FACILITIES at St Barnabas’ Church, the hub of the community in Hattersley, are receiving a much needed £10,000 plus makeover free of charge.
Fortem, the repairs and maintenance contractor for Onward Homes, are carrying out a substantial refurbishment for free as part of their management trainee programme.
Works includes installing a new kitchen and disabled toilet, painting and works to improve the outside space.
While Fortem management trainee carried out much of the labour, they are being assisted by volunteers.
They have included Tameside’s Civic Mayor Councillor Janet Cooper and fellow Longdendale representatives Jacqueline North and Jacqueline Owen who spent the day painting the inside of the church hall.
Fortem have also obtained donations with many of the materials provided by their suppliers while management trainees have also raised funds for the project by holding a bake sale, raffle and sponsored walk.
The work, which will be done by 14 management trainees and about half a dozen volunteers, which will take more than one month to complete. It is scheduled to be completed by August 24.
Steve Baker, a Fortem management trainee who is overseeing the project, explained five potential projects were nominated, but St Barnabas’ won “hands down” because of the impact it will have on the community.
The Bread and Butter project is based at St Barnabas’ which also has a community kitchen while other groups are based there.
“It will benefit the whole community and the social impact will be massive,” said Steve.
• A fundraising event towards the refurbishment takes place at St Barnabas’ on Friday, August 13 (11.30am-1.30pm) with coffee and cake, craft and children’s toys stalls and a raffle.
i hope the civic mayor didnt do too much of the painting should be looking at the wall she is painting rather than the camera giving her a photo shoot