School given makeover by housing staff and tenants

Published by Zasha for Your Homes Newcastle in Housing

A primary school in Newcastle got a makeover this week (week commencing 22 August) thanks to staff and customers from Your Homes Newcastle (YHN).
 
The housing provider teamed up with Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East and Dulux Decorator Centres, from which it received a generous paint donation, to redecorate Welbeck Primary School, which sits in the heart of one of its communities in Walker.
 
Teenagers from YHN’s Young People’s Service, as well as volunteers from FHM and the Dulux Decorator Centres store on the Fossway in Newcastle, were among those who helped decorate the school’s corridor and dining areas, which will benefit almost 400 pupils when the new school term starts in September.
 
YHN works on a number of ongoing voluntary schemes such as football coaching and gardening projects and earlier this year, pupils from Bridgewater Primary School helped YHN staff and tenants with a community clean-up in Scotswood.
 
Wilf Keilty, Head of HR and Customer Services at YHN, said: “We are committed to providing excellent customer service but we believe strongly in seeking out opportunities that go beyond simply providing our customers with decent homes to live in.
 
“This commitment extends to improving the quality of life and the future prospects of those who live in the homes which we manage, and positively contribute towards the communities within which our tenants live.”
 
Over 25 members of staff from across various departments in YHN took part in the painting work.
 
Wilf added: “Events like this are really beneficial as they enable members of staff, who don’t usually work on the frontline, to get engaged with and work alongside their frontline colleagues and people in the local community. This helps us to clearly understand the people we are serving and equips us with the knowledge to continue providing an excellent service to them.”
 
The paint donation was made as part of the Dulux Decorator Centres' Colouring the Community scheme, after staff from YHN contacted the company. The scheme aims to help local community groups and charities restore their premises and surrounding areas.
 
Jamie Hyde, Dulux Decorator Centres’ customer support manager for North East England, said: "We are proud to be supporting YHN and FHM to revitalise the premises at Welbeck Primary School, which will benefit hundreds of local school children.
 
"It was great that I was able to roll up my sleeves and join in with the painting with all of the other the volunteers who came along to help with the project.”
 
 
FHM operations manager Mark Connor said: “A lot of the pupils at this school come from areas where we’ve spent the last 4 years or so improving homes.
 
“It’s really important to us to get involved in these communities and projects such as this are a great opportunity to do something really positive to make a difference to the lives of local people.
 
“We were delighted to team up with YHN to help give the school a facelift before the start of the new academic year – hopefully the whole community will benefit from the results.”