New building initiative to help Guernsey charities

The initiative is led by The Drawing Room in partnership with Rihoy & Son

A new not-for profit initiative aims to help local charities with architectural expertise and construction support.

The Build for Good project is led by The Drawing Room in partnership with Rihoy & Son building contractors.

Its first scheme will support Guernsey Counselling Service LBG (GCS), which helps those in need refurbish their premises, regardless of ability to pay.

Build for Good said it's seeking donations of fixtures and fittings from local companies.

Rachel Rogers, from the Drawing Room, said late last year she and her business partner Tom Bourgaize agreed to do a charity project.

She said they had initially reached out to charities offering help and the GCS got in touch.

GCS had recently secured its own premises which requires a full refurbishment to make it fit for purpose.

The refurbishment will include three counselling rooms, a waiting room, and a back office at the charity's new premises on Les Vauxlaurens in St Peter Port.

The Drawing Room staff are gifting their time to complete the design work, worth £10,000, and Rihoy & Son will undertake the construction work for free, worth £30,000.

Ms Rogers said the ideal scenario would be to do one similar build each year.

'Baby steps'

She added they were looking for donations because they only had funding to do the inside of the building but not the outside.

"We'd love to finish the whole building and make it look really smart, but it's baby steps at the moment", she said.

Sarah Thornton, from GCS, said: "It was just perfect timing.

"We had only just acquired the premises at this time and it would have been a question of everybody pitching in and get the roller paints out which none of us would be very good at."