by futureworks | Nov 28, 2018 | Blog
Hello to each and every one of you and a lovely big welcome to you all. The end is in sight!!! (Collective sigh of relief can be heard throughout the town). Our house renovation is close to being completed and it’s beginning to look a lot like a house that’s ready to become a home. We now have carpets on the top floor so these rooms are officially ‘done’. Steve Marsh, our carpet fitter, showed Andy how to lay the carpets and allowed him to show off his new found skills.
Our learners have been busy getting involved in a variety of tasks. Matty has been in charge of skirting boards – doing all the measuring, cutting and fitting. He has also been painting ceilings with Leon. The team from the Skills Mill worked out in the rain to paint plant pots, arrange stones and undertake planting.
Jamie from JK Tiling and Bathrooms has just about completed the bathroom tiling and we FINALLY have a fully functioning toilet!
It feels like we’ve been working on the house for a while but it’s actually only been 12 weeks which is pretty amazing, considering how much work has been done. We are all looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break once the work is finished. (Michelle and Sarah will be found laid beneath their respective Christmas trees with a Baileys/Bacardi in hand…) Join us for the next blog instalment soon – as we face the final curtain of renovation life.
by futureworks | Nov 14, 2018 | Blog
Hello and a very warm welcome to the lovely readers of our blog. We had a full house earlier this week as the new learners from Community Works came and gave us a helping hand or two. Our wallpapering fairy (Michelle) has papered the house from top to bottom and is loving it so much that she can now be found wallpapering the corridors in The Street building – all in grey, of course.
The word of the week is prepping – the dining room has been sanded and is ready for painting, the front garden has been made ready for the pebbles laying and Andy has been grouting the kitchen. Ben is still a regular volunteer, happy to learn anything we’ve thrown at him!
Michael has created a mantle piece from a log donated by B&Q – Blue Peter, eat your heart out. Our carpet fitter, Steve Marsh, is going to be volunteering his time to show some of the group how to measure and lay carpets next week. With support from Boyes, we have purchased the carpets to complete the top floor. Once they are laid, EVERYONE will then be banned from going up there!!
We feel like we are officially on countdown to the completion now – a celebration is surely on the horizon… (Not your bog standard ‘this time of year’ event with Santa, a raffle and elves obviously as we’ve got our own supply of little helpers)…
by futureworks | Oct 31, 2018 | Blog
Hello to each and every one of you. Welcome to our renovation update. The house is so much quieter this week due to the school holidays and the absence of Michael and Michelle. Sarah has been popping in to the house but it’s just not the same without learners and fellow staff! We are suffering from ’empty house syndrome’ – any strange noises can’t be linked to the men in the house as there aren’t any…
By the end of last week we had completed several tasks. The top bedroom has been completely wallpapered and painted and Michelle and Candy (our very willing volunteer who also happens to be Michelle’s dad) set about wallpapering the next bedroom and landing. He has proven to be a fine right hand man. We have also welcomed another volunteer into the fold. Ben is our Boy Friday and has been keen to get involved in all aspects of the project, much to our delight.
Micheal has completed the painting of the exterior of the house and Sarah has been busy corking. And more corking. And even more corking…. The bathroom is now ready to be fitted, something we are very much looking forward to. (The ladies in our group have had to trudge back to The Street when they’ve needed to spend a penny – mostly due to the state of the original toilet and the fact there is no lock on the bathroom door.)
Community Works have the next course starting on Monday 5th November for anyone aged 18-25 who may be interested in joining us in the madness. We are also happy to accept volunteers who would like to get involved – get in touch if you’d like more information.
Happy Halloween from all the Futureworks team.
by futureworks | Oct 17, 2018 | Uncategorized
Welcome to the next instalment of our blog. We are literally going painting mad!! The fumes are making Michelle sing louder as she merrily paints the top bedroom. Everyone is slowly turning white/magnolia and the rooms are generally brighter (mostly because our electricians, Nexus, have added light). Our apprentice, Andy, has become adept at grouting and tiling and the kitchen tiling is almost complete. Spirits are still high and even the window is smiling…
Deano has done amazing with the plastering and this paves the way for more painting and decorating to be done. ‘Ant and Dec’ have been busy levelling out the front garden and shifting the excess soil. They are then rewarded with bacon and sausage butties and a good old cuppa. Michael and Sarah are taking responsibility for the exterior of the property, ensuring the dull, murky grey is replaced with a vibrant cream.
There is lot’s more still to do and we would never underestimate the contribution from our learners and volunteers. At times it’s been hard to visualise the end result but we have been able to maintain a positive working environment, thanks to the dedication of the team. We are looking forward to inspiring and motivating our next group of learners who will be starting with us in a couple of weeks time. Please get in touch if you would like more information about the work and training we offer.
by futureworks | Oct 3, 2018 | Blog
Welcome to the next instalment of our project. A lot has been happening in the last week and we are now starting to see the house come back together. All the wallpaper steaming has been completed and the ground floor is now just about plastered. (Disclaimer: any references to words that are linked to ‘getting drunk’ are entirely house related and is no way relate to the staff or learners of Futureworks…)
The fab news is – our kitchen has been fitted. It was an excellent opportunity for Andy the Joiner to show Andy (our apprentice) the finer details of the work involved. Michelle started lining the bedroom walls yesterday and Sarah has removed the shower cubicle and has been liaising with Jewson’s who have very kindly sold us the worktops at reduced cost.
Our very own Ant and Dec (AKA Ross and Lars) have been continuing with ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rubble’ and been lifting and shifting the remaining waste material. Dale has been helping Michael with plaster boarding the ceiling and generally being a Jack of all trades. The painting is starting on the exterior of the house today so let’s hope for dry weather!!
If our Project is inspiring you – our new Community Works 12 week Programme will be starting soon. Aimed at 18-25 year olds, you will have the opportunity to learn skills in woodwork, wallpapering, furniture restoration, gardening and hands-on experience in our house renovation work. You will also gain a Level 1 Health and Safety and CSCS Training. We also take on volunteers who can get get involved in a variety of practical tasks and gain valuable work experience. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like more information.
