Our Apprentices Transformed a Home for a Woman in Need

The SGS Apprentice Community Projects are in full swing, with our apprentices at Bridgehead and The Maltings organising a range of activity. So far this year their fundraising has taken the form of selling bags of Valentine’s Day sweets and running a promise auction, which together raised over £400 for four very worthy causes.

To give the apprentices full ownership over their community projects, last year they were tasked with choosing which charities would benefit from a programme of events that they design, manage and deliver themselves. These charities are Hull Homeless Community Project (HHCP), Yorkshire Cancer Research, Hull and East Yorkshire Mind and Aaron’s Battle, with the most recent activity being the decorating of a property for HHCP.

Last Wednesday, fifteen apprentices met the CEO of the organisation, Andrew Smith, at a one bedroom flat with a kitchen, bathroom and large lounge that needed plenty of creativity and elbow grease. After an initial brief, they started prepping the property by removing curtain poles and laying down dust sheets, followed by Andrew splitting them into teams for each room.

Whilst a group of lads got cracking with the bedroom and did a great job of stripping the wallpaper and sanding the walls, another team was based in the dark, dingy and very cramped hallway. This was a huge challenge, as the tired old walls needed to be painted white in order to present a welcoming environment. Four coats later, this area had been totally transformed to become a light and airy entrance that felt so much bigger than before.

In the lounge, a third team had a lot of space to cover, with the unenviable task of painting the walls a silver/grey whilst keeping the ceilings white. Some of them had never picked up a paintbrush before, yet the end result was clean and crisp throughout. The kitchen was also freshened up with a fresh coat of white paint and a good scrub, making it the perfect setting for preparing food and relaxing. This required a lot of hard work, as stubborn dust, grime and stains had sunk into every surface over the years.

Despite being a mammoth task, the apprentice got everything finished in a single day. Arriving at 9am and only taking a quick lunch break, together they brought the entire flat back to life in just seven hours.

Andrew is absolutely thrilled with the outcome: “To be honest, I was a little nervous before we started. Fifteen young adults who had never decorated before, tackling a large flat in just one day, but what a result! It now looks clean, fresh, up to date, cosy and completely ready for our client to settle into independent living.”

The client in question is a young woman who has had a terrible time with abuse and exploitation. She suffers from some very serious medical issues as a result of her trauma, which is why a safe and attractive living environment is integral to her transition and mental wellbeing. This new start and HHCP’s continued support will ensure that she moves forward and feels empowered every step of the way.

“I am massively impressed and grateful to SGS and all the apprentices for being so brave and enthusiastic in helping us finish off this important move,” adds Andrew. “The team stepped up when it mattered and have made a huge, positive and lasting impact on another human being. This is something I hope will stay with them for many years to come, inspiring them to continue community social action as they go through life.”

HHCP’s Move On Project is dedicated to cleaning, decorating and upgrading homes of all shapes and sizes so that vulnerable individuals and families can overcome homelessness. Only through volunteering and fundraising can the organisation provide this crucial service to those in need, which is why our apprentices are doing everything they can to help.

“The decorating project was a different way to support the charity and gave us all a real sense of community and team work,” says Ellie Akam, HR Support Apprentice at The Maltings. “It was great to see the physical difference we can make to our local community, as we now know exactly how HHCP helps those in need.”

The apprentices have a wide range of fundraising activity and fun events planned throughout 2019, each of which will offer further support to the four charities. If you’d like to add to the fundraising pot, every penny donated to their GoFundMepage is greatly appreciated.

Colleagues at Bridgehead and The Maltings can also find donation bins located in both canteens, which is where you can drop off essential items for HHCP such as shampoo, shower gel, cleaning products, razors, sanitary products, toothbrushes and paste, nappies, baby wipes and formula, good quality towels, blankets and bedding, pots and pans, cutlery, crockery, and even paint and brushes. Adding an extra item to your weekly shop will only set you back a pound or two, yet the difference it will make to people in need is priceless.

We’re very proud of our apprentices and can’t wait for their next event. To keep up to date with their community projects and all types of other charitable activity taking place across our offices, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.