Happy ending for story-telling chair

A story-telling chair has been restored and returned to a Walsall park thanks to apprentices at Walsall Housing Group’s (whg) Skills Centre.

The large wooden chair, which is situated in Leamore Park, was badly damaged earlier this year and had to be removed.

Blakenall-based New Horizons Community Enterprise regeneration initiative, formerly Walsall’s New Deal for Communities, contacted the Skills Centre in the hope that colleagues could repair the chair.

Carpentry assessor Gary Ferguson and a group of NVQ learners set to work fixing the broken joints and it has now been returned to the park so it can be enjoyed by local youngsters.

Jane Preece, whg’s director of organisational development, said: “It was an unusual request and the first time our learners have been called upon for something like this but was a good opportunity for them to see how their skills can be of benefit to the community and we were delighted to be able to help.”

The Skills Centre, in Hollemeadow Avenue, Leamore, delivers a range of training programmes in electrical, plumbing, carpentry and bricklaying, taught to nationally-recognised standards. In June, Ofsted inspectors praised its “outstanding” partnership work as one of its strengths.

Tom Perrett, Chair of New Horizons Community Enterprise, said: “It was extremely disappointing to find the chair had been damaged as it is a lovely feature in the park and we were really grateful that whg could help. We hope children will enjoy having it back in place.”