There is a significant need for the professional construction expertise that CRASH offers to projects that help homeless people. In the last year, CRASH has responded to 85 projects requesting our help; whether through cash grants, professional expertise or free of charge materials, thanks to your help CRASH has made a significant difference to the lives of homeless people throughout the UK.
In the past 2 years CRASH has provided more opportunities for the staff in Patrons companies to become directly involved in our work. Under the CRASH Patron Partners Initiative, AECOM seconded a Project Manager to CRASH on a weekly basis for a six month period, to act as a Project Advisor.
Steve Hodkinson, Managing Director – AECOM, talks of his experience as a Patron Partner of CRASH:
“Our work with CRASH is hugely rewarding, not only for the firm, but for our staff at a personal level. The fundraising activities provide a focus for our offices to channel their charitable contributions and the professional secondments are a unique way to expose our people to different challenges.”
AECOM have now handed the Project Advisor baton to EC Harris for the next six months.
Steve Crutchley, Project Manager - EC Harris, who recently took over the seconded role of Project Advisor to CRASH, tells us of his experiences so far:
“Working with CRASH has really opened my eyes to the breadth and need for help of homelessness projects in the UK. Because of this, it’s really clear that the work that CRASH does, and we support, makes a genuine positive contribution to that need.”
Other companies have provided quantity surveyors, project managers, engineers and architects to help various projects around the UK. As a result of this generosity and help, the value of donated professional expertise during the last 9 months has already reached an amazing £35,534.
CRASH Patron Partner EC Harris has been particularly keen to involve their staff in helping CRASH-supported projects, and as well as the six-month secondment of a Project Advisor, they generously seconded Project Manager Will Woodward and Quantity Surveyor Meir Porat to help City Roads, a project based in North London.
Will Woodward, Project Manager – EC Harris, who was seconded to City Roads in early 2009 said:
“Working with CRASH has been an extremely rewarding experience on many levels. The chance to work in an entirely different environment from that to which I am accustomed has strengthened my project experience and will prove invaluable to me in the future. From a personal perspective, the opportunity to give something back to the community whilst utilising my professional skills has been hugely satisfying.”
Meir Porat, Quantity Surveyor – EC Harris, also speaks highly of his involvement:
“The time I worked with CRASH was more rewarding and satisfying then any other fee earning project I worked on. It fills you with pride and satisfaction when you help in promoting such a great cause and dedicated charity organisation.”
The combination of help CRASH can offer is a powerful and effective response to the needs of the homelessness sector, but it is only with the support of our generous and loyal Patron Partners that we can continue to make such a positive impact.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Patron Partners and supporters whose contributions, which come in many forms but are equally valuable, form the backbone of CRASH. Your support enables us to provide unique and practical help to homelessness projects throughout the UK, and make a real difference to people’s lives.
If your company is a Patron of CRASH and you would like your staff to become directly involved in helping, please contact CRASH Chief Executive Francesca Roberts on 020 8742 0717.
