Last May we were subject to a devastating arson attack that ripped through the building and destroyed three of our rooms. Domino Hall, the largest of the rooms, was a place for the people who use the project to relax, partake in daily activities, and it was sometimes used for overspill of the canteen. The other two rooms were occupied by the staff who support those in crisis.
The last 14 months have been really difficult for us without the use of these rooms, so when the Wates Group stepped in to help refurb the two smaller rooms, we couldn’t have been more pleased. The Wates Group is one of the largest privately-owned construction, development, and property services companies in the UK so we knew our rooms were in safe and capable hands.
Students at The Sheffield College assisted Wates with the project, and various companies donated materials and equipment.
Andrew Bell, Project Manager at Wates said: “The reason I got involved was because I wanted to help and give something back for these vulnerable people. They lost a great resource after the fire and everyone at Wates was more than happy to step in along with our local supply chain partners to make this happen. I hope that getting these rooms back in operation it will help people to better their lives. As my grandmother told me many years ago. Do unto others what you would want done to you and this has stuck with me all my life.”
Now that the two rooms have been transformed we are in the process of setting up a new activity room in one of them, which we plan to have in action by August. The other room will be used for the Crisis intervention staff who work to re-engage homeless or vulnerably housed adults with the relevant support services.
On behalf of everyone at the project we would like to say a huge thank you to the following companies: Wates Group, The Sheffield College, YEC Electrical and Construction Services, Oakswood Services Limited, OpenView Security Solutions Limited, SYS Scaffolding, and Nuneaton Signs Limited.
