The Queen Alexandra Charity (QAC) can trace its history back to 1847 when the General Institution for the Blind was founded. The first pupil, John Dale, aged ten and from Birmingham lost his sight through smallpox.

Fast forward to 2026 and the charity has undergone significant changes over the decades and significant growth in recent years especially, in the area of Education through the Queen Alexandra College. However, QAC maintains the ethos and the passion for the work started back in 1847 and remains to this day, responsive to and supportive of the educational support and independence needs of young people living with learning difficulties and disabilities in the Birmingham and wider community.

Over the last ten years Queen Alexandra College has become the college of choice for more and more young people and this number is only likely to increase. To ensure the charity can continue support it is embarking on an exciting project to look at redeveloping areas of the site and improve facilities. With numbers set to climb further QAC will ensure that it can remain the college of choice for those who need it but this cannot be done without this new build project.

Currently medical and therapy services are situated across the site working out of a variety of different locations. Healthcare is situated at the far end of the campus which is far from ideal for those based in our main learning centre at the other end of the campus.

Bringing health and therapy services together under one roof into the centre of campus will bring about many benefits including easy access for all students and the enablement of easier multidisciplinary working for our staff which ultimately benefits our students.

Services to be included: Healthcare Services, Physiotherapy Services, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Services, Travel Training.

How will this benefit students?

1) A brand new purpose built facility.

2) Easier access given it will be at the centre of campus.

3) Easier multidisciplinary working to better support student health and therapy pathways.

4) Providing students with a less clinical and more approachable and comfortable setting to receive their health care and therapies in.

5) Moving health and therapies from various areas of the campus releases rooms and areas that can re-purposed as classrooms/learning spaces

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