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Gilbert-Ash’s Contracts Manager Karl Jordan discusses how the firm’s community engagement in Clerkenwell has helped transform the lives of some children who stammer.

When Gilbert-Ash began work on the 180-bedroom hub by Premier Inn at Clerkenwell London little did Karl Jordan and the rest of the team realise how their involvement on the project would have a positive impact on the wider community.

The work, which required all of the company’s technical expertise, saw the team transform a multi-storey car-park into a four-star hotel and six-storey office building.

However, working within a site that measured just 24m at its widest point and just 10m above Clerkenwell railway tunnel meant the team would also need to carefully consider how they could minimalise any disruption to the local community.

Community engagement began almost two years prior to the demolition work beginning and resulted in an unlikely bond being forged with the staff and patients of the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering (MPC).

What is the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering?

It’s a small 100-year-old building run in Clerkenwell run by the NHS, and supported by a number of charities, that helps change the lives of young people who stammer.

How did you first make contact with the centre?

When you work for Gilbert-Ash you work on iconic projects that make a difference to the communities around them and due to the confines of this site, we knew community engagement would be key.

It was important to be completely transparent about what the project would involve, and I knew the goodwill of the community would be dependent on actions, rather than words.

We knocked on doors in the vicinity and started speaking face-to-face with residents. One of the doors we knocked on was that of the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering.

We took a genuine interest and asked if there was anything we could do to help them, and the relationship flourished from there.

What did Gilbert-Ash do for the MPC?

Our team did what we could to help improve the place. We set about transforming the garden, it had become overgrown and not an area you would want kids to spend time in but it is now filled with trees, plants, shrubs and nesting boxes.

We also refurbished the centre’s exterior to help it look fresh and welcoming, repaired the building’s leaky roof and decorated the interior, including the meeting room.

We also facilitated introductory meetings between the centre’s manager and the hotel’s operators and these discussions have led to the hotel allowing therapy sessions to take place in its bistro and family members of those undergoing treatment at the MPC can avail of a reduced rate of stay.

How were your efforts received?

The staff, patients at the centre, and their families have all been delighted with the work. It’s clear it has made a real difference. Our client, Whitbread, was delighted too and praised our “proactivity and openness” with the community.

Our rapport with the centre has been cemented to such an extent that for three years running, some of us have taken part in the centre’s carol services helping to raise vital funds.

Gilbert-Ash are actively seeking outstanding people who want to make their mark on projects, people and the planet.

You can find out more about Make Your Mark on Gilbert-Ash’s social channels or you can visit www.gilbert-ash.com/careers.