Housing Improvement Work Brings Extra Benefits to Local Community Centre

A village community centre has undergone external improvement work thanks to a ‘community benefit scheme’.

The Rainbow Community Centre in Penley had fences in its garden area rebuilt by Top Notch, a contractor currently carrying out kitchen and bathroom replacement work on council properties across the Penley area.

The work was donated by Top Notch as a ‘community benefit’ scheme. All contractors carrying out housing improvement work for Wrexham Council are now required to commit to community benefit schemes.

As well as improving community facilities, the schemes can also include taking on local labour and apprentices and purchasing supplies from local businesses.

The Rainbow Centre’s Befriending and Development Manager, Geraldine Vaughan, said: “We were first approached by Top Notch when they started work in the area. We started a partnership so we would let them use our facilities if they carried out these much needed improvements to our outdoor garden area and it’s been a great success.

“We’re a very popular community centre in the local area. As well as the cafe, clubs and classes, we also operate an elderly day care centre. We’ve carried out a lot of work on our garden area recently and we’re very proud of what we’ve managed to achieve.

“It has looked beautiful all summer and all our users have been able to make them out of it during the fine weather. The new fences and gate were the icing on the cake and I’d like to thank Top Notch for the quality of the work they’ve carried out.”

Jon Carrol, Top Notch Contracts Manager, commented: “We are very pleased that we’ve been able to contribute something positive to the local community as part of the work we’ve been carrying out here for Wrexham Council.

“I’d like to thank the staff at the Rainbow Centre for making us feel so welcome and for allowing us to use their facilities while we carry out improvements on council properties in Penley.

“I hope the new fences we’ve installed will be a part of the centre for many years to come.”

Wrexham Council’s ambitious project to modernise its entire housing stock by 2020 will see new kitchens and bathrooms being offered to all properties, where required to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Other internal and external improvements such as electrical rewiring, central heating and External Wall Insulation will also be carried out on properties where required.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr Ian Roberts, added” “We are investing 52m in housing improvement work in 2016/17 to help ensure that all our housing stock achieves the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

“Community Benefits are now an integral part of the this work and I’m pleased to say that many schemes like this have been made possible in communities across the County Borough as a result of the investment we’re making.

“We’ve also seen a boost for apprenticeships and employment opportunities thanks to the contractors we’ve taken on to carry out the work.”

More information on Community Benefits and the housing improvement work being carried out to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard can be found on the Council’s website.