Donation of Flooring Makes All the Difference

Winchester Churches Nightshelter offers a temporary home to 17 homeless people every night of the year. They have a 98% occupancy rate which means that their bedrooms and public areas are well-used and are in frequent need of a bit of refurbishment.

Here is what a donation of flooring means to Winchester Churches Nightshelter in the words of its Manager Michèle Price.

”On behalf of all residents and staff at the Winchester Churches Nightshelter I would like to thank you so much for the very generous donation of your wonderful laminate flooring which has been used in our move on property.

In an exciting and innovative move for the Nightshelter we have rented a four bedroom property from a private landlord for the past two years. We run and manage the property completely ourselves, residents paint and keep it clean, and it offers them the opportunity to learn to live on their own again, but with regular support and advice (at least twice a week) from our Nightshelter staff who call in on a regular basis.

The property has enabled us to offer residents the opportunity to relearn how to manage and cope by themselves, albeit in a shared property. For them it offers the opportunity to move on from the Nightshelter into a more relaxed and less regulated environment and for us it offer the opportunity to bring more people into the Nightshelter in their place.

We have moved eight people through the property in the time we have had it, but in November one of the residents moved out without notice leaving the flooring in his bedroom in a complete state, it was dirty, ragged, and not at all welcoming to the next incumbent.  The same 20 year old carpeting was throughout the next room which is the main lounge area, and again, not in a very good state.

Having been fortunate to have worked with both Altro and with CRASH before, I am so grateful that you both came to our rescue, SO PROMPTLY. Within a couple of weeks we had the new lovely bright Altro flooring installed and a new resident very happily moved in. THANK YOU.

The rooms are lighter as a result, as is the atmosphere within the property and I am most grateful for such very quick action and for helping us out in a time of need and would like to thank you all for your generosity and speed of operation – very much appreciated.”

Altro has played a key role in supporting Winchester Churches Nightshelter for many years.  In 2015 Altro donated quality laminate flooring refurbish six of their ten resident bedrooms.

“Altro has made it possible for us to continue to offer clean, hygienic and comfortable bedrooms to our residents,” says the Nightshelter’s Manager Michèle Price. “We are committed to making the Nightshelter a home for those who stay here, and you have contributed to this – thank you very much for your support.”

When asked, some of the residents said of the new flooring “it brightens up the room”; “it is easier to keep clean and looks so new and lovely that it has made us want to clean our rooms more often!” and “It gives so much more of a homely feel”.