Apprentices help transform Eldon Street property

Our Property Care apprentices were able to put their learning into practice recently to help transform an empty property in Potter House on Eldon Street.

The property needed a full kitchen re-fit which was carried out by apprentice joiner Baillie McLaughlin and his mentor, joiner Daniel Buckley. The new kitchen marked Baillie’s first full re-fit since joining FCHO in September 2022, and a huge milestone in his development.

Baillie’s manager, Paul Marland, said: “I am really proud of Baillie and all the apprentices who have come on leaps and bounds since taking up their apprenticeships with us. The level of skill that has been demonstrated in this void turnaround is fantastic and I can’t wait to see the brilliant work our apprentices will no doubt continue to deliver.”

This home required a huge transformation and our teams have worked remarkably together to achieve great results. Extensive decorating and cleaning was needed and high level repair work throughout.

Apprentice plumber Ruhan Hussain carried out great work on the bathroom under the guidance of plumber Mike Findlow. Separately, Mike Findlow has acted as a mentor to apprentice plumber, Will Meredith, who joined FCHO at the same time as Baillie and Ruhan in our most recent intake of apprentice cohorts. Between Mike and Will, they have delivered five full bathroom re-fits in-house. Mark Flynn and apprentice electrician Jordan Kemp – who was also part of our most recent apprentice cohort – have delivered 10 full property re-wires in the last year too, which is a massive undertaking.

The apprentices are part of our most recent six-strong cohort who joined us last year as part of our commitment to increase local career opportunities. In recent years we've appointed people into a range of apprenticeships, from Property Care to customer service to HR positions, with a variety of new roles set to be created over the coming years.

It's fantastic to see such complex work being delivered in-house which gives our apprentices the chance to develop invaluable skills and knowledge. Well done to everyone involved and keep up the good work.