Educational charity Langdon is to open a London college for the 16-to-25 age group, complementing its existing college in Manchester.

The charity - helping teenagers and young adults with mild-to-moderate learning needs towards independence - will convert its Maccabi House site in Edgware, which is currently used as a social centre.

It plans to identify and assess potential students in November before opening the day facility with an intake of around a dozen in January. It will need to raise up to £57,000 for resources, including tablet computers, partitions to create more classrooms and special equipment for disabled students.

The Manchester college principal, Chris Mayho, has been an integral part of the London team. He said the "very exciting" news meant that "at long last we can address the needs of the London parents. They've been asking me about it for long enough and now we're in a position to move ahead." Although four students from the capital currently attended the Manchester college, he added: "We're aware that not everybody can send their children away to a residential setting."

Establishing a London college was also crucial to the development of Langdon's support for those wanting to enter the employment market. "If we use the knowledge, experience and positivity we have to encourage the community, local businesses and parents to be more responsive, we're helping the individual and the community.

"That's a real plus for the Jewish community and the general public, because raising awareness of what they can do takes away some of the stigma. For instance, we know that when young people with disabilities get into work, they are more engaged and have lower absenteeism rates than other workers."

The government and local authorities are providing funding for the London college, which, unlike its Manchester counterpart, will not be residential.

"We'll be extending the social and learning aspects into the evening and weekends by involving the parents in the programme," Mr Mayho added.

"Cooking, cleaning and learning how to get somewhere - we want the parents to step back and allow their children to learn these things, thereby giving them that bit more independence."

Langdon is holding an open evening for parents of prospective pupils on October 19 at the Edgware site.