Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 41 | Page 18

18 | Aycliffe Today Business
ROF 59 founder John Finley wanted to create a
special sensory room for personal reasons.
SENSITIVE
SOUL
The personal
reasons why Aycliffe
Business Park
entrepreneur John
Finley created a
new sensory room
for children with
autism…
By Martin Walker
W
alking around the fantastic ROF
59 activity centre on Durham Way
South, the personal attachments to
its founder aren’t glaringly obvious.
But scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll
find so many touching tributes John Finley
has made to his proud family history.
Both his mother and grandmother worked
in the munitions factory on Aycliffe Business
Park during World War Two – they’re
pictured among some of the many war-time
mementos pinned to the walls.
It’s the fundamental reason ROF 59 is
named so, after Royal Ordnance Factory,
number 59, which made bombs and bullets
for the battlefield.
Now approaching its fourth birthday –
and after some hefty investment by Finley
Leisure, one of John’s companies – a
colourful new sensory room is ROF 59’s
latest addition.
Spiderman and Beauty and the Beast’s
‘Belle’ were on hand as Aycliffe mayor
Mary Dalton cut the ribbon at the ‘Sensory
Squadron’s’ new facility.
The £6,000 sensory room will provide
people of all ages with autism and other
learning disabilities with a space to enjoy
and embrace the calming and soothing
environment provided by sensory rooms.
But there’s an underlying reason John and
his family wanted to invest in the special place.
His younger sister, Dorothy, was left
permanently brain damaged after suffering
a fit when she was just three months old.
John’s parents spent their lives caring for
Dorothy, who’s now 57, 24-7.
“I know what it’s like for parents who have
children with special needs,” says John.
“I saw my mam and dad care for Dorothy
around the clock. Back in those days they
rarely got a break. And all parents need a
break.
“With this new sensory room, we’ve tried
to create a space where parents can leave
their children in the capable hands of our
trained staff while they go for a coffee, or a
meal, and take time out.”
ROF 59 leisure manager Chilli Mowbray,
herself a parent dealing with autism, is one
of a number of trained staff who are on hand.
“We felt there wasn’t a facility of this type