Learning Curve Group tutors and learners came to the rescue of Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice to rescue a water-damaged storage building, caused by the theft of lead from the roof.
The damage was discovered during a volunteer day when the team from the County Durham-based training and education business visited Zoë’s Place in Middlesbrough to help with maintenance and gardening activities.
However, the plans changed when they were moving recently donated items to the storage building, only to discover most of the ceiling had collapsed as a result of the lead flashing being stolen, damaging roof tiles, which let in the rain in. As a result much of the stock, which is used to raise funds for the hospice, was ruined.
The Learning Curve Group team took the initiative, clearing out the store and calling on the help of local businesses.
To save the hospice the cost of repairs, the Learning Curve Group staff secured, free of charge, items including plasterboards, plaster and decorating materials from companies including MKM in Redcar, Dulux Decorating Centre and PPG Coatings. The staff also rearranged their projects to provide their labour to get the works done, again with no cost to the hospice.
In addition, support was provided by A1 Skips, which helped remove rubble and damaged items at a much reduced rate and a team from Webster Developments, which repaired the roof at the cost of materials only.
Learning Curve Group has supported Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice for a number of years and has selected the organisation as its chosen charity for 2018. The hospice provides a ‘home from home’ environment for babies and infants up to five years old who have life limiting or life threatening conditions and relies on donations from businesses and the public.
Brenda McLeish, CEO, Learning Curve Group, said: “We were shocked to see the damage to the store room and wanted to act quickly to do what we could to help. The efforts of our staff and learners, combined with the kind donations of the businesses we work with ensured the area could be quickly repaired. Now it just needs to be restocked to give the charity more items it can sell to raise important funds.”
Lisa Thomas, Office Manager, Zoë’s Place, said: “We really appreciate the hard work and dedication of the team from Learning Curve Group to rescue our store. All of the companies that gave their support means that we saved thousands of pounds in repair costs, which can, instead be used to replace the water-damaged equipment and toys.
“We are now appealing for any unwanted gifts or nursery equipment, which is no longer required that we can use or sell through our eBay site to continue to support our ongoing fundraising efforts.”