COMMUNITY BUILDING Better Communities Rosie Brown of MODern Housing Solutions
Henry Ford said ‘Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success’.
M
any of the readers of this magazine think of MODern Housing Solutions (MHS) as a
maintenance company; the people that they speak to at our Helpdesk and our contractors who fix things in their homes when they’re broken. Some of you may have even experienced one of our many projects that have been taking place over the past few years to upgrade your homes with new kitchens, bathrooms or boilers.
However, MHS doesn’t just repair, maintain and upgrade your homes we do much more. We add value to our contract with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) through our work to assist ex service personnel with work experience and through our charitable and countrywide community project programme.
MHS recognises that we all belong to communities, at home, in our neighbourhoods, at work, at school, and through voluntary work. Communities are vital to our lives and well-being and they have particular importance for you, as a member of a service family. Building a decent community is essential since you are often required to move regularly, sometimes live long distances from your extended family and are frequently acting as single parents whilst your partners undertake their professional role overseas.
Our liaison officers have always helped service communities but in September 2011 we launched a more co-ordinated approach working alongside our DIO colleagues and our supply chain staff. The new role of Community Projects Manager was created to drive this countrywide programme of work. Since that date we have been involved in over 40 projects, from installing community gardens to raising thousands of pounds to provide self- contained accommodation for injured service personnel and their families. Since February 2008 MHS staff have devoted over 5,000 hours to community projects.
These projects fall into a number of categories, most notably:
• Sustainable gardening/outdoor projects 50 Envoy Spring 2014
• Redecorating projects • Play park projects • School projects
As well as our community project work in your communities our staff are encouraged to volunteer in their own communities, whether it is as a scout leader or providing physical help with country parks. Our criteria…anything that is deemed productive and adds value to their local community and provides them with experiences that will enhance their work within the company.
MHS has always been proactive when it comes to raising funds for service charities; many of our staff are from service families or have themselves served prior to joining the company. Our supply chain is also incredibly generous, recognising that they can add value to our community project work through match funding, provision of supplies or assistance with manpower.
This year, working together, we have raised £25,000 for SSAFA, £ 6,300 for Help for Heroes, and £9,400 for the Chivenor Memorial Garden fund. Fundraising is of enormous benefit but it is also backed up by our staff getting their hands dirty redecorating community centres and welfare houses, painting play parks or creating gardens. Not only does this benefit your communities but also our staff derive an enormous amount of satisfaction from giving; they learn new skills, build teams and forge strong links with you and your communities. As Mahatma Ghandi said: ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’.
Each year we normally have one or two flagship projects, enabling us to raise the profile of our community work, whilst also helping to challenge us to keep raising the bar year on year. In 2012 we focused on the Didcot Community Garden project covered by BBC Gardeners’ World (see
www.youtube.com ‘cut flower arranging on Gardeners World’).
And in 2013 we had 3 flagship projects: • Self Contained Flat, SSAFA Norton
Home, Headley Court: Through match funding and manpower from our supply chain, effective project management from our staff and the gift of play equipment we have provided a much needed self- contained flat for injured Service personnel and their families and play provision for their children.
Memorial Garden, Royal Marine Base, Chivenor: Staff at RMB Chivenor had an ambitious plan to create a new war memorial and memorial garden in remembrance of all those who have fallen in the service of their country whilst based in Chivenor. Through match funding, horticultural advice, manpower and the provision of plants we helped them to achieve their aim.
Hazel Copse, Brize Norton: Joining forces with a number of Oxfordshire agencies and Station staff MHS was responsible for driving this project to rejuvenate a beautiful copse at RAF Brize Norton. The copse had become overgrown and used as a dumping ground for litter and fly tipping but is now a wonderful natural play space for children.
These are very different projects but all serve as positive examples of how MHS joins forces with Service units or local organisations to make a difference. We are not just a maintenance company but through our community project programme we give something back to your Service communities, help our staff to learn new skills and most importantly help to build real relationships with you, our customers. Only through understanding your needs can we provide excellent customer service.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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