MEDIA RELEASES
Spring 2020 newsletter & RICS Heritage award!
We find ourselves in extraordinary times and the charity is anxiously waiting to get back to work like the rest of the country. Unfortunately, we have had to furlough our Chief Executive and hope that Liza will be taking us forward shortly. In the meantime, we hope everyone takes good care and stays safe.
I am proud to be able to introduce HPBC’s latest newsletter, which we hope will lift your spirit. It is a bumper issue celebrating the completion of our second project. It also marks the completion of our entire development in L8. The newsletter represents the hard work and dedication of so many people and partners. In its pages you will find some of our stories. We hope you will enjoy and be inspired to help us with our next project.The Rev’d Dr Shannon Ledbetter
Chair
We’re also proud to announce that the St Bernard’s Church won the Heritage award in the RICS Social Impact Awards 2020 North West! Per their description:
“This category is for the conservation, renovation or restoration of a single building or a group of buildings or structures.
The conversion of St Bernard’s Church into affordable housing is an example of the way that a landmark building can be creatively re-used to provide exciting and unusual low-cost housing. The “Home Partners” who will occupy the houses have contributed their sweat equity to the site so that they can accrue a deposit to allow them to purchase their home. The new houses are part of a growing community on land donated to HPBC by the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
The judges said: St. Bernard’s Church in Liverpool has been brilliantly converted to form 11 new homes. The scheme has successfully retained glimpses of the church’s architectural features - the hint of an arch or the glory of a stained-glass window. This project was a true collaboration involving an innovative model of ‘sweat equity’, helping people onto the property ladder by paying a ‘deposit’ of 500 hours labour. Literally working hard for their future homes, the project has created a ready-made community of friends and neighbours who are rightly proud of their achievements.”
Vote for us in the First Time Buyer Readers' Awards!
As per our Facebook:
Our St Bernard’s development has been shortlisted for the First Time Buyer Readers’ awards in the Best Small Development category. The winners will be decided by public vote.
It’s great to again get national recognition for the collaboration with our partners, volunteers, and home partners who’ve created this wonderful community.
Please vote for us by clicking on the link below:
Winning the BUILD 2020 Home Builder 'Best Sustainable Community Development' award
As per our Facebook:
HPBC was delighted to receive the BUILD 2020 Home Builder 'Best Sustainable Community Development' award earlier this week.
We received further good news yesterday...... our St Bernard's development has been shortlisted for the national First Time Buyer Readers Award for 'Best Small Development'. The eventual winner of this award will be down to readers/public votes from Feb 3rd.
Many thanks to all who've supported the charity over the years and more recently everybody involved in the St Bernard's project. It's great that our combined efforts to provide affordable homes and build communities are acknowledged and it will help the charity in our attempts to secure future projects.
Read YM Liverpool's article on the St. Bernard's project!
YM Liverpool published an article on the St. Bernard’s project, you can read it here.
Watch the BBC report on the St. Bernard's project!
Here is the full report on the St Bernard’s project from BBC North West.
Here is the full report on the St Bernard’s project from BBC North West.
A Tribute To Felicity Wren
From HPBC Founder & Chair, Rev'd Shannon Ledbetter on the 3rd of December 2019:
It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of Felicity Wren. Felicity died last night after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
As Felicity would tell it, she was the first person who's 'arm I twisted' to be on the Board of Trustees nearly 20 years ago. And how blessed the charity was to be offered a part of her passion, her uncompromising sense of justice, and her compassion.
Her dedication which included fundraising and being a member of the Family Selection Committee benefitted the charity enormously.
She was on the Board until early 2019 when she became unable to attend meetings due to her failing health. Felicity then agreed to become HPBC's first Honorary Trustee.
Her commitment to the charity didn't wane and last week I was able to play for her the BBC radio interview with Liza, Fr Peter, and home partner John. I talked to her about the completion of St Bernard's and that people were moving into their new homes. I was able to tell her that our original vision for Kingsley Rd, Alt St, and then St Bernard's, had become a completed reality with 48 families, 139 people and 17 'HPBC' babies born all benefitting and she could be proud of that legacy. She smiled and said "wonderful".
