And the First Build Back Better Challenge Winner is …..

At the beginning of February 2021, we introduced the Build Back Challenge; an initiative where every quarter would see Novus supporting a community project or worthy cause. We received a huge number of nominations, but the winning project is…

Congratulations Coffee4Craig!

Our selection panel chose the Manchester-based homeless charity Coffee4Craig as the winning community project in our first Build Back Better Challenge.

Coffee4Craig provides vital support for Manchester’s homeless community and for people in crisis.

Each evening, they operate an-out-of-hours drop-in service in the heart of Manchester city centre, offering hot food, showers, food parcels, medical supplies to those in need.

How we will be supporting Coffee4Craig

Coffee4Craig have asked Novus to help them improve the welfare facilities they currently have in place.

One of the key areas is the Communal Room on the second floor, which we will transform into a Wellbeing Zone.

For this section, our team will:

• Redecorate the room
• Provide furniture to create a new seating / meeting area
• Build a salon corner
• Provide and install new shelving for the storage of food parcels

The objective of the refurbishments is to turn this underused room into a comfortable and inviting space that can host individuals while waiting to use facilities such as the Medical Room, Changing Room, Laundrette etc.

Secondly, we’ll be improving the changing/washing area and reconfiguring the space to make it work better for the guests.

For this section, our team will:

• Redecorate the room
• Install 2 new kitchen units
• Build seating to help those getting changed
• Install cupboards or curtains to obscure storage areas

The aim here is to provide an area that feels more like a gym changing room and will therefore improve the experience for the individuals using the facilities.

Build Back Better Nominations

We would like to thank everyone who entered their nominations for the first Build Back Better Challenge and even if your entry didn’t win this time, please do continue to send in your great causes throughout the year via the Build Back Better page.

Although Coffee4Craig was the big winner this quarter, we have already contacted many of the other great causes nominated and are actively discussing ways in which we can lend our support – so even if your nomination doesn’t win, the chances are that we will still reach out to them!

The Second Build Back Better Challenge

We will be taking nominations for the second quarter Build Back Better Challenge from 5th April 2021. Email your entries to buildbackbetter@novusolutions.co.uk or complete the form on the Build Back Better page.