Take a look inside this newly transformed community hub in Newport
Staff from housing association Pobl Group and leading housing developer Lovell have teamed up to give a well-loved community facility a makeover as part of their ‘Big Build’ project.
Staff from housing association Pobl Group and leading housing developer Lovell have teamed up to give a well-loved community facility a makeover as part of their ‘Big Build’ project.
The two housing organisations are working in partnership to deliver and supply 500 new homes on brownfield site at Locke Gardens in Newport – which is part of the Glan Llyn estate in Llanwern.
The Community House, Maindee, Newport, was selected for support by Lovell and Pobl in recognition of their extensive work to support the local community during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Founded in 1969, the Community House has been providing a safe space for people in Maindee and the surrounding areas for over 50 years. They provide rooms and opportunities for groups to gather in a friendly and welcoming environment and aim to cater for the needs of people of all ages and faiths.
The building was transformed between September 6 to September 10, and it was all hands-on deck to ensure the work was completed on time. Both teams combined their skills to tidy up the hall by preparing the walls, painting all over and replacing the skirting on one wall.
The Lovell team, a carpentry and plastering apprentice from Y Prentis, and Pobl staff worked hard to complete the project within five days.
The remarkable transformation was captured on film by local production company Parnell Media and can be viewed here:
“Pobl is committed to working with communities to create great places where people enjoy living and can make the most of their local environment. It’s really important to work together on projects such as this to help to re -open these spaces that are so vital to the local community, and we are thrilled to be able to offer our support.” Lisa Brown, Economy & Enterprise Lead at Pobl Group,
Lovell kindly donated staff time and materials to help make the project a reality, as part of its ‘50 Days Difference’ volunteering scheme.
The scheme, which will run through to December 31, will see Lovell complete 50 days of volunteering time as part of the developer’s 50th anniversary of providing partnership schemes.
Regional managing director at Lovell, James Duffett, said: “It is a key part of our mission to build relationships and work with the local community.
“To celebrate our 50th anniversary of providing partnerships, we have been working hard to volunteer and help out the communities where we build our new homes.
“We are very pleased with how this wonderful project has turned out, and we hope this space will be of great use to the community in Maindee for many years to come.”
Ingrid Wilson, Chair of Trustees at the Community House, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the dedication shown to us by volunteers and staff alike to assist the local community of Maindee, with all of its deprivations, feel so important.
“On behalf of all the Trustees, saying ‘thank you’ does not go nearly far enough for how grateful we all feel. We will not forget this generosity in a very long time.”
To find out more about the Community House Maindee, please visit https://communityhousemaindee.org/
For more information on Lovell and Locke Gardens, visit https://www.lovell.co.uk/developments/locke-gardens-llanwern/. More information on Pobl is available at www.poblgroup.co.uk.
