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At Alexandra House of Joy, our mission is to create a bespoke centre of excellence for adults with severe and profound learning disabilities - and to provide compassionate, specialist support for the Primary Caregivers who care for them.
Rooted in dignity, purpose, and community, we are building a fully accessible, purpose-designed facility that offers respite, therapeutic activities, and end-of-life care. As of June 2025, we are proud to announce a phased construction model that brings this vision to fruition in a sustainable, future-focused way - beginning with a core operational centre offering tailored day support and overnight accommodation.
With each phase, we remain focused on what matters most: enabling joyful lives, supporting caregiver wellbeing, and building a space where every individual is seen, heard, and celebrated. With the support of our donors, volunteers, and local community, we are building more than a centre - we are creating a home-away-from-home centred in joy, comfort, and belonging.
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In 1999, funding cutbacks began to take effect. The first loss we experienced was full-time one-to-one care. Soon after, the Blenheim Road Day Centre in Kidlington was sold, and adults with learning disabilities were relocated to other venues. Some were moved to a smaller venue by the library in Kidlington, while others were placed in rooms within Garth House in Bicester.
Both new locations proved unsuitable for a variety of reasons. The adults faced a profound sense of loss - they were separated from their friends, familiar surroundings, and long-standing staff. The Kidlington centre, designed to serve 32 adults, had only one shared activity room, a single-person sensory room, and just one changing room. Unlike the Blenheim Road Day Centre, it lacked a garden, cooking facilities, and a computer room, all of which had been cherished features. Group holidays and outings were discontinued, further impacting their quality of life.
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In 2016, Oxfordshire County Council proposed further cutbacks, prompting us to take action. We launched an online petition to raise awareness of the situation and advocate for change. The proposal aimed to close 14 daytime support centres and integrate adults with learning disabilities into care facilities for elderly people with dementia - a decision that deeply alarmed carers from both groups. While elderly dementia patients require quiet and calm surroundings, adults with profound learning disabilities thrive in stimulating environments with music and bright lights. The two groups had entirely different needs, making the proposal deeply concerning.
Due to the strong public response to our petition, I was invited to address the Cabinet of Oxfordshire County Council in January 2017. On 14 February 2017, I also made representations to the full Council, advocating against the changes.
Despite our efforts, the Council voted in favour of the proposal - a heartbreaking decision that reinforced the urgent need for a dedicated space where adults with learning disabilities could receive the specialist care and enriching environment they deserve.
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In November 2017, the closures took place. Alexandra was relocated to the Bicester Day Centre, a facility originally designed to support elderly residents from Bicester and surrounding villages. She attended alongside individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, strokes, Parkinson’s, and other age-related conditions - a setting that was, and remains, entirely unsuitable for both groups.
We felt that our group had been marginalised and discriminated against, simply because they could not speak up for themselves. As carers, we were already exhausted from the relentless demands of 24-hour care, yet we also carried the constant worry about our adults and the lack of appropriate support.
Today, many primary carers continue to look after highly dependent adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, who are still living at home. We know firsthand just how vital Day Time Support and Respite Care services are - not just for the adults themselves, but also for the families who care for them. These services are invaluable.
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