19.01.2024

Charity hall gets new lease of life thanks to Durkan Community Fund

Durkan Homes and Laser Electrical Central have teamed up with Futurehope Hertford and Ware, a youth charity that supports teenagers with issues from mental health and addiction to anger management, to upgrade the heating and lighting at Pioneer Hall in Hertford.

Near to Durkan Homes’ Granary & Chapel site, the hall is used by Futurehope for an after school drop in cafe, giving young people a safe place to go and play games or relax with their friends.

The funding for this project came from Durkan Homes’ community fund, which was launched in 2023 and remains open for applications. The fund offers financial support to eligible applicants in Hertfordshire who are delivering work or specific projects that benefit their local communities.

As a successful applicant, Futurehope received funding to help upgrade their facilities, making the hall a more welcoming environment for young people.

Durkan Homes enlisted the help of local business Laser Electrical Central, the sub-contractors on their Granary & Chapel development, to undertake the work on Pioneer Hall. The improvements, including the installation of new heaters and more energy efficient lighting, means that it is now also a viable space for the charity to provide for community groups, with donations for usage supplementing their income and helping to fund their work in the local area.

Bill Beyzade, Managing Director at Durkan Homes, commented: “As a Hertfordshire-based business ourselves, it’s important for us to support organisations that operate in the area we call home. Our work as a housebuilder puts us at the heart of local communities and our fund allows us to enhance the areas in which we operate, and support good causes locally.”

“We want to say a massive thank you to Laser Electrical Central for completing this project, which has helped Futurehope continue the vital work they are doing with young people. We look forward to seeing what they will do with their improved facilities.”

Dave Hollis at Futurehope added: “While Pioneer Hall is a great space for the work we do as a charity, it was in desperate need of some upgrades so that it could be used to its full potential. As a small, local charity it can be hard to get funding for projects of this size, so we’re really grateful to Durkan Homes and Laser Electrical Central for all the hard work they’ve put into improving our hall.”

“Durkan Homes’ community fund is a great support for smaller organisations such as ours, and we would thoroughly recommend others consider applying too.”

Futurehope has been supporting teenagers for twenty years. As well as its after school drop in youth club, the charity also runs a programme of one-to-one mentoring and educational sessions in local schools. It also has a converted minibus that visits popular areas in Hertford and Ware on Friday nights, giving young people a warm place to get off the streets and have something to eat and drink.