Member Article

Getting stuck in for national community day

Over 350 employees of refurbishment and new housing specialist, United Living, will give more than 2,400 hours of their time to community causes next week.

The company, which recently merged with utilities and property services business, Fastflow Group, is allowing people time away from work to support National Community Day on Friday 6th September.

They will participate in projects throughout England and Wales including:

• Full refurbishment of Lime Close Hall in Thurrock

• Litter picking and garden clearance in Harrogate

• Decoration of the sports hall at The Wayz Youth Centre in Bracknell

• Refurbishment and building work at the Arrow Riding Centre for the disabled in Dartford

• Assisting Manchester Central Foodbank and Parson Cross Foodbank in Sheffield

• A range of gardening projects at locations including The Phoenix Centre in Swansea, The Kingswood Trust in Wolverhampton, Charlton Youth Centre in Worksop and in a project in Tonbridge.

• Makeover of community garden for Swansea

The nationwide team will demonstrate the breadth of United Living’s community development programme as part of this year’s Community Impact Week.

Neil Armstrong, chief executive of the merged business, said: “Our Community Day is an important date in our calendar. It brings together hundreds of our staff to work on fantastic projects. I passionately believe that our business has the opportunity to make a real difference to the communities in which we work and in doing so, bring to life the value of social gain. This is a great way to give something back, as well as an excellent team building event.

“The work we deliver through new housing and maintenance can have such a positive impact: whether that’s improving people’s lives by transforming their residential spaces, or by providing employment opportunities through training and apprenticeships. Our Community Day is an extension of the work we do.”

The June merger of Fastflow Group and United Living hugely broadened the business’ maintenance and development capability. The two organisations are better equipped to meet the ever-increasing UK demand for new and well-maintained housing and are now able to offer a complete property asset management package. Land sourcing, planning, new housing, refurbishment, regeneration, planned and responsive maintenance. Additionally, the utilities businesses can connect the water, gas and power infrastructure required to support new developments.

The enlarged group employs over 1,100 people and turns over more than £400 million. In 2018 it delivered 1,263 new homes, completed 29,895 planned maintenance jobs and responded to 47,100 short notice repair calls.

In addition, water management is provided across networks in North East England and Scotland, supplying almost three million customers, whilst specialist diversion, repair and maintenance projects are delivered on the UK high pressure gas transmission networks.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .