Pictured above: (back to front): Raj Rattu - community
centre manager, Darren Roberts - painter and decorator, Jo Burrill
- Midland Heart, Carla Williams - Morrison, Gill King - Morrison
and Daljit Dehele - tutor
A group of women learning English in the Lozells area of
Birmingham have swapped their pencils for paint brushes to develop
their DIY skills and help brighten up their local community
church.
Twenty-seven women took part in a painting and decorating
master-class to experiment and learn different techniques, before
putting their new talent to the test and transforming the
classrooms and corridors at Lozells Methodist Church Centre.
The event was hosted by leading housing and care organisation,
Midland Heart, in partnership with its maintenance provider,
Morrison.
It is one of a series of workshops the two companies have
organised aimed at helping customers in Lozells, Sparkbrook and
Newtown to build confidence and promote new life skills.
Jo Burrill, a regeneration project officer at Midland Heart,
said: "We have designed a range of free DIY short-courses for
residents to equip them with a step-by-step guide on how to
approach an array of domestic challenges.
"Each has been highly successful and brings together not only
local residents, but organisations which are working together for
the good of North West Birmingham.
"We have been very impressed with the creativity and capability
of the ladies who attended, which has seen some areas of the church
centre completely revitalised."
In addition to painting and decorating, workshops have also
included general maintenance, such as changing locks, repairing
door handles and unblocking sinks.
Gill King, community development manager for Morrison, said:
"The sessions were a fantastic success and well received by the
women and the centre staff.
"By providing basic training on DIY, we were able to help give
participants the self confidence to try some decorating within
their own homes, as well as providing them with useful skills and
brightening up their environment.
"We have run a number of these DIY taster sessions with Midland
Heart and have always had excellent feedback from
participants."
Local charity - Law, Leisure and Learning - which distributes
unused materials from local traders and retailers to community
projects, donated the paint for the training and makeover.
As part of its commitment to its customers, Midland Heart and
Morrison currently host a range of DIY Skills taster sessions in
Handsworth, Coventry, Stoke and Wolverhampton.