Following the delivery of sanitation facilities earlier this year for Arena Church in Nottingham, Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson has transformed another disused space to help vulnerable city residents who need it most.

As part of the company’s commitment to delivering social value in the region and building on its long-standing relationship with the church, the contractor has provided ventilation upgrades and enhancement works for the basement area of the central city shelter in Western Street, Hockley.

The contractor partnered with Amptron Electrical Services to provide upgraded ventilation systems which allow mechanical air change movements, to help with the lack of natural air flow, due to the location within the building. The G F Tomlinson Client Care team also carried out redecoration works to the space.

These enhancements have enabled the basement area to become a more comfortable space within the church, providing vulnerable Nottingham residents with shelter, sanitation facilities and hot refreshments.

New bollards were also installed to car parking bays, enabling the church to rent out the spaces to local businesses in the city centre, providing much needed revenue for the shelter. A drone survey was also completed of the building’s roof, to assist Arena Church with assessing repair and maintenance needs.

In February, G F Tomlinson worked with local sub-contractors alongside Pastor, Jono Kirk, from Arena Community, to convert previously unused space into a shower and washer / dryer facility for vulnerable Nottingham residents to use who lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

This year, the contractor has provided a total of £67,782 worth of social value-added opportunities for Arena Church, and the vital additions will act as an extension of the church’s mission to ‘Go, Grow, Love and Serve’ in Nottingham City, with facilities and spaces on hand ready for the church’s ‘Care for a Coffee’ initiative, which launches early next year.

‘Care for a Coffee’ will provide warm, safe spaces for vulnerable people to get a weekly hot meal, with an option to clean and dry clothes and make the most of a ‘shower hour.’

Stephen Green, project manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “It has been a pleasure to return to the Arena Church and to build on the great work we did previously, providing further necessary renovations to this community asset and provide help and facilities where most needed, especially in the wintertime.

“As a company, we are strong advocates of the incredible work that Arena Church does for the local area, and it’s a privilege that the team have again been involved in further enhancing spaces to provide refuge for vulnerable people in Nottingham.”

Jono Kirk, Pastor at Arena Church, said: “We’re very grateful for our relationship with G F Tomlinson and other subcontractors who have helped us on our journey to improve support services for city residents who need our help. Our community can now access vital facilities and safe, comfortable spaces which they wouldn’t have been had without the help of this partnership. Thank you to everyone involved.”

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