Steel Beam signing event at The Ged Mason Building

• Students, staff and supporters have signed a steel beam which will form part of the structure of the new Ged Mason Building.
• So far £6.8m has been donated towards the £10m needed for the building at Seashell.
• Seashell Trust transforms the lives of young people with the most complex disabilities and is based in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.

ONE of the largest transformation projects of its kind in the UK took another leap forward this week as a steel beam signing event was held at Seashell.

The organisation supports young people with the most complex disabilities in the country and offers a specialist school, college and residential homes, as well as a range of health and support services, all from its base in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.

As part of the transformation of its site, Seashell is raising £10m for a new hub for Royal College Manchester, which will be known as The Ged Mason Building. On Wednesday, supporters, staff and students were given the opportunity to sign a steel beam and earn themselves a permanent place in the organisation’s history books.

With just £3.2m left to raise, having already raised £6.8m towards the build, The Ged Mason Building would not have been possible without the support of lead donor Ged Mason. There have also been notable donations from Together Money and the Mulchand Family, all of whom were in attendance to sign the beam.

Ged Mason, a long-term support of Seashell and the CEO of Morson Group, said: “I’m proud to be associated with this new college and the benefits it will have for the students.

“Our family have been supporters of Seashell for 20 years or more and when we first visited, we were just blown away by all the great work and the wonderful students.

“It was great to visit again and meet the students, who are all enthusiastic about this new building going up, which was nice to see. I can’t wait to see the students in the new college.”

As part of the Steel Beam Signing event, the Director of Fundraising and Marketing, Marie Travers, said a few words to the gathered crowd. She told them: “Genuinely, without our supporters we wouldn’t be able to build this college, we wouldn’t have been able to build our school, the houses or many of the things that you see on site.

“We have big plans to create a centre of excellence for children and young adults with complex disabilities across the country, of which this college is a really really important part.”

Also in attendance on Wednesday were The High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Dr Eamonn O’Neil DL and Diane Hawkins, Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester. Mrs Hawkins said: “I was here when the Duchess of Edinburgh visited earlier in the year cutting the grass sod. And here we are with all the steelwork already up. What a fantastic rate of progress! And I’m so excited to be back again, soon I hope, for the opening.”

The Ged Mason Building will not only be home to Royal College Manchester, it will also house a number of office spaces for support staff to use, replacing older buildings which are no longer fit for purpose.

College Principal Clare Sefton said: “The college hasn’t had the right facilities, and we’ve had to educate in premises that aren’t fit for purpose. All the staff and students are really excited, particularly our first-year cohort. These are the students that will get to benefit from this new building.”

The event was made all the extra special as students were able to attend, including College Ambassador Ali who took the mic to describe how excited he was to see the new college building taking shape.

It’s expected the staff and students will be able to move into the new building in early 2026. The recent event follows the completion of The Moulding Foundation Building, the home of Royal School Manchester, which opened in early 2023. Both buildings are part of the wider transformation project at Seashell’s site.

Eric Wright Construction Director, James Eager said: “We are proud to be partnering with Seashell Trust to deliver their new college building, aligning with their vision of providing exceptional education and care for students with complex needs. This project reflects our shared commitment to creating inclusive, inspiring spaces that support every student’s development and future success.”