The estimated £10,000 refurbishment project has offered placements to people with experience of homelessness to gain new vocational skills.
After seeing the generosity of Valerie (71) and Chris (77), retired professors, Cii Construction and The Wallich have partnered to take on carpentry, plastering, decorating and more at one of the properties.
Cii Construction offers real-world site experience and training to people motivated to pursue a career in construction through its placement scheme.
But it’s people like Dean (44) who adds another inspiring twist to this story.
Dean, who is working on one of the professors’ houses, has lived with The Wallich services for several years after experiencing street homelessness, prison and a journey through recovery.
Cii Construction welcomed Dean on placement and has been supporting the renovation on the property.
Following a period of hardship in his life, Dean was keen to get back into construction.
Dean said,
“I used to be a roofer, but after everything, I’ve been looking for a way to get back into working in the trades and seeing where it takes me.
“This has been great just to get back into a routine and get a bit more confidence.”
With past experience as a roofer, Dean quickly got back into the swing of things and became a valuable part of the team.
Rajesh Joshi, Cii Construction Tutor, said, “From day one, Dean got stuck into the work, taking on tasks ranging from filling superficial imperfections in the walls to clearing the front garden—nothing was too big or too small.
“Our team on site were impressed with Dean’s positive attitude and willingness to learn. Over the course of the placement, he built his confidence, developed new skills, and left with a clearer idea of what he’d like to do next.
“Placements like Dean’s show how partnerships between organisations can create meaningful opportunities, not just to support the work we do, but to help people take real steps forward into the industry.”
The professors’ donation of two houses will become part of The Wallich’s Swansea ‘Alternative to Bed and Breakfast Accommodation’, or ‘ABBA’, which houses people in emergency need in Swansea.
Residents stay for a short time, before being moved into more permanent accommodation.
With temporary accommodation becoming short supply across Wales, ‘ABBA’ is an important alternative to the historic use of bed and breakfast accommodation by local authorities trying to house people experiencing homelessness while longer term housing is sought.
Valerie said of the motives for donating the two houses to charity, “We knew how much help homeless people need. After we had settled down together for a while, we could see how our finances stood (we had sold two houses, one each, and bought just one), we hit upon the audacious idea of buying a house for those in need. We saw The Wallich’s CEO on TV and the rest is history.
“It’s clear that they’re moving swiftly forward with plans and that the houses will be put to the very best use. We’re especially impressed that the Community Impact Initiative will undertake some of the refurbishment work, thereby doubling its beneficial effect.”
“This project is the perfect example of a community response to homelessness. From the generosity of providing bricks and mortar by Val and Chris, to using the refurbishment as an opportunity for social mobility, to using the housing to tackling Wales’s housing crisis.
“We’re so pleased that this new partnership with the Cii has reinvigorate lapsed skills of people we support. Dean is an inspiration and has been working so hard with us to move forward into his next chapter. This is what it’s all about.”