Adding Social Value in the Stoke Community. Back

Date published: November 6, 2020

Hankinson North West team delivered refurbishment work to the communal areas in social housing flats on the Meir estate in Stoke on Trent. This project is delivered for Unitas, who also put us in contact with a local Stoke on Trent charity called Helping Angels - Unitas knew they would benefit from practical support to undertake internal redecoration. Helping Angels is a small charity offering support to vulnerable adults and children - they offer four key services:

Group Activities – supporting friendship, independence, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Educational Life Skills – cooking, purchasing food, food hygiene, cleaning and laundry, money, and budgeting.

Advancement of Social Inclusion – community events and opportunities for all, including School Holiday support for children with complex needs.

Volunteering Opportunities – Supporting adults with disabilities and carers to give back to the community and improve their skills to support them to access or return to work.

Helping Angels know that vulnerable children and adults are often told that certain experiences are not open to them – that’s it’s impossible for them to go on an adventure, have fun, or do things that other people can do. As a caring organisation they believe everybody should be given the same opportunities, and therefore their aim is the make the ‘impossible’ possible.

With this in mind, as well as volunteering to do the re-decoration we also offered work experience to a gentleman who attends the charity 3 days a week – David, who has learning difficulties, helped our Operatives Dave and Mick with the internal work.  David joined our team in prepping and painting the walls, he commented: “I have really enjoyed my work experience, it gave me something to look forward to”.

Rachel Foster, CSR Co-ordinator for Unitas, commented “Hankinson were awarded a decoration and maintenance contract for six apartment blocks. They have worked very closely with us to ensure that their corporate social responsibility (CSR) payback to the local community has had a massive impact. We linked them to assist a very worthwhile local charity called Helping Angels who provide care & opportunities for young people and adults with learning disabilities and special needs. Hankinson have painted all of the seven rooms upstairs and the hall/stairs/landing in Cleveland Lodge in Hanley. And they have even provided an opportunity for one of the adults within the lodge the opportunity to learn painting skills. We are delighted with the work that Hankinson have carried out. They are very conscientious, and enthusiastic to make a real difference with their CSR payback in Stoke on Trent”.

Natasha, Helping Angels’ Director said, “I am over the moon with the work, it has made a really positive impact”.