Sewerage Solution Now Complete at Pilsdon

Set in the heart of Dorset, CRASH has been supporting The Pilsdon Community, a working farm and refuge, for some years. Homeless people come to the community from all walks of life, always at a time of crisis such as recovering from family breakdown, mental illness, addiction or coping with bereavement.

The need

Pilsdon consists of a house and a courtyard of farm buildings including a recently renovated barn which provides accommodation for homeless people. The second phase of the redevelopment known as ‘The Loose Boxes’, involved converting an existing stable block into short-term accommodation for people who have been sleeping rough. CRASH patron EC Harris led the project and undertook a huge amount of work on a completely pro bono basis as well as making a donation towards the funding.

Working alongside them was fellow CRASH patron BAM Construct UK which was appointed as the main contractor and successfully engaged its supply chain to procure materials and labour free of charge or at greatly reduced rates.

The new accommodation was officially opened in 2014 however later that year the Community’s reed and willow beds suffered irreparable damage in the extreme winds. This, coupled with the sewage treatment plant not functioning correctly and their concrete water tank showing signs of severe deterioration, meant that the Community needed further help from CRASH.

The solution

With his first-hand knowledge of Pilsdon, BAM’s Dave Walker immediately set about trying to find an affordable and sustainable solution. He sourced a ‘one stop’ solution from Klargester Ltd (part of Kingspan Group) which would make the septic tank, sewage treatment plant and reed and willow beds redundant.

How patrons helped

Fellow CRASH patrons Buildbase and Hanson supplied a wide range of discounted and free materials worth £2,533. Wavin provided extensive pipework worth £5,864 completely free of charge and CRASH awarded a significant cash grant of £30,000.

Together with BAM’s pro bono Project Management worth £2,710, the discount negotiated on the septic tank and £1,550 worth of donations made through local contractors the total value of CRASH’s support of this project is £43,678.

The social impact

A video of the project created by Steve Townsend  for Wavin can be viewed here.