Emmaus Village in Carlton, Bedfordshire is a community which provides employment and social enterprise opportunities for former homeless people. While the charity is largely self-reliant for funding, the need to deliver excellent customer service and facilities to match, is essential in keeping footfall high.
To help customers feel welcome from the very moment they step onsite, the construction industry’s charity, CRASH, was called upon, and ACO’s award-winning ground reinforcement system, was called upon as part of car park improvement works.
At Emmaus Village, Carlton, the Companions (residents) work full-time in the on-site shops and bistro. This helps to rehabilitate the former homeless people in a commercial setting, alongside access to active support.
CRASH, a charity which assists homeless and hospice charities with construction related projects, has worked with Emmaus Village, Carlton on a number of projects over the years, including the refurbishment of the Shopping Mall and furniture shop. Previously, the old building was so cold that Companions had to work in their coats, gloves and hats, while customers complained of how cold it was and wouldn’t stay for any length of time.
Following the improvement of the internal facilities, the next job was to improve the parking and create more spaces in order to allow more customers to visit the community. To facilitate this, a grass lawn area, which was rarely used, was designated for the new car park.
ACO Water Management, a patron of CRASH for more than a decade, donated £9,000 worth of its lightweight ground reinforcement system, GroundGuard, to the cause. The 250 sqm car park is located just a short distance away from the bistro and will help relieve the current pressure on the main car park, which can become very busy at lunchtimes during the week.
The permeable gravel-filled system is over 90 percent porous and delivers a highly efficient rate of surface water run-off. This was a key consideration, given the fact the car park was to be built over a piece of grass land. The sustainable benefits of GroundGuard were a huge selling point, as not only is the system environmentally friendly, it is also cost-effective as it eliminates the expense of having to install a supplementary drainage system.
Due to its design and the inclusion of interlocking clip fixings, GroundGuard is quick and easy to install. This helped to ensure the project was completed in the specified five-week timeframe.
Crucially, the ground reinforcement system acts as a stabilisation tile, holding the gravel in place and helping to keep maintenance down to a minimum. GroundGuard has delivered on all aspects of the projects, but most importantly the parking area is safe, clean and aesthetically pleasing, inviting customers to come back again.
ACO GroundGuard is suitable for a wide range of applications including paths, drives, parking areas and access routes. For more information about ACO GroundGaurd and to download the brochure, please visit: www.aco.co.uk
