged local Nottinghamshire employees to contribute one penny a week towards the £100,000 estimated to open the college. By 1948 some 17,000 workers had agreed to take part in the scheme and by 1949 a total of 20,000 workers were in the scheme. The Foundation stone was laid by the then Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, on 29 June 1949. By the end of the year £90,000 () had been raised. Building Begins The Architect of Portland College was Thomas Nelson Cartwright of Evans, Cartwright and Woollatt. The buildings were designed with the needs of disabled people in mind. There were no stairs in the student areas, all doors were made wide enough for wheelchairs, and bathrooms and bedrooms were fitted with aids and adaptations. By early 1950 two accommodation blocks, a dining hall, workshops and the boiler house had been completed. Staff for the college had been recruited and in June 1950 the college opened its doors to its first students. On 24 July 1950 Her Majesty The Queen officially opened Portland College. The Cinema Museum in London holds excellent film of the occasion, Film HM0369. Initial years: 1950 to 1969 The College was able to offer four courses to it initial intake of 18 students. These were gardening, bench carpentry, boot and shoe repair and surgical boot making, and clerical and commercial. These students included ex-miners and ex-servicemen and there disabilities ranged from quiescent tuberculosis and poliomyelitis to limb amputees. Despite their widely varying backgrounds, these students thrived in spite of being away from home in an environment that was conducive to discussion, debate and friendship helping each other with their problems and frustrations associated with all their disabilities. Throughout the 1950s the college went from strength to strength. In 1953 the Administration Block was opened. It had a close working relationship