Buildings & Estates

We began by worrying about our own buildings because we are responsible for all repairs, maintenance, cleaning, gardening, caretaking, heating, lighting, beautifying, adapting, allocating and furnishing – to name just a few. Then, a few years back, we succeeded in winning a bid for a grant to refurbish and remodel our School building. The experience of getting that work done was exciting and enabled the workers here to gain new knowledge and skills.

Another success was raising capital (from the Community Fund and Sure Start) for a new building to house our Nursery and the Children’s Centre programme. This was a really large building project, but was completed on time and to high specifications. As a result, our Estates team is now able to support other agencies in working up building projects and seeing them through. This is a rare expertise in the voluntary sector.

The Estates team has recently worked with Hazrat Sultan Bahu Trust to create a 38 place nursery and are currently managing the re-development of St. Barnabas church hall on Ladypool Road, which when completed will provide an outreach base for Sure Start Balsall Heath. The partnership between Sure Start and the church will make the hall, which had been standing empty for a while, a valuable resource for the local community.

The Estates team is able to advise on a wide variety of premises management issues including maintenance; minor and major works; dual use; security and health and safety.

The Estates team workers also deliver for the community through their dual use and bookings services. The buildings and sites are seldom empty because if we are not using them we are willing to hire them to others.

Contact
Ian Edwards
Telephone: 0121 464 4376
ian.edwards@stpaulstrust.org.uk