Agreement Between ARUCAD and “Cheshire Home”

A general collaboration protocol was signed between Arkın Creative Arts and Design University (ARUCAD) and Girne Rehabilitation Centre (Cheshire Home). The main aim of the protocol is to establish cooperation in social, cultural, educational, and community-beneficial activities, particularly within the concept of philanthropy, which will be carried out jointly or with mutual assistance between the two institutions.

The protocol was signed by Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi, the Rector of ARUCAD, and Mehmet Metin Şenova, the Chairman of the Board of Girne Rehabilitation Center (Cheshire Home) at the signing ceremony held at ARUCAD.  Cheshire Home was established in 1948 by Leonard Cheshire in the United Kingdom to provide support services to those injured in war. Over the years, the centers multiplied and started to serve individuals with special needs. Girne Rehabilitation Centre (Cheshire Home), which was established in 1995 entirely with the services and donations of volunteers, continues to provide services.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mehmet Metin Şenova, the Chairman of the Board of Girne Rehabilitation Centre, said, “The Girne Rehabilitation Centre is part of an international organization that has been operating for many years, hosting individuals over the age of 18 with more physical and mental challenges, aiming to provide care, assistance, and create time for them and their families. It is an institution with a history of nearly 30 years in Girne. After the coronavirus pandemic, we faced many difficulties in reopening. We experienced both a loss of members and a decrease in the number of guests, as well as losses in terms of well-intentioned people taking over the management and advancing this work. However, we came together with a few motivated people and reopened, and while discussing how we can find resources by helping each other both on a corporate and personal level, ARUCAD made a very good offer to us. Today, we are signing an agreement that is beneficial to everyone. We are more hopeful for the future, we will help each other on our own paths by using each other’s resources, and we will create good things together. Therefore, the entire board of directors and I are grateful and excited.”

Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi: “A project we should always support”

Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi started his speech by thanking the officials of Girne Rehabilitation Centre and everyone who contributed so far.  He said, “It was a project that the country required. It made many needy individuals and their families happy. Therefore, it was a sustainable project that we should always support. In this sense, it was our turn to contribute as ARUCAD. Universities become the establishment of society shortly after their establishment. Therefore, they should always sign projects that contribute to society. We wanted to make a small contribution by conducting some of the classes of our Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at Girne Rehabilitation Centre during their quiet hours. We were warmly welcomed. Our goal is not only to use the building or make such a contribution but to create beneficial projects for the society together with Girne Rehabilitation Centre and our students.”

Vehbi ended his speech by thanking Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Burcu Toker for her contributions to the realization of the project.

Source (Turkish):  Arkın Creative Arts and Design University