Using left over paint donated to the Community RePaint scheme, which is operated from the Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre, the team of volunteers from Veolia were able to repaint the communal areas at Rock Grove sheltered housing unit for elderly in Bermondsey.
Residents Ms Satu Said and Mrs Doris Baker who came to admire the team’s handy work said: “This has given the room a much needed new lease of life, the communal area is really important to our lives here and a lick of fresh paint was long overdue. We will all feel happier spending time down here now.”
Veolia Environmental Services releases staff for half a day each year to volunteer in the communities it operates in. Under this scheme, staff from the Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility have been able to help with a whole range of projects in the borough from redecorating sheltered housing units to helping with the creation of wildlife gardens for local schools.
Fabrice Bouchon, general manager for Veolia Environmental Services in Southwark said: “I’m very proud of our volunteering scheme, it is a great morale booster for our staff and it also helps the communities we work in. We have also been able to use paint from our reuse scheme that might otherwise have been disposed of, to make life just a little nicer for residents at Rock Grove.”
Cllr Ian Wingfield, cabinet member for housing management, said: “We are very grateful to our recycling partners, Veolia, for donating their staff time and resources to complete this work. Works are currently being done to refurbish our buildings, and Veolia painting communal rooms has enhanced how our residents feel about where they live. This contributes to improving their well-being.”
Community organisations in the borough can apply for small funding grants as well as volunteer help from Veolia staff via the Southwark EnviroGrant Scheme. Applications for 2013 will open in November, for more information see www.veolia.co.uk/southwark.
