Current Projects

Southwark Habitat for Humanity is a community based Christian charity whose mission is to ensure that everybody has a decent place to live. We are an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International whose work worldwide over the last 30 years has built in excess of 250,000 homes in over 100 countries. Southwark Habitat for Humanity was established in 1996 by a group of local people who were concerned about housing in London and who were passionate on their belief that the church needed to be active in providing housing solutions in their community.

Southwark Habitat for Humanity is an independent registered charity no 1053213 and is constituted as a company limited by guarantee number 3155218. Legal Responsibility for the management and stewardship of the charity is vested in the Board of Trustees. Southwark Habitat for Humanity is affiliated to Habitat for Humanity Great Britain via a memorandum of understanding and enjoys the programme, publicity and fundraising support that this offers.

How we work

Southwark Habitat for Humanity builds houses using a unique mix of volunteers from all sections of the community who are supervised by skilled construction staff and qualified contractors.

We strive to bring disparate groups together to work towards a common goal of giving people a decent place to live; a senior banker from Canary Wharf may be paired with a local young person from Peckham who is gaining experience on site to obtain construction qualifications. This kind of interaction would never happen without the input of Southwark Habitat for Humanity. This is the building of community that we passionately believe and strive to achieve.

Project Costings

The use of volunteer labour from all sections of the community and gifts of materials from corporate supporters mean that we are able to build at a lower cost than a conventional contractor. The exact saving will depend on the nature of the project and the amount of skilled labour that we need to use as well as the value of the gift in kind. Due to our charitable status we are only able to work on major projects that meet our aim of providing housing.

We can provide more detail about costings for a previous project which demonstrates a clear financial saving over a conventional contractor.

Timescales for Building

The very reasons that enable Southwark Habitat for Humanity to build more economically mean that our timescales for a build can be longer than a conventional contractor – we estimate about 20-30% longer. This needs to be offset against the community building aspects of our work that no conventional contractor can compete with.

Completed Projects

Currently Southwark Habitat for Humanity has successfully completed two new build and one refurbishment projects:

Gordon Road, Peckham, 12 three bedroom family homes with a sweat equity contribution from the homeowners. Completed in 2004.

Springfield Lodge, Camberwell was a project to convert disused buildings into 8 small studio units for the Salvation Army. This was completed in 2005.

Professional References are available on request

Current Projects

New Build – Miller Road Project. We are currently building on site in Banbury with young people who are gaining construction skills. We expect to complete this build in January 2012.

Renovation – Nunhead. We are renovating a building which will become two flats in our Empty Houses to Homes programme. This project should be completed in October 2011.

Redecoration Projects – West London YMCA. We have completed a number of painting and decorating projects working with corporate volunteers.

Environmental Credentials

Southwark Habitat for Humanity works to the highest environmental standards.

Funding

As a charity, Southwark Habitat for Humanity receives donations from donors including Barclays Capital, Lloyds TSB, Credit Suisse, Turner Townsend and Citi Group. We receive gifts in kind through sponsors such as LeFarge Building Products, Freshfields, Baily Garner Architects, and B&Q.

A full copy of our 2006-7 accounts can be supplied on request.

Equal Opportunities

Southwark Habitat for Humanity has an Equal Opportunities policy. A copy is available on request.

Conclusions

Southwark Habitat for Humanity can offer a professional construction service which will enable an RSL or voluntary organisation to reduce the costs of building works and in doing so involve the community and their clients in their projects and the fees earned from these projects being invested in developing our communities. All of this can be achieved with no reduction in the quality of the end product.