History
Options for Life began life in June 1988 known as Warley Leisure Project. Started by Liz Tilly who moved on from her post of Chief Executive in June 2008 to hand over the reins to Geoff Coleman. After leaving college in 1981, Liz worked as a teacher in one of Sandwell's schools for pupils with severe learning disabilities. She was also the leader of the Warley Gateway Club, a voluntary organisation affiliated to National Gateway, the leisure arm of Mencap. Liz wanted to develop social and leisure activities which would enable people with a learning disability to develop skills and be treated with value and dignity in the community, and so left teaching to set up Warley Leisure Project.
The organisation began with funding of just £18,000 a year for three years from the Opportunities for Volunteers scheme, and an increasing number of weekly leisure sessions were developed. The base for Warley Leisure Project was at Brandhall Church in Tame Road, Oldbury.
The organisation then developed as follows over a number of years. Below are some of the milestones along the way:
|
1988 |
Warley Leisure Project set up |
|
|
1994 |
STEPs service started in Tipton |
|
|
|
Art Service started |
|
|
1995 |
Making Tracks service started |
|
|
|
Parent Support Service started |
|
|
1996 |
Roshni service started |
|
|
|
Due to the need for additional space, particularly in the office and for storage, Warley Leisure Project moved from Brandhall Church to Rounds Green Methodist Church buildings, and was known as 'Warley Leisure'. |
|
|
1997 |
A new umbrella title for the organisation, 'Warley Leisure and Enabling Services', was created, and the organisation became a Company Limited By Guarantee, and a charity in it's own right |
|
|
1998 |
Tipton Leisure started (replacing STEPs) |
|
|
|
Over 50's service started |
|
|
|
New STEPs service started |
|
|
1999 |
Smethwick Leisure started |
|
| Signpost started | ||
| 2000 | Supported Living for 2 people started | |
| Self Build started work on the site of Oak Green Lodge | ||
| Social Business (soon to be known as Oak Green Services) started | ||
| 2003 | Supported Living became Supporting People for 26 people | |
|
Name changed from Warley Leisure and Enabling Services to Options for Life when the organisation moved into its newly completed base at Oak Green Lodge.The original Warley Leisure Project, now called Warley Leisure, was based at Oak Green Lodge, along with Smethwick Leisure. |
||
|
|
Builders started work on Acorn Lodge, a new base for Making Tracks | |
| 2006 | Services repackaged from Day Services and Support Services to Options for Days, Options for Support, Options for Leisure and Options for Work. | |
| 2008 | Acorn Lodge was completed and Making Tracks took up residence in their new base | |
|
|
Smethwick Leisure split from Warley Leisure, and moved into a new base at the Apostolic Church in March |
|
| The Over 50s group moved to their own base, Bannister Road in April |
||
|
|
Options for Life celebrated its 20th year anniversary by way of a function held at West Bromwich Albion on 6th June, which was attended by approximately 120 past and current staff, volunteers, service users and Trustees | |
| Liz Tilly, Chief Executive, moved on from her post of Chief Executive on 27th June | ||
| 2009 | Geoff Coleman joined Options for Life as Chief Executive in January | |
|
2010 |
Acorn Lodge Phase II was completed along with a hydro-therapy pool known as the HydroZone and a sensory room called the SensoryZone. |
|
|
|
Also early in 2010 Wombourne High Flyers became part of Options for Life becoming the first service that the charity has outside of Sandwell. |
|
|
2011 |
Stepping Stones, in Sutton Coldfield, also joined the Charity. |
Options for Life, Oak Green Lodge, Oak Green Way, Oldbury, West Midlands, B68 8LR
Company Number: 03341420 Charity Number: 1064848