Local construction company steps in to fix charity’s plumbing free of charge
LEEHILL Construction helps Jennyruth Workshops restore reliable toilet facilities after years of recurring blockages
LEEHILL Construction, a three-generation, family-owned, Ripon-based construction company has come to the aid of Jennyruth Workshops, a local charity, by repairing its plumbing free of charge after years of problems caused by poorly installed pipework.
Jennyruth Workshops supports adults who have learning disabilities, many of whom also have physical disabilities, through a productive workshop where participants design, create, paint and package handmade items from wood, paper and fabric. The products are sold online through the charity’s website and at local events, raising vital funds for its work.
Each day, up to 20 adults who have learning disabilities, 15 members of staff, and 8 volunteers use the site. Reliable toilet facilities are therefore essential to the charity’s day-to-day running and to the comfort, dignity and accessibility of everyone who attends.
However, toilets installed five years ago had been blocking regularly, with some facilities, including the fully accessible disabled toilet, out of action for days at a time. The cause was found to be incorrectly fitted pipework, including unsuitable pipes installed at the wrong angles.
Deb Sleep, Chair of Trustees at Jennyruth Workshops, contacted Ripon-based LEEHILL Construction for advice. Director Anthony Allinson visited the charity, assessed the problem and offered to carry out the repair work free of charge to support the local charity.
Over a two-week period, Anthony and a team of three dug out and replaced the pipework, improving the layout and the way the system feeds into the septic tank.
Since the work was completed, Jennyruth Workshops has not experienced a single blockage and now has a fully functioning set of toilets for the first time in years.
“We are incredibly grateful to Anthony and the whole LEEHILL Construction team for their generosity, professionalism and practical support,” said Deb Sleep, Chair of Trustees at Jennyruth Workshops. “Their help has made an immediate and lasting difference to everyone who uses our workshop.”
Anthony Allinson, Director of LEEHILL Construction, said: “When we saw the scale of the problem and the impact it was having on everyone at Jennyruth Workshops, we wanted to help. It is a fantastic local charity, and we were pleased to be able to provide a practical solution that should make day-to-day life easier for the people who use the workshop.”
The charity hopes the story will highlight the value of local businesses supporting community organisations and the real difference that practical help can make.
The Team at Jennyruth
William opening the toilets
Jennyruth Workshops is a charity near Ripon that supports adults with learning disabilities through meaningful, creative workshop activity and the production of handmade items.
LEEHILL Construction a three-generation, family-owned, Ripon-based construction company that carried out the plumbing repair work free of charge to support the charity.
Contact details:
Deb Sleep
Chair of Trustees, Jennyruth Workshops
Email: Deb.sleep@jennyruth.co.uk
Phone: 07788 748835
Website: https://www.jennyruth.co.uk
Anthony Allinson
Director, LeeHill Construction
Email: Anthony.allinson@leehill.co.uk
Phone: 07753 796125
Website: https://www.leehill.co.uk/
