A resident living at Launchpad’s Speke House has demonstrated his joinery skills by creating a vast decking area in the garden of the house for others to enjoy.
A joiner by trade, the resident was joined by two other veterans living at the house to install the new decking and posts.
The six-week project was completed in time and unveiled to other residents and visitors as part of this year’s Armed Forces Day celebrations.
The materials were purchased at a reduced rate from a local timber merchant using money provided by the government’s Op FORTITUDE programme. The programme, which aims to reduce veterans’ homelessness, provides a dedicated pathway for veteran rough sleepers and Launchpad, in partnership with Healthier Heroes CIC based in Burnley, and is committed to supporting 230 veterans over two years.
Launchpad provides combined addiction and mental health psychotherapy services, intensive training and employment support, greater access to community activities and focussed support to help the veterans transition live independently.
Jan Buckley, Activities Coordinator for Launchpad’s Speke House, said:
“The decking is amazing and has made so much difference to the garden. He worked alongside two other residents to ensure it was ready for Armed Forces Day and for the summer months ahead.
“The decking is not only aesthetically pleasing, it has replaced the previous uneven paving slabs with a beautiful wooden decked area which is flat and ideal for our residents or visitors with disabilities to equally enjoy the garden area. The decking encourages residents to sit outside and have a cup of tea or an informal meeting with their support worker. Thank you to Op Fortitude for contributing towards the costs of the materials and of course to the resident for his amazing joinery skills.”
Last year, Launchpad’s Speke House provided accommodation and support to 81 veterans. On average, over the last five years, 56% of veterans supported by Speke House have successfully moved on and 28% left in paid employment.
Speke House comprises 50 self-contained, one-bedroom flats and bedsits for former serving personnel and their partners. Launchpad has three houses in the North of England in Liverpool, Newcastle and Durham providing accommodation for 98 homeless veterans – accepting veterans from all over the UK.
