Leeds Residents Learn a Lesson In How to Do It Yourself

Tenants living in Leeds City Council properties have been given the perfect opportunity to brush up on their DIY skills in time to give their homes a sparkling new look for Spring.

East North East Homes Leeds (ENEHL) and improvement and repairs partner Connaught Partnerships Ltd have together provided expert tutoring for residents who had expressed an interest in learning how to make minor improvements to their homes.

An advert placed in the ENEHL tenant magazine – Your Home, invited residents to attend the DIY Skills Workshop in an empty property on Ullswater Crescent, Halton Moor. Carol Taylor, Connaught customer experience coordinator explained: “It’s the time of year when many people choose to decorate in order to give their homes a new look for the year ahead but after speaking to tenants it became clear that while many had the desire to decorate their homes, they weren’t always confident that they had the required skills’.

“It was this that inspired Connaught to work with ENEHL to provide the DIY Skills Workshops and if the skills learned during these sessions can help our customers to improve their homes then we will be delighted.”

The 10 skills workshop participants received expert tutoring in basic joinery, decorating, plastering, tiling and how to handle power tools whilst working in a new kitchen kindly donated by Rixonway Kitchens.

Paul Rose, Rixonway Kitchens’ Managing Director, said: “We were delighted to support this project with a kitchen donation. Worklessness is high on the agenda in 2010 and anything we can do to ensure tenants and residents receive the training they need to access work is important to us. The course also provided the basic skills to attendees to maintain their own property which Rixonway understands is important for encouraging people to take pride in their homes and ultimately forging community regeneration.”
Each tenant who completed the course was also provided with a free toolbox courtesy of Jewson comprising a tool bag, trowels, tape measure, hand saw, paint brushes, pencils, a scraper, screwdriver set and claw hammer.

In addition, one of the tenants will now be offered the opportunity to further develop their skills after an agreement was reached with Leeds College of Building to offer a place on a relevant course for the most promising participant.

Angelena Fixter, Chair of ENEHL said: “Giving our tenants the chance to learn new skills to brighten up their homes is a great new initiative. ENEHL are thrilled to be working with its partners in bringing DIY skills training to our customers. We are also delighted to be offering one of our tenants the opportunity to access a course at Leeds College of Building which could offer the opportunity of a entirely new career for one of our tenants.”

Len Rance, ENEHL tenant said: “The group from Connaught who were teaching us made it so easy to follow, they were all brilliant. I would like to thank everyone at Connaught and ENEHL for all there hard work in getting the course up and running so well.”

Any ENEHL tenants who would be interested in attending such a future course should please contact Abbas Shah at the ENEHL contact centre on 0800 915 1600.

ENEHL and Connaught are working in partnership to provide repairs and maintenance and voids works to Leeds City Council properties.