A school, a prison, a power distribution solutions provider and a seating manufacturer?
What do a school, a prison, a power distribution solutions provider and a seating manufacturer have in common?
In this case, the school had a need, and the others had the means to fulfill the need.
Lord Williams School in Thame, Oxon, created a wild flower garden in its courtyard for the students to enjoy (and study). They approached rhbr for bench seating to surround the area and they wanted the solution to be as environmentally friendly as the garden is.
rhbr does not manufacture outdoor seating but had an idea for benches to be constructed from reclaimed timber. Lucy Electric, just round the corner from rhbr in Thame and co-members of the Thame Business Forum, had high-quality, heavy-duty pallets it was willing to put to good use. rhbr had also recently met with a team from the woodshop of Huntercombe Prison near Henley, who had produced some very impressive seating and planters from reclaimed timber.
So all parties sat down and it was agreed that rhbr would design a bench and planter system, Lucy Electric would donate the timber, and the prisoners at Huntercombe Prison would manufacture it. At the end of August, a team from rhbr installed it all.
The outcome is amazing and it has been a wonderful social enterprise collaboration:
• The school has a beautiful wild garden surrounded by sustainable benches.
• Timber that would have gone to waste has been put to great purpose.
• Prisoners have received training and experience that will help towards them finding employment in the future.
“Lord Williams’s Lower School is thrilled with the new addition of seating designed by rhbr, made by the prisoners of Huntercombe with the support of Lucy Electric. The design and materials are perfectly aligned with the school’s strong commitment to eco-friendliness and sustainability for years to come.” Lord Williams’s School
“I really enjoyed the project on the seating, and really happy to do something that helps children. It was a hard job as I have very little experience of woodwork until I came here , but I enjoy the challenge along with the rest of the men who helped and would be happy to do more projects like this again” Mr P. Sri Lankan Prisoner at Huntercombe.
“I was the foreman on this project, and I enjoyed helping to allocate tasks to the others. I was very happy to be involved with this project because it was for children, and I thought how it would be if it was for my own children.” Polish prisoner at Huntercombe.
“Lucy Electric is thrilled to have contributed to this wonderful project. Together with rhbr, we’ve helped create a sustainable and beautiful space for the students while also supporting meaningful work for the prisoners at Huntercombe Prison. It’s a fantastic example of community collaboration, and we’re proud to be part of it.” Christiana Padilla, Lucy Group CSR Manager.
