Selco Steps In To Help Bristol’s Homeless

Selco Bulders Warehouse, part of the Grafton Group, has lent its support to a pioneering group which is using old shipping containers to fight homelessness in Bristol.

Selco’s Bristol branch, on Sheene Way, is backing the organisation Help Bristol’s Homeless by offering building materials at vastly reduced rates.

Help Bristol’s Homeless is a non-profit, social enterprise which takes used shipping containers and makes them into comfortable homes for people who had been living on the city’s streets.

Selco branch manager Mark Jones said: “We have agreed to give the group stock at a fraction of the price and so far we’ve provided the group with items such as plasterboard, insulation, timber, screws and nails.

“The group is doing fantastic work helping the people affected rebuild their lives in a safe and secure home. As their site is right on our doorstep, it’s a privilege to be able to help in this way.”

The shipping containers are sandblasted, painted with red oxide and insulated before the electrics are installed and the interior is decorated.

Often, the person set to move into the home assists with the work, along with others living in the container village.

There are currently 11 containers on site, with long-term plans for expansion onto another site.

Jasper Thompson, a director at Help Bristol’s Homeless, said: “We are very grateful to Selco for their tremendous support. Even a box of screws is a huge help as it all helps to reduce our running costs. The project is going very well. We have had some great successes with people getting back into employment and reconnecting with their families, so we want to push on from here.”