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#1 Big 5 – Leeds Action to Create Homes
For our first Big 5 project, we brought a derelict house back into use for a vulnerable person.
We asked people to nominate a community building in desperate need of repair for a £20,000 building refurbishment which we would deliver in our 5th year of trading as Novus.
Latch Charity Selection
We selected Leeds as our first location and Leeds Action to Create Homes (LATCH) was the winner of our competition. Latch provides supported housing for homeless and vulnerable people.
Building Refurbishment Work
The house needed a serious amount of work as it was in a poor state. The kitchen, bathroom and heating system were replaced as everything was broken. We fitted various new joinery items and floor covering before redecorating the property throughout.
The building refurbishment would have taken Latch a few months, but we were able to transform the property in two weeks for the resident to start a fresh.
The external of the property was painted, and our team and LATCH Volunteers carried out a joint project in the landscaping works for the new residents to be able to enjoy the garden of their new home.
We completed the building refurbishment of the two-bedroom house with new furniture.
Residents’ Feedback
The residents of the property said “It’s lovely, very warm. It’s a really nice house. It’s the best one bed house I’ve ever seen. It feels like there’s something off my shoulders, I don’t have to worry anymore.”
Operations Manager’s Feedback
Mark Rapley, Operations Manager for Novus who managed the project said ‘it’s amazing to see the impact Novus have had on someone’s life. It was a challenge to turn the major building refurbishment of the property around in 2 weeks, however it was truly worth the end result of being about to house vulnerable person and her son’.
Customer’s Feedback
“Since moving into their lovely new home, the residents have been enjoying a much better quality of life.” Manjeet Gahir, Property Services Manager, LATCH
Find Out More
Find out more about our Big 5 campaign, or view more about the other projects here.