Here’s a great example of how our community benefit scheme and working with partners has helped to improve the lives of people in one of our communities.
Hope GB provides support, information and social opportunities for people affected by autism. They recently moved into Thornhill Community Centre in Cwmbran. The kitchen facilities in the space used by the charity had seen better days, so Cllr Leanne Lloyd-Tollman approached us to see if we could help by replacing some of the cupboards.
As our teams and contractors, Torfaen Maintenance Services, were working on replacing kitchens at customers’ homes in Thornhill, we were asked if it would be possible for us donate some of the old units to Hope GB. We didn’t want to mix and match cupboards, so agreed to remove the existing kitchen at the centre and replace it with a brand-new one.
Funding for the project came via our community benefits scheme – where contractors working for us commit to complete an agreed project or agree to provide financial aid to a fund that will be used for local community projects.
Sarah Robinson, who leads Hope GB, said: “We were delighted when Bron Afon agreed and arranged for TMS to install a full kitchen in readiness for our grand opening on 3 February. It was short notice but they did it on time and to such a high standard.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Bron Afon and to TMS, who were fantastic to deal with. The team have done a wonderful job on the kitchen, which is already making a big difference to our staff, who serve parents and carers during our sessions.”
Paul Jones, Project Manager, Bron Afon, said: “The challenge was to get the work completed in time for Hope GB’s grand opening and I’m pleased to say, it was done with just two days to go.
“Working with people and partners to help improve communities is one of the key things we do at Bron Afon, so this was a fantastic opportunity for us to do just that in Thornhill.”
Jason Reed, Contracts Manager, TMS, said: “When we visited Hope GB with colleagues from Bron Afon, we were immediately aware how much of an integral part the charity plays within the community.
“It has been a great pleasure to hopefully have contributed in some small way to the fantastic work carried out by the staff at Hope GB.”
Catherine Love, Bron Afon’s Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive, said, “It was good to hear from Sarah how the kitchen is really helping Hope GB and the people they support.
“We will be keeping in touch with Sarah, as we are really interested in getting to understand more about neurodiversity and how we can factor that into the services we are developing for our customers at Bron Afon.”
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