Wates Living Space Brings New Opportunities to Lambeth

2 February, 2010

A community project to help people in Lambeth improve their employment prospects has taken a major step forward.   

Wates Living Space has awarded the Lambeth Community Fund (LCF) £5,000 through the charitable programme, Wates Giving, to help improve local people’s employment prospects.

The award will be used to support the Springfield Community Flat in paying for an Employment Links Worker, who will now be able to help over 100 people in the area to improve their prospects for employment.

The Springfield Community Flat was established in 1997 and is funded by the LCF, which organises the collaboration of the public, private and voluntary sector to benefit the local community.

The Employment Links Worker will work closely with local residents to maximise job prospects by helping to access employment and training opportunities as well as organising work placements.

Wates Living Space has been working in the Lambeth area for the last decade, renovating and delivering new social and community housing schemes. The company is one of the founding members of the LCF, through Wates Giving.

Over the last decade, Wates Giving, which is run through a Wates family trust, has awarded £80,000 to improve the lives and job prospects of people in the Lambeth area through community projects and employment initiatives organised by the LCF.

Patricia Gillis, Business Development Director for Wates Living Space London, said: “The Springfield Community Flat is a fantastic initiative and with the new Employment Links Worker now based there, local people can take steps in addressing the barriers that have prevented them from working in the past.

“Wates Living Space has a long history of working in Lambeth, delivering decent homes programmes and providing new build homes. We hope this recent contribution from Wates Giving will enable people to develop and gain long term sustainable employment.”

Mayor of Lambeth and Co-Chair of the LCF, Councillor Christopher Wellbelove, said “Wates Living Space has been a fantastic supporter of the Lambeth Community Fund.   Not only did Wates become a founding member, but the company continues to back the scheme and its projects. It is this ongoing support for the LCF which will help local people to help themselves, and bring long-lasting benefits to community.“

Lambeth Community Fund is managed by Capital Community Foundation, an independent charity serving London.  To learn more about the Lambeth Community Fund or to make a donation, please call 020 7582 5117 or visit www.capitalcf.org.uk/lambeth.

For further information about Wates Living Space and Wates Giving please contact Emma Radcliffe at Beattie Communications on 0161 216 4273

Or for information about the Lambeth Community Fund please contact Jessica Stuart, on 0207 582 5117 or jessicacapitalcf [dot] org [dot] uk

Notes for editors

1. Community Foundations are independent charities that serve as a vital link between people and causes.  They work with donors – individuals, companies, trusts, public sector - to ensure their giving is effective and makes a lasting difference in local communities.  Across the UK, there are 57 community foundations and they are part of Community Foundation Network.  The UK community foundation movement emerged in the 1980s and the network now has over 12,000 donors and approximately £220m of endowment.
2. Capital Community Foundation serves London and is a member of Community Foundation Network.  Capital Community Foundation has delivered more than £18m in over 3,500 grants to grassroots organisations across London. By partnering with individuals and corporate donors, the Foundation makes philanthropy simple and more effective.  Please visit Capital Community Foundation’s website at www.capitalcf.org.uk.
3. Part of the family owned Wates Group, Wates Living Space is one of the UK’s leading affordable housing contractors, working with RSLs and ALMOs we build or refurbish in the region of 26,000 homes for residents each year through the New Build and decent homes programme. Wates Living Space was awarded Contractor of the Year at the Housing Excellence Awards and Sustainable Contractor of the Year at the Inside Housing Sustainable Housing Award

Categories: regeneration, affordable housing, london & south east

Tags: Lambeth