John builds a tower
When the Cardinal Hume Centre in Westminster wanted to
expand, the charity were given an estimate for a
roof extension for £1million. That was before retired architect John came on the
scene. His idea of creating a five-storey tower in
the `well’ of the Centre made much better use of hitherto unused space and had the
added advantage of costing considerably less.
John took on the
work through REACH, the charity that finds voluntary work for professional people. The
Cardinal Hume Centre helps young, homeless people to fulfil their potential. It runs two
hostels, one for those who are homeless and one for those recovering from drug or alcohol
abuse. It also has two drop-in centres and an education centre.
When faced with the project, John sketched out several proposals which were further
developed by the Centre’s architects,
incorporating the original plan for the roof
extension. Not only did John’s idea solve immediate space problems, it also added 14
bedrooms together with kitchens, lounges and bathrooms for the Centre’s hostel.
It was a matter of perfect
timing. John says, "The
project at the Cardinal Hume Centre worked well because they got me there at just the
right time before money had been committed to any scheme. Timing is everything. One
charity I tried to help had already spent nearly £100,000 on fees for a building scheme
which eventually was rejected."
 Professional satisfaction is of course only part
of the story for John. Helping a charity do
excellent work gives added pleasure. “I really came to appreciate the value of the
Cardinal Hume Centre through one young man who told me how the support they gave helped
him to get his life together. He now has both
a job and his own home.”
The REACH
job-placement service is available throughout the UK free of charge to both volunteers and
voluntary organisations. There are no age limits.
For
further information about REACH telephone 020 7582 6543: website www.volwork.org.uk. For information about the
Cardinal Hume Centre telephone 0207 222 1602
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