Axis Helps to Transform Communal Room

In partnership with Croydon Council, Axis volunteers recently redecorated a rundown communal room in Beech House, a sheltered housing block in New Addington, Croydon.

Constable Ricky Phillips is a Ward Officer for Fieldway estate which is where Beech House is located. Due to his job role, Ricky was aware that the communal room was in need of some tender loving care:

The room was dated, bland and drab and very typical to that of a rundown elderly residential homeroom.

As part of our commitment with Croydon Council Axis’ Michelle Seale, Head of Community Investment and Croydon Council’s Lorraine Smout, Head of Responsive Repairs viewed Beech House on an estate walkabout. After viewing the property Axis agreed to re-decorate the communal room free of charge.

Much to Ricky’s delight, he then wrote to local businesses to see if they would be willing to donate materials to help transform the room. He successfully received donations from Crown who supplied all of the paint, Richer Sounds who donated a 46” LCD TV and Argos who donated £250 worth of vouchers which were used to purchase canvas pictures, shelving units and lamps for the room.

Axis’ Clive Brighton, Colin Norwood and Rahul Ahmed spent four days painting the room using the materials donated by Crown. Deborah Green, a Croydon resident also joined Clive and his team on the project as part of a four-week work placement with us.

Axis completed the redecorations works at the beginning of December – just in time for the elderly residents to put the room to good use over the Christmas period. Ricky said “Thank you so much for your help and support with the Beech House project. Overall the change in the room is fantastic!”

Read more about our CSR work, here.