Housing team to renovate Ugandan school

A team of plumbers, plasterers and bricklayers from two housing trusts are travelling to Uganda where they will use their expertise to help renovate a primary school.

Five staff from Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) have joined three members of Halton Housing Trust’s construction services team to spend three weeks in the town of Fort Portal.

Speaking before going on the trip, Martin Ambrose, of the construction services team, said:
“The chance to do something like this doesn’t come around very often. I’ve been a bricklayer since I was 15 so it’s great that I’m going to be able to pass on my skills to someone who really needs it. It’s hard to imagine what it is going to be like out there. Their lives are so different to ours. I’m currently working on a project to fit miles of new fencing for our customers in Runcorn and Widnes, so I imagine Africa is going to be quite a change. I’ve no idea what to expect, but I’m very excited to see what it’s going to be like out there.”

The team will be helping to reconstruct classrooms that were damaged in a major earthquake which hit Uganda in 1994.

This sustainable project has been developed in partnership with Liverpool Hope University and the Mountains of the Moon University in Fort Portal, Western Uganda, as well as the Volunteer Missionary Movement, a UK and Irish based charity.

John Denny, chief executive of CDHT said: “Our Chester workforce is really excited about teaming up with the inspirational people of Uganda; many of our colleagues have never been to Africa before, so this is a great opportunity for them exchange skills and bring back what they have learnt to Chester.

“As well as providing much-needed skilled labour for this part of Western Uganda, the Fort Portal project is a chance for colleagues to work in an enlightening environment, working way outside their normal experiences alongside local Ugandan apprentices to procure local materials to complete projects that have been identified by the schools themselves; local needs are driving this project.

“The potential benefits for colleagues and students alike are immense – and Fort Portal will be left with better school facilities that could encourage more graduates to stay and teach and in turn children to continue their own education to graduate level.”

Nick Atkin, chief executive of Halton Housing Trust, added: “We are aiming to ensure our team has a long-term impact on the area. It will be an amazing experience for our colleagues. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to use the skills that they have developed over the years to move the lives of others and to pass on their expertise. They will also bring back skills and experience which will be of benefit not only to the three of them but also to the wider organisation.”