Partnership working brings St. Aidan’s back to life
St. Aidan’s Community Centre in Northern Moor is fully back up and running after a broken boiler limited access to parts of the building.
Thanks to quick teamwork between our team, Concept Heating Ltd., Graham Plumbers Merchant and the centre’s volunteers, you can once again use this much-loved space.
The centre supports families, SEND parent groups, men’s mental health groups, refugees and runs a busy food bank. When the boiler broke, Gerry, who leads activities at the centre, asked our Community Development team for help finding a trusted, low-cost repair, as the centre is a charity with very little spare money.
Rather than just pointing Gerry in the right direction, we worked together through our Community Chest. This programme matches community needs with support from our supply chain.
The Community Chest is a great resource for the community, but it’s not instantaneous. Each match is carefully brokered by our Community Development team, who negotiate with suppliers, shape proposals and bring everyone together to make sure each project is realistic and has real impact.
Working with Victoria Marsh, our Project Manager, the team contacted Concept Heating. They assessed the problem and agreed to cover the full cost of replacing the boiler as part of their social value commitment. Graham Plumbers Merchant also supplied the boiler and contributed £1,000 towards the cost.
Thanks to this support, the centre has reopened and is once again a warm, safe place for local people.
Gerry from the centre shared: “Thank you to everyone for providing us with a new boiler! Because of this support, the Centre could continue to run essential community groups and services during the busy Christmas period and beyond.
“After a challenging year, it helped ensure we could continue to focus the Centre’s resources upon supporting local people and providing a warm welcome to all.”
Chris Quinn, Senior Sales Manager at Graham Plumbers Merchant, said: “It’s always a pleasure supporting local communities and businesses, and St Aidan’s is a great example of what community spirit is about. Our duties are to provide heating products, quickly and affordably.”
Paula Byrom, Founder of Concept Heating Ltd., added: “It was a pleasure to assist! The boiler failure meant that the centre was closed due to the cold temperatures threatening the cancellation of the Christmas activities planned. With the help of Graham’s generous donation, we installed the new boiler free of charge as part of our social value commitment. We were happy to help and reinstate the heating in time for the festivities.”
If your team has something to offer, or you know a group that needs a hand, email communitydevelopment@wchg.org.uk. We’re always looking for new matches!
