Supporting Clarion to Paint with Purpose at the Old Fire Station

Taking on a Painting Project with Clarion in North London

As part of our social value commitment, Axis had the pleasure of supporting a community partner painting day this March with Clarion.

Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, came together with Axis and other partners to renovate the Old Fire Station Community Centre (a Holloway Neighbourhood Group initiative) in North London.

This project was resident-led, supporting families facing mental health challenges. The revitalisation of the space ensured it remains a welcoming, inclusive resource where the community can continue to thrive.

Volunteers from the community and across Clarion’s partners had the opportunity to learn and apply practical skills with Axis’ experienced painters and site supervisors. Axis was pleased to be able to oversee this project – thank you to our volunteers Ryan Ogburn, Assistant Site Supervisor, and Cameron Bonthron, Apprentice Master, for your incredible work!

Talking about what he got up to, Ryan said ‘Firstly, I protected the floor with Corex and helped put up a mobile tower, then I supervised the volunteers’ painting and showed the volunteers how to paint/work safely. Everyone prepped the walls by filling/scraping where needed then rubbing the walls down with sandpaper they then finished by painting the walls up.’

Siarah Meah, Social Value Manager at Clarion Futures, added ‘I wanted to extend a huge thank you to all the social value superstars who volunteered their time to help paint the Old Fire Station Community Centre. It was fantastic to see our partners come together and make an impact through this joint project!

The day brought valuable experiences, and we’ve taken away some key learnings that we’re excited to apply in our next joint initiative. Chelsea, the Centre Manager, expressed her gratitude and appreciation for everyone’s efforts. All volunteers were respectful of the space, health & safety regs, and were commended on their positive attitude and how well they worked together as a team to finish painting all 3 walls.

Thank you once again for your dedication and support. We’re proud of what we accomplished together!’

Well done to Ryan and Cameron for getting stuck in and taking part in an amazing project to help the community!