Six members of staff from the Leicester office of financial and business advisors Grant Thornton UK LLP put their painting skills to the test when they volunteered to spruce up a tired communal lounge used by residents at the Vista Kathleen Rutland Home as part of the firm’s ongoing support of the Leicestershire Cares charity.
The residential home on Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest East, provides accommodation and support to forty-two blind and partially sighted older men and women.
The Home’s communal lounge is used daily for several hours by all residents, and management at the Home were keen to refresh the area which had begun to look tired, to make it smarter, less institutional and more inviting for residents and their visitors.
“The Painting Challenge has been in the planning for six-weeks,” explains the volunteers’ Team Leader Dipika Mistry, a member of the Corporate Finance Team at Grant Thornton in Leicester, “and we worked closely with the team at the Home to ensure the chosen paint colours are sympathetic to the resident’s ages and medical conditions, and to manage the logistics for the day.
“As team leader I am very pleased to have completed the challenge successfully and after weeks of planning, it all came down to teamwork, communication and doing a good job. We had a fantastic fun day thanks to the sun shining and all going to plan, every volunteer did their bit and with pride. The compliments and appreciation shown to us by the staff when the room was finished made our day and we hope that the residents enjoy their new living area.”
Antoinette Dimmocks, Deputy Manager of the Vista Kathleen Rutland Home said: “The lounge was desperately in need of freshening and brightening up and Grant Thornton’s Team more than succeeded in doing this. The room now seems brighter and more inviting and lets in more light. All the residents have commented how nice it looks now and love the new relaxation area colour of lavender. It has and will continue to enhance the lives of our Residents. The Staff from Grant Thornton did a tremendous job in not only painting the lounge, but to do it on one of the hottest days of the year.”
Katharine Lightbown, Community Development Coordinator with Leicestershire Cares, added: “The employee volunteers from Grant Thornton excelled themselves and have provided the residents with a beautifully decorated living room which they will enjoy for many years to come. They should be extremely proud of themselves.”
The volunteers from Grant Thornton, Leicester, were Dipika Mistry, Larissa Pawlukzyc, Louise Dytham, Mandeep Bagri, Dave Hodge, and Sarah O’Neill. The paint, brushes, tools and equipment were donated by Grant Thornton in Leicester.
Grant Thornton UK LLP Leicester has long supported Leicestershire Cares, and is also supporting its 2014 Coat Drive which involves coordinating the donation of warm winter coats for people in need to use over the winter.
