DIY approach to tackling worklessness

Kier Building Maintenance (KBM) London, working for Ealing Homes, is hoping to tackle worklessness in the borough with DIY courses for residents of Copley Close, Hanwell.

The eight-week programme comprises courses designed to teach basic household maintenance and useful life skills.

Ealing has the highest rate of unemployment and worklessness in West London and over 70,000 residents of working age in Ealing are not in employment.

Working with Ealing Homes, the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) which manages 9,000 properties for Ealing Council, the students have worked alongside KBM professional staff to bring an empty property up to a lettable standard. The DIY scheme covered health & safety risk assessment, electrics, plumbing, tiling, carpentry, and will be covering painting and decorating skills.

KBM London also teamed up with Ealing Homes to make and provide a DVD for residents giving them hints and tips on how to do basic maintenance that their landlord is not responsible for.

KBM London client liaison manager at Ealing, Martin Clifford, said: “Worklessness is a real issue in our borough with many long-term unemployed. It’s vital these people have access to training such as this and we’ve been thrilled with the interest shown. Our group of participants is full of a diverse mix of nationalities, sexes and residents of differing ethnic backgrounds who are all taking a real interest. I hope this provides them with life-long skills.

“It’s been a great incentive for them to be working on a real-life project and seeing their DIY work going towards a tangible goal.”

Assisting with the course is Rom Parol, a supervisor at KBM Ealing and voids manager Carl Lottering who also comes from a trade background.

Parol said: “The course has been so popular with the group we are planning on doing a few extra weeks of lessons. It’s been great to see them embracing a new subject each week.”

While Lottering added: “Ealing Homes recently had its government audit inspection and this DIY project was used to demonstrate Ealing Homes and KBM working together to deliver projects to a diverse audience. The results of the inspection will be announced shortly with early reports looking very promising.”