College turns empty houses to homes

A SCHEME which provides students with work experience transforming run down and derelect houses into modern and affordable homes has been honoured with an award.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Nov 2014, 06:55 BST

The partnership between Hull College’s Construction Skills Centre and community organisation Probe (Hull) Ltd won a social responsibility awatd at the annual National Green Gown Awards. The East Hull Voids project sees Probe identify properties which are normally in poor condition having been empty for years. Homes are purchased by Probe and extensively refurbished by the students from Hull College before being returned to the social housing market in the east of the city.

Shane Foster, the college’s head of engineering and construction who collected the award said: “Hull College Group is extremely proud to be part of such a fantastic sustainability initiative.It is a real honour to see these efforts recognised with such prestige.” The college’s construction centre offers Diploma and NVQ courses in bricklaying, carpentry, joinery and general construction.

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Probe is a local enterprise and non-profit company, which aims to address local economic issues including high levels of unemployment, especially among those between the ages of 18 and 24, and a lack of community aspiration.

It finds properties for this scheme with the help of information from Hull City Council.

There are more than 2,500 empty properties classed as void in the city.

The project beat off competition from several universities at the Green Gown Awards which celebrate sustainable projects in higher and further education.