Bron Afon Community Housing and local contractors, Torfaen Maintenance Services (TMS), have installed a new kitchen at Thornhill Community Centre.
It will be used by the charity, Hope GB, which provides support, information and social opportunities for people affected by autism.
Funding for the kitchen came from Bron Afon’s community benefit scheme. This is when contractors working for the social landlord commit to complete an agreed project or agree to provide financial aid to a fund that will be used for local community projects.
‘Making a big difference’
Sarah Robinson, who leads Hope GB, said: “The previous kitchen in our space at the community centre had seen better days, so Cllr Leanne Lloyd-Tolman approached Bron Afon on our behalf to see if they could help with replacing some of the cupboards.
“We were delighted when they agreed and arranged for TMS to install a full kitchen ready for our grand opening on 3 February. It was short notice, but they did it on time and to such high quality.
“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.”
‘A privilege to work on this project’
Paul Jones, project manager, Bron Afon, said: “As our teams were working on replacing kitchens at customers’ homes in Thornhill, we were asked if it would be possible for us donate some units we had removed to Hope GB.
“We didn’t just want to mix and match cupboards, so we agreed to remove the existing kitchen and replace it with new units, worktop, sink unit, separate basin, tiling, two additional cupboards, stable door and decoration.
“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.
“It was a privilege to work on this project for such a great charity. A key focus for Bron Afon is to work with people and partners to help improve our communities, 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.”