Employees from six organisations came to St Christopher’s services in London to paint and decorate the buildings as part of Give and Gain Day.

Give and Gain Day is an annual event organised by Business in the Community, where staff from companies across the UK use their time and skills to make a difference to charitable organisations.

Cornock Taylor, a 16+ service in West London, were visited by staff from Gleeds, a global property and construction company on Monday, May 16. The group painted the key rooms and the stairwell in Cornock House and it has made a huge difference to the overall look of the buildings.

On Friday, May 20 five more organisations came to volunteer in different services. Insurance brokers Marsh Global were at a 16+ service in North London. They painted the young people’s bedrooms and the ground floor communal area.

Service Manager Sam Edwards said: “For a building that was well in need of some TLC, this made a real difference. The young people feel more invested in the service as their home because it feels like a much nicer place to live.”

Lloyds Bank visited a 16+ service in West London to paint bathrooms and some of the bedrooms, whilst international consulting firm Management Solutions volunteered at Camden Road, a 16+ service in North London for young women. They painted the office, bathrooms and the stairwell in the house.

Lydie Costa, Service Manager, said: “This was a very welcomed and needed project that responded to the feedback of our young people that we received in resident meetings.”

Daemon Solutions, a technical consultancy business, went to a 16+ service in West London. They painted the huge communal area on the ground floor and two of the bathrooms.

Support Worker Jennifer Johnson said: “The whole process on Friday was a really positive one. The team of painters were friendly, fun and hardworking and it was a lovely day.”

Finally, Howard House, a 16+ service in North London, was visited by training provider City & Guilds. Their hard work inspired some young people living in the service to get involved with painting some of the communal rooms.

Fundraising Officer Vanessa Khimoun-Jourdan said: “The dedication and enthusiasm of all the volunteers was contagious, a huge thank you to all of them for taking part. I also want to thank my colleagues for taking care of the volunteer teams and contributing to this great experience. Finally, thanks to the young people who got involved on the day as well.”

We are always looking for organisations who want to get involved with a charity. If you can give some funds or time to support our work with children and young people, please get in touch.