A team of volunteers from Sellafield Ltd's Warrington offices alongside representatives from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Nuclear Waste Services and the local supply chain took up the challenge to refurbish the indoor and outdoor space at 'The Old School' in Warrington.
The challenge is part of the Sellafield Ltd Hinton House building's 40th Anniversary celebrations.
More than 70 people transformed The Old School - a not-for-profit charity based in Fairfield and Howley, Warrington, that aims to support, develop and empower people through creative learning and community arts.
The charity provide affordable safe spaces for community groups to create meaningful change, by encouraging activities, projects and events that promote positive health and wellbeing, informed lifestyle choices and sustainable living.
The volunteers, more used to delivering complex nuclear projects at the Sellafield site in West Cumbria, took on a number of activities to make better use of the space and to freshen up some of the rooms.
Pauline Deans, community liaison officer at Sellafield Ltd said:
We have a long history of supporting our local communities in Warrington, and this will be the 23rd community challenge over the last 20 years that's involved 900 employees.
This challenge enhances the facilities at The Old School to enable them to expand the support they give to the community.
There were lots of tasks to be completed both inside and outside, including painting, building new shelving/storage, large planters, corner seating and a new picket fence, plumbing, gardening, painting a mural, installing solar lighting and making clay letters for room signage.
Warrington council leader, Hans Mundry, visited the site to see first hand the progress being made by our volunteers. He said:
It's great to see one of our major employers in Warrington and its supply chain supporting one of our local charities.
The company has supported our local community over many years and I've enjoyed speaking to so many enthusiastic people giving their time to this exciting project.
From L to R - Pauline Deans, Sellafield Ltd Community Liaison Officer, Warrington Council Leader Hans Mundry and other community volunteers.
Emma Brown, manager of The Old School said:
We support a number of groups including Creating Adventures, Cheshire Autism Practical Support - ChAPS, HomeStart Warrington and Warrington Visually Impaired People, as well as several other groups.
The work being completed today will make a huge difference to the people we support and our volunteers, who give so much of their own time to help others by making it a much more pleasant environment for them to work in.
It would be impossible for us to achieve something like this ourselves.
Sellafield Ltd employs more than 1,200 people in Warrington, working in a variety of roles including project management, engineering and design.
Ian Wood, general counsel, Sellafield Ltd added:
The community challenge provides a valuable opportunity for our teams and supply chain to work together in a different environment while making a contribution to the community.
It's great to see the commitment of all the people involved today and how it will make a difference to the charity.
