Glasswells refurbish hostel for homeless
Glasswells, East Anglia's leading home furnisher has supplied product and expert installation to help refurbish a hostel for homeless people in Ipswich.
Highview House, a 17 bedroom hostel situated along Belstead Road, is owned by Orwell Housing Association. Having opened three years ago, it was in urgent need of a refurbishment. Step forward Glasswells, who supplied hugely discounted carpets, underlay and vinyl flooring for all four floors.
Kind hearted staff from Glasswells' Ranelagh Road store also agreed to give up their own time to help meet the project's limited refurbishment budget. They removed the old and well-worn flooring from hallways, lounge and dining areas, staircases, landings, kitchens and bathrooms and replaced with fine quality and brand new flooring.
Andrea Johnston, furniture manager of Glasswells in Ipswich, explained that to minimise disruption three teams of carpet fitters worked on the project. "They were also supported by a team of a dozen volunteers from the store who undertook all the legwork. They worked against the clock to minimise disruption and meet the strict deadlines." She added, "The atmosphere was really good with excellent team work and the rewarding feeling of knowing you are doing you bit to help some local vulnerable people."
Paul Kingston, Director of Housing & Care Services at Orwell Housing, said that the residents have a variety of needs. Some are single young people, others are vulnerable families, and several have mental health or learning disabilities. "We aim to provide a caring, warm and safe environment to help our residents to pick up the pieces of their lives," he explained. "It's a very necessary service that we're providing, and we're extremely grateful to Glasswells - What they are doing has made a huge difference to the quality of life at Highview House."
February 2010