Flat roof waterproofing company, Axter Ltd, has partnered with local homelessness charity, Emmaus Suffolk, to make their two new modular housing units for vulnerable people energy bill-free. This will be achieved through solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The new Emmaus pods will be opened today by campaigner Sir Terry Waite, a patron of the charity, at an event marking World Homelessness Day.
Axter has been supporting Emmaus Suffolk, a charity that works with homeless and vulnerable people in the county, over the last year. Learning about Emmaus’s ambition to create two pods, funded by Hopestead, to offer accommodation behind its Community Hub in Ipswich, the Axter team recognised that they could help support the charity by transforming the modular building’s flat roofs to generate electrical energy via a photovoltaic array, producing sustainable electrical energy to power the pods.
The initial specification called for 0.7 kilowatts per roof, but Axter exceeded this by installing nine panels across the two roofs. The system now generates 3.2 kilowatts, which is over double the planning requirements. Extra power generated will lower the cost of electricity bills and the carbon footprint for this fantastic charity, including an adjacent building used for offices and the community café.
Axter donated nine Solar PV units, and provided design and specification, whilst covering the cost of installation by Tamaris Roofing. The modular building units were funded by the East of England homelessness charity, Hopestead.
The Axter team also sponsors Emmaus Suffolk’s One Pot Wonder scheme, which aims to tackle food poverty by providing low-cost hot meals from the charity’s Royal Oak Community Café.
Claire Staddon, CEO at Emmaus Suffolk, said:
“We had no idea the kind of scale that this project would involve, just buying two modular units premade seemed like a simple option, but there’s a huge amount of additional work getting the utilities set up.
“It was fantastic that Axter offered us the opportunity to install solar panels so they can be essentially net zero. We can now house two vulnerable house individuals in a real home setting each with the dignity of their own front door.
“Local businesses that care about the community, like Axter, make such a difference. I can only applaud them and thank them for their ongoing support.”
Charlotte Saunders, Axter’s Head of Marketing & Communications and Climate & Community manager, commented:
“Having been a Suffolk-based business for 30 years, we are part of the community and partnership with Emmaus is one way we’re working to make life better for people across the county.
“Mental health issues and homelessness are key concerns in the construction industry, yet another reason this project meant so much to the team. We’re delighted to have partnered with charities like Emmaus Suffolk, and Mind Suffolk and the Suffolk Community Foundation too. We aim to help these charities expand the great work they already do for so many people.
“This work is part of our Climate and Community initiative, which puts our passion for the environment and the local community into action. Working with Emmaus, and our five other charity partners, we not only financially supporting these charities, but also lend our specific expertise where we can – as we have in this project.”
Terry Ashton, Director at Tamaris Roofing, said:
“Emmaus is a fantastic charity trying to get homeless people back on their feet and back into homes they can call their own. We worked with Axter and Emmaus to install a 3.2-kilowatt system on the roofs, making these wonderful pods self-sufficient with electrics.
“Any extra electricity will go back into the charity building and help reduce electricity bills for the charity’s other facilities including their café.”
About World Homeless Day
World Homeless Day is marked across the world on 10th October every year. The purpose of World Homeless Day is to draw attention to people who experience homelessness and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in addressing it.
Homelessness is a huge national crisis, especially given the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and rising mortgage rates. This is a key concern for Emmaus Suffolk, with data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities showing that 2.97 out of every 1,000 households in Ipswich is at risk – more than double the national average of 1.33. The new pods mean Emmaus Suffolk can now provide accommodation for nine people.
About Axter Ltd:
Axter Ltd is revolutionising the way flat roofs are designed, installed, used, and maintained.
The company’s ambition is to improve the roofscape and transform the world above our heads. The team imagines a world where flat roofs are used to their full potential – increasing biodiverse habitats, generating electricity, or creating social spaces. The possibilities are endless.
With a passion for technical detail and design, Axter offers a comprehensive service package and a system portfolio renowned for its quality, adding value through sustainable and innovative ideas that minimise risk and maximise potential for customers.
Axter has been operating in Suffolk for over 30 years, so the team is deeply connected with the area. Through the Climate and Community Initiative, Axter is using its resources and skills to help fund and support Suffolk-based charities – to benefit the shared environment and improve the lives of people across the county.
Visit Axter website to learn more: https://axter.co.uk/
About Emmaus Suffolk:
Emmaus Suffolk is a charity working with vulnerable, socially isolated, or long-term unemployed people and those at risk of homelessness across the county. Its ambition is to introduce new ways of tackling entrenched homelessness, loneliness, isolation, and unemployment. The charity achieves this by enabling and empowering people to help themselves through meaningful activity benefitting themselves and others.
Through their Hubs, community housing, and social enterprises, Emmaus provide front line services to people facing the prospect of homelessness and try to prevent it happening. The charity also supports people experiencing social exclusion and long-term unemployment. It is part of a national network of Emmaus communities with currently over 800 formerly homeless living within an Emmaus community in the UK.
Find out about the charity’s work here: https://emmaus.org.uk/suffolk/