In recent years, St Chad’s commitment to being more fully inclusive has focused on raising funds to ensure that financial constraints need not be a barrier to accessing all the opportunities that Chad's has to offer.

Thanks to the generosity of many of our alumni and other supporters, we are grateful to be able to offer current students a generous range of scholarships and bursaries.

We have now turned our focus on removing the physical barriers that face those with limited mobility trying to make their way around Main College. For wheelchair-users, for students with temporary injuries/mobility issues, older alumni/SCR members and guests, for anyone who struggles with steps, a visit to St Chad’s presents many barriers.

Entry via the main door is impossible or hazardous on account of the steps; access to reception, to two of our key libraries, to the chapel, to the gardens, and even to the Cassidy Quad – the place where so much of our social, educational and community life happens – is difficult and cumbersome.

A New Entrance

The main entrance to St Chad’s will move two doors along the Bailey to gain access via the Bettenson Library where street and inside ground levels match.

By taking down an inside wall, we will create a beautiful new accessible reception area with split level reception desk.

By opening up a new doorway, we will create a stunning first view from the reception area into our much-admired Cassidy Quad.

The Cassidy Quad

We will create a tasteful, unobtrusive ramp and accessible steps into the Quad.

By making the Quad floor all one level and creating a split level Quad bar, we will ensure independent access for wheelchair users.

Access to the Garden, Libraries and Chapel

By installing a lift beside the steps down to the Chapel, we will ensure that the Williams and Brewis Libraries (currently only accessible via steps) are accessible to all.

We will ensure that the chapel and nearby gardens are easy to access independently by improving paths and including gentle ramps.

We will create lift access so that the main Chad’s garden - a centre of so much Chad’s life - Candlemas, Summer Garden party, “revision”, croquet, is accessible to all.

Current Entrance

We will create a quiet, flexible study area in the current entrance hall.

Toilets

We will remodel the toilet area to improve access and gender provision and plan to have:

•one male toilet with one cubicle and 2 urinals

•one female toilet with two cubicles

• two new unisex toilets off the corridor to the JCR

•one disabled/gender inclusive toilet

Current Reception

We will transform the current reception area into a bookable boardroom-style meeting room / study space.

Costings

Overall, the estimated cost for all this is around £432,000. We already have £86,000 of this in place (thanks to several generous gifts from our alumni, SCR and supporter community!). Please help us make our College more accessible to everyone ensuring we continue to live our motto not just in spirit.

Chloe's Story

My name is Chloe, and I am a second-year humanities student at St Chad’s College reading English Literature and History. Growing up with a debilitating chronic illness has been a continuous struggle and it has taken a vast amount of courage and determination to get through it. Through times of adversity and gaps in study, however, I maintained my fierce determination to achieve which brought me to my studies in Durham after falling in love with St Chad’s.

Since becoming a Chadsian, I have enjoyed experiences that I could never have imagined upon the onset of my health conditions or when I was attending my state school on a part-time basis in my hometown of Sunderland. From attending gowned formal dinners and joining the Advent procession in Durham Cathedral, to becoming a member of the Candlemas mini-decs team and attending the wonderful Candlemas ball, I have thrown myself into Chad’s student life as much as my health has allowed and have adored every second of it.

Steve's Story

I was a 2nd year engineer when I suffered a spinal cord injury in a rugby match representing St Chad’s against St Cuthbert’s in 2006. Since then, I have been a wheelchair user due to paralysis in four limbs. In the aftermath of my injury, St Chad’s offered incredible pastoral support to get me back into the University and complete my BEng degree. This provided the initial safety net and platform that enabled me to gain the confidence in my new situation to continue with my studies at Durham, gaining MSc(R) and PhD in engineering, and ultimately a career in engineering.

Alongside the pastoral support, the College made rapid changes to put temporary structures in place, e.g. ramps and accommodation changes, to enable me to rejoin Chad's after a year in hospital/rehabilitation. However, after nearly 20 years these same structures are still largely the backbone of the access infrastructure in place and have been well worn over the years.

I believe the proposed changes would offer a much needed improvement to enable future students with disabilities to access much more of the College which in turn enables the College to deliver what it excels at, offering a supportive environment in which students can learn and develop.