Making A Difference by Volunteering Professional Skills

“We just want to do the right thing,” said Child Graddon Lewis (CGL) Architects’ Simon Child explaining why his Practice had approached CRASH to help them find a volunteering project.

Child’s motives for wanting to make a positive impact on the world in which he lives and works is something that’s inherent in most of us. What differentiates this request is that the CGL Architects team was looking to volunteer their professional expertise, skills they use on a daily basis through CRASH to directly help a homelessness project.

CRASH organised for CGL Architects to meet with Kairos Community Trust, an organisation that helps homeless men and women with drug and alcohol problems through detox, rehab, and a network of 28 supported move-on houses in London.

Kairos recently acquired two adjacent houses on the same street in north London. Both houses are currently fully occupied providing accommodation to 11 formerly homeless people. The brief to CGL Architects was to develop plans to extend the kitchen in one of the houses and improve the communal facilities in both buildings as well as developing the properties to create additional bedroom spaces for residents.

Volunteering Day at Kairos

Led by Sophie Hanrahan, Aimee Thompson, Moni Rahman, Patrick White and Arun Baybars swapped their Shoreditch office for a living room table in Burnt Oak. The team was shown around the two properties and outbuildings by Kairos Director Mossie Lyons and Support Manager Frank Macdonald. They also spoke with some of the residents for whom this vital ‘move on accommodation’ is the place they call home.

After investigating and measuring every aspect of the two properties inside and out, the team drew up preliminary plans that would allow for five extra bedrooms, new bathrooms, an extended kitchen and which will form the basis of a planning application to Brent council.

“Our aim was to spend a day offering our skill to a worthy cause and producing some designs of substance for the client to take forward to planning and later to build when they had the capital,” explains Sophie who admitted to having been ‘slightly daunted’ by the prospect of meeting people from such different walks of life. The day turned out to be anything but, “it was inspiring working amongst people that had such passion to make a difference to homelessness.”

“I really appreciated meeting the residents and getting a chance to understand the vital work that Kairos does. For me, the sense of community and people reaching out to help each other really shone through. I am delighted to have had an opportunity to offer my services and help to ensure that their good work can continue and reach as many people as possible.”

Patrick White

Architect at Child Graddon Lewis Architects

“It’s great to have the opportunity to donate some of your time and energy to such a worthwhile cause. I hope our ideas will be helpful in developing and expanding this Kairos facility in the future, making the most of their resources, and hopefully play a part in creating a great place to live for their clients.”

Arun Baybars

Associate at Child Graddon Lewis Architects

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to have the team from CGL Architects and CRASH at Limesdale. What happened was special – a cooperative day with a gentle rhythm and purpose, where the real beneficiaries will be those who are struggling to get their lives back on track. We are enormously grateful and the work was done that opens up the real potential for future development”