New College social value project gives ambulance training centre a refresh
A local development partnership organised a complete refresh of a St John Ambulance training centre in Wellington as part of its social value programme.
The New College development partnership includes Lovell Partnerships, NuPlace, Telford & Wrekin Council and The Wrekin Housing Group, now Housing Plus Group.
Partners were approached by St John Ambulance for help decorating their training centre on Haybridge Road.
Sub-contractor Deluxe undertook the work on behalf of the partnership, painting all the walls throughout the building.
Developer Lovell are leading on the New College site, which is delivering a total of 76 Housing Plus Group homes for older people, including 10 bungalows.
A further 20 homes have also been constructed for Telford & Wrekin Council’s wholly-owned housing company Nuplace at the site on King Street.
Telford & Wrekin Council acquired the site in 2019 and has worked in partnership with Housing Plus Group and Nuplace to bring the redevelopment project to fruition.
Social value projects are initiatives that generate positive, measurable and long-term impacts for local communities, the economy and the environment, which extend beyond financial profit for a developer or organisation.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Enforcement, said: “This development supports the Council’s strategy to create new, attractive and affordable homes for our residents and ensure that key areas of land in our borough, like this one in Wellington, do not become stalled sites.
“Working alongside Housing Plus Group and Nuplace, these homes will transform the former New College site.
“We’re delighted that as a result of this development, St John Ambulance have benefited from a refresh of their training facility in Wellington.
“Social value projects like this, which are off the back of some of our major investment projects across the Borough such as Station Quarter, can bring huge benefits to the wider community.”
Kelly Truman, Regional Social Value and Training Manager at Lovell, said: “Social value activity such as this showcases the potential of effective partnerships to support communities and create a lasting legacy for years to come.
“Driving positive change within our local communities comes hand in hand with delivering homes to support regional needs and is an integral part of our work here at Lovell.
“We hope St John’s Ambulance continues to benefit from the revitalised training centre for years to come.”
Sam Hine, Social Value and Inclusion Manager at Housing Plus Group, said: "This project is a great example of how social value can make a real difference in our communities.
“By working together, we’ve been able to support St John Ambulance to create a more welcoming, refreshed training space for their volunteers.
“We were happy to be able to help, in a very practical way, a valued local organisation that saves lives every day."
Andrew Anthony, District Youth Lead at St John Ambulance, said: "We’re grateful for the support from the New College development partners.
“The refurbishment of our Wellington training centre means we can continue to provide high-quality first aid training in a bright, modern environment. This will benefit our volunteers and the wider community for years to come."
