In 2017 CRASH, the construction industry’s charity, was contacted by the Emmaus Brighton & Hove trustees for help in renovating one of its buildings to enable the charity to continue its mission in welcoming homeless people.
Emmaus which now has 29 communities across the UK is dedicated to overcome homelessness and social exclusion. To achieve this the Emmaus communities provide ‘Companions’, as the former homeless people are known, with a place to stay for as long as they wish and in return are asked to work in the community in a range of roles according to their skills, ability and interests.
Bauder Building Board
Project | New flat roof |
|---|---|
| Beneficiary | Emmaus Brighton & Hove |
| Location | South East |
| Roof size | 80 m2 |
| Total value of support | £35,702 |
Christine Squince, Chief Executive of Emmaus Brighton & Hove, said: ‘‘Manor Cottage needed extensive refurbishment works to ensure it met building regulations. This included a new flat roof, doors, windows, shower rooms, boiler, reconfiguration of the kitchen and a total redecoration; all of which added up to a budget well beyond our means.’’
CRASH Patron companies: A-Plant, Argent, Bauder, British Gypsum, Buildbase, Dulux Trade and Forterra came together and provided their professional expertise, materials and financial aid to completely refurbish Manor Cottage. As part of the initial visit to the project the flat roof on part of the building was discovered to be failing. Bauder then donated 80 m2 of its Bauderflex waterproofing system and approved contractor Sussex Asphalt expertly installed the products on the flat roof, providing the Manor Cottage bungalow with one of Bauder’s most robust waterproofing systems for which Bauder was also able to issue a 15 years guarantee.
Andy Mackenzie, Bauder managing director said about the project: “I am delighted that Bauder can offer its help on projects like this and have a positive impact in helping Emmaus reach out to people in need of their incredible help.”
Thanks to the help of all the CRASH patrons to refurbish Manor Cottage, Emmaus was able to save £10,702. CRASH added a grant of £25,000 bringing the total value of support to £35,702.
The new cottage will provide much needed accommodation for residents who are taking the next step into independent living whilst still benefitting from the support on offer at Emmaus Brighton & Hove.
Christine said: ‘‘Thanks to CRASH and our generous partners, we are now able to house 53 formerly homeless people at Emmaus Brighton & Hove, giving more people the chance to rebuild their lives. We couldn’t have done this without the support of CRASH charity and we are incredibly grateful.’’