On behalf of the HPBC Trustees and staff (past & present) we thank Felicity for her invaluable contribution.
She was much loved and will be greatly missed.
Felicity’s experience was mainly working with young people in the creative world, exploring ideas, processes and techniques in a variety of areas of Art and Design, including photography. She was passionate about helping people to achieve their dreams and develop their potential; and had run her own art gallery for more than 25 years.
A member of Merseyside Civic Society for more than 20 years and on the committee for most of that time, Felicity had gleaned ‘a modicum’ of information and experience of planning, developments and related issues, which enhanced her input to HPBC.
Felicity was proud to have been one of the founding board members of the charity and was thrilled to have seen the first houses arise from the bare ground on Kingsley Road. She brought enthusiasm and commitment to HPBC and spread the word about our charity with passion and energy to everyone she met.
Winning The National Housing Awards 2019 Best Partnership!
HPBC Chief Executive Liza Parry, Ainsley Gommon architect Alf Plant, Onward head of development Lin Powel, and HPBC chair Rev’d Shannon Ledbetter receiving the Best Partnership Award.
On the 6th of September, Onward Homes, HPBC and partners on the St. Bernard’s project were awarded Best Partnership by the National Housing Awards. Big thanks and major congratulations to everyone who made this happen!
The judges at the NHA had these kind words to say about the St. Bernard’s project:
This is fabulous! Preservation of landmark, creation of homes, and the community at the heart of it. We love this entry.
It's small scale, for sure but the sweat equity is a fantastic opportunity. Ideal for people who are prepared to put in the effort, but can't always put in the money. And so many partners, all working to one common goal. For us, this is really the benchmark in partnership working with everyone having one inspired vision.
This is the very essence of what affordable homes should be about: creating community based areas that provide safe and lovely homes for people to live in not invest in.
Alt Street Party/Eid Celebration Featured in the Jewish Telegraph
An interesting article from Rabbi Ariel Abel who was an invited guest to our street party/Eid celebration.
please note the correct name of the charity is Housing People Building Communities
Alt Street Party and Eid Celebration
What an amazing day! Thanks to all our home partners, friends, family, and supporters who made the street party/Eid celebration such a wonderful and joyous occasion. From the delicious international cuisine, to the henna tattooing, face painting, bouncy castle, and balloon artistry, it was a true celebration of diversity and what makes this a very special community.
There have been many 'firsts' during the development of Kingsley Rd, Alt Street and St Bernard's but never before have we had a live string band...and donkey rides on Alt Street! Thanks to John and The Loose Moose String Band for a great performance, to Saba (the donkeys!!!) and Saba, Ana, and Amel for organising us all.
What a community
St Bernard's Update
The work on our final house in the St Bernard's community project is well underway. Home partner Saba decided to check the progress on her & Abby's home...and take in the views!
St Bernard's Team Build
Another great team build this weekend with the home partners, their family and friends. Everybody worked so hard doing plaster boarding, painting, groundworks etc and learning new skills. Once again we enjoyed a fabulous lunchtime feast cooked by the home partners and family members and were joined by many of the children.
Working together towards a common goal is the foundation of HPBC. By doing this, community, friendships, and greater understanding follow.
Thanks to all who contributed to making this another productive and special day.
Wienerberger donate bricks for St Bernard's House
Huge thanks to Wienerberger for donating all the bricks for what will be our final house on the St Bernard's development.
Home partner Saba and her children oversaw the delivery of the 11.000 bricks for their home.
HPBC is extremely grateful for the considerable and continued support of Wienerberger
Home partners complete sweat equity
Huge congratulations to Peggy, David, Rapha, Jude and Davey the dog on being the first St Bernard's home partner family to complete their 500 'sweat equity' hours! Well done
Brick cleaning completed
fter hours and hours of grafting, over many months, the job of cleaning the thousands of bricks from the demolished parish hall was completed today. They can now be recycled
Well done to all our home partners and their family and friends.
It's been great to see HP neighbours Romena and Anna and their mums all working together over the last few weeks. We wish Anna's mama a safe journey back to Poland tomorrow.
