Grant: Bridging Divides: Access Audit grant, Capital Costs grant
Location: Ealing
Status: Complete
Amount Awarded: £100,000 (Capital costs)
The Havelock Family Centre is a charitable organisation located in Southall, Ealing. The centre provides a wide range of services for local people with the focus being on the family. Prior to the works that took place the family centre was an old and dilapidated building which was in need of total restoration to enable to help the service reach its full potential.
Access Audit grant
The Access and Sustainability Advisory Service (ASAS) assisted the centre when applying for a City Bridge Trust Access Audit grant. The City Bridge Trust awarded funding for an access audit of the building and a design appraisal of the proposed drawings. The access audit identified barriers to access along with recommendations to improve accessibility. The grant additionally funded a design appraisal, which looked at the proposed plans which had been drawn up and provided further recommendations, which enabled the plans to be finalised.
Capital costs work
Once the plans had been completed the Family Centre were able to put in an application for the Capital costs grant from the City Bridge Trust along with additional funding from organisations including Ealing Council in order to be able to carry out the full redevelopment works. The City Bridge Trust granted £100,000 towards the Havelock Family Centre.
The capital cost funds awarded helped to provide a new family centre which includes the following:
- a new extension to provide a larger open space
- a new lift to provide step free access to the first floor
- accessible toilets on the ground and first floor
- level access to all floors
- new improved signage
Outcomes
The new Havelock Family Centre opened in October 2018. ASAS visited in April 2019 to find out how the refurbishment and access improvements are benefiting the local community.
Feedback from members of staff and the local community has been very positive. The accessibility improvements such as the new lift and dual height reception desk enable more people with physical disabilities to access the whole of the building. By making the premises more accessible there has been a 30% increase in the number of disabled users across a variety of project initiatives. This includes advice surgeries, cultural events, healthy walks and English lessons.