The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Coun Kay Cutts, officially opened the new Kings Mill Way headquarters for R.E.A.L. Education in Mansfield to coincide with the tenth anniversary since its formation.

REAL Education works with young people who have been marginalised by their complex special needs to develop skills leading them to becoming independent and employable adults.

Also at the opening were Mansfield mayor Kate Allsop; Mansfield District Council chief executive Hayley Barsby; Coun Joyce Bosnjak; Richard Fuller, of County Battery; Russell Jones, chairman of Mansfield and Ashfield 2020; and Laurence Jones, interim service director at the county council.

The guests were given a tour of the new headquarters and learning hub and met learners and staff on site.

They also saw first-hand the delivery of the vocational provision. In particular, they saw motor mechanics, well-being, digital arts and business enterprise, maths, English and science via a functional snooker demonstration and adventurous activity delivery and training sessions.

The guests participated in all the vocational sessions. Coun Cutts was taught by a learner how to change a spark plug, the mayor tried her hand at functional snooker, Richard Fuller explored business opportunities with the and Russell Jones experimented with the new Mind Wave relaxation system.

Coun Cutts (top) unveiled a plaque to commemorate the opening of the new headquarters alongside Kieran Vardy and Brandon Jarvis, two mechanics students.

Coun Cutts said: “I was impressed by the students I spoke to, who were all articulate, polite and knowledgeable around their subject areas.

“They were fully confident in discussing with a stranger their knowledge and aspirations. It is a real example of the difference this team has made to young people’s lives.”