Community cohesion and mobility are at the heart of Touch Wood’s focus.As such, we’re proud to have recently collaborated with Willmott Dixon to build a reclaimed wood workshop for Rochdale-based charity, Petrus.
This workshop serves as a new base for Petrus Incredible Edibles Rochdale (PIER), part of the wider Incredible Edibles network. The project is dedicated to creating confident and connected communities through the power of food. PIER has supported many volunteers, some of whom have faced homelessness or are at risk of experiencing it. The allotment not only acts as a recreational space for local schools, hospitals and healthcare centres but also provides a place for homeless individuals to improve their well-being and skills, fostering engagement with the broader community.
The new reclaimed-wood workshop offers shelter from the weather and allows the Petrus team to plan activities throughout the year for the local community.
Mike Taylor, Touch Wood commercial director, said:
“We were delighted to be invited by Willmott Dixon to use reclaimed timber to build a structure for such a worthwhile project. We were able to work with the volunteers at PIER to design the benches for the workshop, giving them a chance to make their own contribution. The finished workshop is a real team effort, and everyone involved can be very proud of what they have created.”
Rosie McLaren, social value coordinator at Willmott Dixon said:
“It’s been a real pleasure working with Petrus and their volunteers at the allotment. The Petrus team couldn’t have been more grateful for their new workshop and seeing the difference it will make to the service they provide is, as always, an amazing feeling!”
Roy Down, engagement and development worker at Petrus added:
“The workshop will not only offer us shelter from the elements but give us a much-needed space for crafts and woodworking. This will allow us to offer a new range of activities on the allotment. It is a game-changer for us, a facility that we could not have achieved without their support.”