Finally, congratulations to Romena & Awadh who have amazingly completed 180 sweat equity hours over the last 2 weeks, supported by their family and friends
Sun shines for latest team build
The sun came out for today's team build day.
Home partners and their family & friends did some serious hard grafting!
Their children/mums/dad's joined us for another fabulous lunch.
Thanks to HPBC founder & Chair Rev'd Shannon for coming along to lend a hand.
Alt St HP's Chris & Lauren and Silvia & Nour and children dropped in to chat with their soon to be neighbours.
It was lovely to see the children playing and getting to know each other.
Smithdown Road Primary School creates St Bernard's collage
It was a pleasure to meet with the children from Smithdown Road Primary School today to celebrate the unveiling of the collage they've produced on the development of St Bernard's.
The collage has taken pride of place in the reception area of our partner Onward's Liverpool HQ.
Thanks to Hampton NW Development for coordinating this piece of work.
The children are so excited about coming back to site to see the completed houses
HPBC move into new office space
Thanks to home partners AB & Colette's dad Mike for helping with our office move today (and for posing for this photo!). Thanks also to HP Chris.
HPBC will still have office space on the St Bernard's site but our new 'HQ' base will be at the Florrie, L8 4RF
Another successful La Rochelle placement
Many thanks to our French volunteer Amandine who completed her 6 week placement today. She's donated all her volunteer hours to our home partners to help them reach their 'sweat equity' target.
We managed to get the balloons Hamptons had presented to her back to the hostel this evening.
HPBC is very grateful for the support we continue to get from the La Rochelle university students.
St Bernard's roof repairs completed
So 18,000 tiles carefully removed, roof repairs completed, and all 18,000 original tiles replaced.....the St Bernard's roof is now back to it's former glory
Paris partnership produces pleasing placement
AS PART of HPBC’s ongoing partnership with ESTP, the leading higher education institution for civil engineering in France, we were pleased to welcome another student for a three-month placement this summer.
STARTING YOUNG! Léa Bebien on the HPBC site with the Construction Manager’s daughter
AS PART of HPBC’s ongoing partnership with ESTP, the leading higher education institution for civil engineering in France, we were pleased to welcome another student for a three-month placement this summer.
Student Léa Bebien, 23, from Paris, has written a report about her 13-week experience on the Kingsley Road site in Liverpool.
She worked with construction staff, volunteers and home partners on the latest phase of our affordable housing development from 9th July to 5th October 2018.
Léa explains why she chose to spend her placement in the UK, volunteering in the construction industry:
“I wanted to get the most from my experience in a foreign country and to further improve my English, my knowledge of building construction and to give my time to help a community.”
The report gives an overview of her experience of the charity, including staff from HPBC’s current construction partner, volunteers and home partners, the tasks she undertook, and background to the wider community in Liverpool. Léa also explains how she was a Team Leader for a number of Team Build days organised to enable Home Partners who work Monday to Friday to volunteer to gain Sweat Equity hours which count towards the deposit on the home they help to build.
In the acknowledgements of her report she writes:
“First of all, I would like to warmly thank HPBC’s chair and staff for letting me spend thirteen weeks working with their charity; especially Liza (HPBC’s CEO) for all she did for me. I would like to say many thanks to Ian, Gary, Joe and all the Hampton Developments staff for welcoming me every day and enabling me to learn so much. They made me feel like a member of their family, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you to all the Home Partners for all the lovely moments we spent together and all their good advice.”
ESTP trains the largest number of students for the construction industry in France, specialising in design, construction, planning and development, project and facilities management, sustainable buildings and infrastructures, rehabilitation, maintenance, new materials, and energy efficiency.
One of the main characteristics of the ESTP is its close relationship to industry; many renowned companies are its active partners, and HPBC is proud to be one of them!
Léa concluded her report with this encouragement for her fellow students:
“I am delighted with this placement and I have to say that I really felt welcomed as a family member by every single person I met there. If you are looking for a deeply rich and fulfilling experience do not hesitate to get involved in a volunteering placement with HPBC, you will return to France with a whole new set of skills and warming memories.”