A team of local property and construction professionals have joined forces and started work refurbishing and improving the premises of a York charity that works with homeless people and other disadvantaged members of the community.
Carecent is a breakfast centre that opens six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, within York Central Methodist Church on St Saviourgate and provides food, clothing, toiletries and friendship in a clean and friendly environment. The charity, which depends on funding from churches and the community and is run by volunteers, was established more than 30 years ago and is an initiative of York Methodist Circuit. The funds for this project have been raised by generous donations from members of the public and local organisations and fundraising is ongoing to equip and furnish the refurbished spaces.
Carecent will now be able to greatly enhance the range of services it provides after York based development company S Harrison agreed to help transform and modernise its existing space.
The company has also enlisted the support of several other leading York companies including CSP Architects, mechanical and electrical design consultants Martin Design Associates, construction consultants LHL Group and Lincoln based consulting engineers Ward Cole, which have all agreed to work free of charge on the project. A York based contractor has been appointed to carry out the works, following a formal tender process.
The work will see a new kitchen and food preparation area created alongside a much-improved dining area, as well as a shower room and a substantial food and clothing store. The work will complete in June, and during this time Carecent will operate from Trinity Methodist Church on Monkgate.
Chris Hale, from S Harrison, says: “Carecent is a well-known charity in York that has been doing a fantastic job for York’s homeless and disadvantaged residents for several decades. As a successful local business, it’s great to be able to lend them our expertise and pull together a team of likeminded construction professionals, to ensure that the charity can maximise and make the best use of the space that it has available.”
Nicky Gladstone from Carecent, adds: “Our existing space has served us well for more than 30 years, and during this time we’ve served thousands of breakfasts and offered many hours of respite to York’s vulnerable, homeless and socially excluded community. However, there are lots of additional necessities that we want to offer, such as toilets and a shower, as well as various activities if we had a more flexible space, so we’re extremely grateful that so many local businesses have joined forces to help us embark on this project. There’s no doubt it will transform the services that we offer and make a huge difference to lots of people’s lives in York.”
