Each year Willmott Dixon Interiors participate in community investment projects, as part of Willmott Dixon Foundation. This also involves empowering our Management Trainees to make a real difference to peoples’ lives and develop them into young professionals. Last year we saw Connor Lambourne take on the challenge to enhance the lives of people in Southwark in partnership with Age UK and Thames Reach.
This year Jordan Wilding, Management Trainee, has taken on the challenge by teaming up with Grove Park Youth Club Building Preservation Trust to offer opportunities to young people in the Lewisham borough.
Helping to restore London’s lost youth services
In the past year reports have shown that more than 30 youth centres have closed in London since 2011. This has had a major impact on young lives where vulnerable people have fallen into crime. Good quality youth services are needed to help young people develop skills and live positive social lives that will make them less vulnerable to crime (source: City Hall Green).
Willmott Dixon Interiors are pleased to support Grove Park Youth Club to help restore their youth centre in Lewisham. The challenge will include refurbishing the youth club, which has been permanently closed since 2013 with no use to the local community. Residents have petitioned to re-open the building and put back life and use into the building for the youth and wider community.
Through years of expertise in interior fit out and refurbishment, Willmott Dixon Interiors will help develop the building into a thriving self-sufficient community hub. The refurbishment will act as a catalyst for the re-opening of the club and offer a space for the local users with a facility to socialise and most importantly allow young people to have a place that can take them away from possible negative environments on a daily basis.
Above: BBC News report on London’s Youth Services
Providing employment opportunities
We will also take on nominated young people from Lewisham Council on our WDI training programme. The programme will provide candidates with training sessions over the course of a week prior to the refurbishment project. This will help increase their awareness and skill-set in relation to construction as well as professional skills. The candidates will then be given two weeks work experience to help them apply their skills throughout the refurbishment of the Grove Park Youth Club. Further on-the-job training will be provided from our supply chain partners and company team members.
The ultimate purpose of this training and experience is for each candidate to achieve either employment, an apprenticeship or further opportunities to help develop their prospects.
Key Facts
- 26% of Lewisham residents are living in poverty
- 44% of pupils in Lewisham did not achieve A*- C grades in English and maths. This is lower than any other London borough
- 25% of the Lewisham population are under 19 and over the next 20 years the borough is expected to see the 2nd fastest rate of growth in inner London
- 42% of 19 year olds in Lewisham do not have Level 3 qualifications, compared with an average of 34% across Outer London boroughs
HELP PUT SOMETHING BACK INTO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
We require all the help available in order to make the biggest impact to the local community. To volunteer your time, or to donate labour and materials, contact Jordan.Wilding@willmottdixon.co.uk
