The Events Team at the Victory Services Club works hard to ensure that its beautiful Central London venue is accessible to all. With this in mind, the Club embarked on a four-year refurbishment programme in 2015. The vision was to make the VSC a fully accessible events space, available to anyone who wants to book it.
After months of planning, work began to transform the entrance foyer of the Carisbrooke Hall. A new entrance was built, allowing clear wheelchair access from pavement level into the foyer. In addition, a brand-new platform lift was installed to allow guests to descend safely and comfortably into the spacious Carisbrooke Hall, Trafalgar Room and the El Alamein Room.
A great deal of thought went into the planning and execution of the project. Easy access was achieved by dropping the main entrance threshold to street level, while adding in a shallow accessibility ramp in the entrance lobby. These work with the platform lift to ensure that any guests with mobility issues can access the building easily and safely. The lift has the capacity to carry both wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
The entrance foyer of the Carisbrooke Hall was also remodelled to allow plenty of light to flood in, transforming it into a welcoming and airy space. Now a dedicated entrance to the Club’s beautiful and welcoming events area, it is an exclusive and completely accessible arrival space. The whole area opened just before Christmas last year.
The Club is sincerely grateful for the financial support donated by Help for Heroes for this project.
The Carisbrooke Hall underwent a £1 million refurbishment two years ago, complementing the remodelling of the Carisbrooke entrance foyer and the Trafalgar and El Alamein Rooms perfectly.
The Events Team welcomes thousands of guests every year. Whether they are using the beautiful Central London venue for a wedding, conference, meeting, party or awards ceremony, there is no need to worry about access. The VSC’s original vision, to offer hospitality to the international community of servicemen and women remains as strong today as it ever was.