Published at 14:26, Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

COMMUNITY involvement and modernisation are the buzzwords surrounding the build of Barrow’s new care home.

GB Building Solutions Ltd, the company appointed by Cumbria County Council to construct its £6.5m development, is determined to leave a lasting legacy through its work in the town.

And John Owen, communications manager for the company’s Northwest office, says the project forms a fundamental part of the council’s care modernisation programme.

The as-yet un-named building, which replaces the 32-bed George Basterfield House, is hoped to be home to 60 residents by summer 2013.

It will be a mixed-use facility, but designed with dementia patients in mind – aiming to meet the University of Sterling Dementia Gold Standards.

Mr Owen said the home will offer individual rooms to suit the needs of a variety of residents, with their different conditions and needs.

He said: “In building terms, it won’t look that much different externally – but internally, the room lay-outs, the decorative order, the flexibility within the rooms, will all cater for different caring and nursing requirements.

“Because it’s also designed with dementia patient care in mind, there are established procedures of how to structure certain things.

“For example, something like different coloured doors will help somebody who’s confused find something familiar to them. There are all types of different techniques.”

GB Building Solutions, a national construction and development company with Northwest regional offices in Manchester and Liverpool, won the Barrow care home contract ahead of four other contenders.

Mr Owen says the company was chosen because of the input of experts from Aston Care, a subsidiary of GB group holdings, when making the bid to take on the project for Cumbria County Council.

Aston Care has more than 25 years in care home development, and as such, is able to offer considerable expertise.

Mr Owen said that experience was vital in fighting off the competition.

He said: “That’s what Cumbria County Council found markedly different about our approach to the bid.

“They recognise that, as an established organisation, we can build pretty much anything – most builders can build pretty much anything.

“What they were looking for was someone that could imagine and understand the operational requirements of the project.

“They want this to be a world class facility.”

Building work is due to start on the care home, on the former George Basterfield site in Greengate Street, in July.

GB Building Solutions has held four meet-the-buyer sessions around Cumbria to give locals tradespeople the chance to express an interest in working on the project.

The events attracted more than 60 organisations, including groundworks, construction, plumbers, electricians and IT firms.

Mr Owen says the company will be contacting tradespeople within the next month or so, to secure vital skills and support for the build.

He said sustained local involvement is a big part of the GB Building Solutions ethos.

He said: “What’s exciting us most about this particular project is that we’ve been selected to help Cumbria deliver their modernisation programme.Doing that provides more opportunity for us as a business to integrate and work within communities, not just in Barrow, but across Cumbria.

“We’ve got core values of being involved in local communities – supporting apprenticeship creation, job creation, sustained involvement – so if we get a pipeline of work out of this, from Cumbria, then we will be able to support all these initiatives and really make a difference within that region.”

GB Building Solutions’ community involvement is about more than just creating work.

The company has already become integrated within Cumbrian society by liasing with a number of local businesses and organisations.

Mr Owen says links have already been forged with Kia Construction, which is responsible for the new Furness Academy build, with a view to the companies sharing apprentices to work on each other’s local projects.

GB Building Solutions is also in talks with The Park Leisure Centre in Barrow, and hopes to provide funding for some of its public sessions this year.

And the company is engaged with Furness Academy and Four Groves Residents’ and Tenants’ Association, with a view to supporting work experience opportunities and community activities.

On top of all this, GB Building Solutions recently supported the mayor’s charity dinner, and has become involved with this year’s Keswick to Barrow walk.

The firm co-sponsored coverage of the 2012 challenge in the Evening Mail and the company’s employees will act as race marshals at the various checkpoints and refreshment stations on the day, to help or give aid to participants.

Asked how big a part community involvement played in each of GB Buildings Solutions’ projects, Mr Owen said: “It’s hugely important.

“We want to have some sort of legacy in the areas in which we work.”

Published by http://www.in-cumbria.com