Mears Latest CSR Projects
 
Our Community & Environment Annual Report 2009 is now available to download.

In 2009-
578 projects completed
1383 staff volunteered
18497 hours spent in the community
56% of projects involved residents
48% of projects involved clients  
 
152 Work placements offered
146 Fundraising projects supported
46 Employees purchased bikes through Cycle to Work
23 Future Champions supported
39 Getting Greener projects completed
36 Community centres helped
18 DIY training courses delivered
21 Communal gardens maintained
15 Local environmental quality projects undertaken e.g. Big Tidy Ups
12 Homeless projects assisted
11 Community allotments supported
 
We regularly report on our Community & Environment and you can download our latest report or our staff Community & Environment Update here for more details.
 
International Projects
International Projects 2010
We are running two international projects in 2010. Mears Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline Project will send a team of volunteers to Belarus by road in May to undertake maintenance works at a school in Dragichin, near Kobryn. For more information about the project, please download the information pack and slides here. The second, Project South Africa, will take place in October and a team of volunteers will be upgrading a children’s centre in the outskirts of Johannesburg. You can visit the Sithabile website for more details of their work.
 
Project Sri Lanka 2009
In April 2009, we sent a team of twelve volunteers to the Hopes and Dreams Village in Sri Lanka which is funded and managed by Manacare. Team members raised £2000 each which funded the building works, materials, travel, accommodation and subsistence for the trip. We received thirty one applications from staff and team members consisted of a Mears branch manager, a Careforce branch manager, customer care, finance and procurement staff and tradespeople. Our volunteers undertook redecoration and refurbishment works which have improved the quality of life for local residents. Project Sri Lanka was the second international project that we have organised and we are in the process of sourcing a project to support in 2010. For more details about Project Sri Lanka, please download the information pack.  
 
National Campaigns  
Heavenly Hampers
In December 2009, our branches were invited to participate in a campaign to create food hampers for isolated service users and local charities. Branches held collections for non-perishable food, toiletries, books, clothing and toys, inviting clients and residents to take part via community events such as community coffee mornings. Nineteen Careforce branches and twenty seven Mears Social Housing branches took part. Where possible, collections were for service users who would be alone at Christmas. Hundreds of hampers were distributed to service users and we supported charities for homeless people, people with disabilities, single parents, older people, women’s refuges, community centres, hospices and charities supporting British troops overseas. You can download the Heavenly Hampers report for more information.
 
Careforce Falls Awareness Campaign
Careforce branches across the country have been supporting the Age Concern Falls Awareness campaign.  Falls are the most common cause of serious injury and hospital attendance for older people but research suggests that between a quarter and one third of falls can be prevented. Branches have been holding events at which staff give talks about the danger of falls as well as donating safer slippers to their service users. Careforce have donated over two hundred pairs of slippers and Careforce Workington raised £850 for a new safer shower chair for a local day centre. We launched “Care and Repair Week” in 2009 during which staff could nominate service users to have repairs undertaken by Mears tradesmen, making their homes safer and helping to prevent falls. During Care and Repair Week the repairs carried out included repairing service users’ paths, clearing overgrown areas of the garden, fixing a gate, taping down worn areas of carpet and installing a patio door handle. Our service users are more aware of safety in the home as a result of the campaign and less likely to fall due to the safety slippers distributed. Repairs carried out in service users homes have greatly reduced hazards and therefore fall rates. 
 
Resident DIY Training
We offer one DIY training to residents in our own Academies and Skills Bays as well as in local community centres. We teach residents basic skills in order to enable them to undertake basic DIY tasks which fall within their responsibility. Courses include an introduction to painting & decorating, wallpapering and tiling and our branches are supported in delivering the training by our in house Technical Trainer.
 
National Walks
Bob Holt, Chairman, undertakes annual fundraising walks and this year we are inviting employees to join him on three walks- Hadrian’s Wall Walk in May, the South Downs Trail in June and the Thames Walk in September. Our staff have raised tens of thousands of pounds over the years for national and local charities as a result of these events.
 
Careforce Lisburn- ‘Mearly Care’ Bears
Careforce Lisburn launched a campaign to encourage service users, staff and residents to knit teddy bears for children in developing countries and sick children within the UK. Since the campaign began, thousands of bears have been knitted and in 2009 bears were sent to Kenya, Cuba, Lourdes, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Careforce branches in Rotherham, Whitby, Waterbeach and Mears branches in High Wycombe, Greenwich, Leeds, MHT North London, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Thanet and Scunthorpe have supported Lisburn as well as shareholders and residents sending in bears. If you would like to knit a ‘Mearly Care’ Bear, you can download the knitting pattern.
 
Local projects
Mears Brighton- Greenfingers Allotment
What is it? Greenfingers is an organic garden for the local community set up to cater for all ages, young and old, with consideration for wheelchair users and people with disabilities. It provides growing space for anyone who does not have a garden of their own and there are three levels of planting beds to allow access for wheelchair users.
Our contribution: Mears have supported the allotments all year by helping to clear the ground, digging over the earth and helping to plant.
Impact: This local growing project allows children and adults access to land to grow their own fruit and vegetables. It also brings together members of the community, working together on a local environmental project. Local children can learn about planting, nurturing and harvesting their own food.
 
Scion Oxsrad
What is it? A sports facility for people with disabilities.
Our contribution: We have supported Oxsrad on an ongoing basis for several years but in 2009 we provided emergency repairs when they experienced problems in the freezing winter weather and we built new storage facilities at the centre. In previous years the local branch have undertaken redecoration and relaid the sports hall floor.
Impact: This is a community facility which benefits many local people with disabilities by providing a specialist sports facility.
 
Thames Valley and Kingston- School Food Matters Allotments
What is it? After a competition launched by School Food Matters, primary schools in these areas were invited to enter short films about the origins of their food. Two schools were selected as the winners and Mears created allotments in their school grounds.  The competition aimed to promote healthy eating and to get children to think about food production and sustainability. Our clients, Thames Valley Housing Association and Royal Borough of Kingston, participated fully in these projects.
Our Contribution: Mears Thames Valley created an allotment at Trafalgar Infant School. Mears operatives cleared an overgrown area and built raised planters and the children helped to plant them with a large selection of fruit and vegetables including strawberries, peas and cabbage. We also provided high-vis jackets and a shed. Mears Kingston created an allotment at St Matthew’s School. A team of five operatives built raised beds, laid paving and erected a greenhouse and fence. The food grown in the allotment will be used in school meals for the children. Both allotments were opened in May during a visit by the Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins.
Impact: These projects mean children will have access to home-grown food and it will raise their awareness of the importance of healthy eating in the future.
 
Mears Newcastle- High Heaton Scout Hut
What is it? Mears Newcastle have an innovative approach to finding a site compound when they move to a new area with their Decent Homes programme. They approached High Heaton Scout Club with an offer to pay them weekly rent to allow them to use the site as a local base.
Our contribution: The rent they received has allowed them to pay for new windows to be installed throughout the building and Mears refurbished their toilets and redecorated the interior free of charge, as a community project.
Impact: The facilities have been improved at this local scout hut, making the building more attractive and more serviceable for the future.