Aico’s Project SOS: Transforming Oswestry Memorial Hall

Aico, based in Oswestry, re-launched their community initiative ‘Project SOS’ earlier this year. The scheme invites local causes to apply for the opportunity to receive 5 days of volunteering from Aico colleagues. In 2023, Aico worked with Longden Primary School on the rejuvenation of their outside spaces, taking on fence painting and the general clean-up of the grounds.

The Oswestry Memorial Hall (OMH) was the successful winner for 2024, inviting Aico colleagues to help give their Oswald room a makeover. First opened to the public in 1906, the hall has faced a number of challenges over recent years, but is fast-becoming a thriving community hub for groups, organisations, business owners and freelancers. Hosting clubs and events as varied as fencing club, and a weekly artisan country market, it is also home to singing and dance lessons, business meetings, training, and more.

The local community came together to support the renovation, with The Oswestry Lions Club kindly funding the main material costs, and Town Mayor, Mike Isherwood, running an OMH fundraising programme to help new groups access and benefit from the refurbished hall.

During the week of Monday 4th November, a total of 17 colleagues from Aico were joined by users of the hall to help rejuvenate the space, which was last refurbished in the 1990s. Other users of the hall also showed their support for the project by donating money and equipment. SBC Training apprentices were also involved during the week, where they repanelled the wooden elements of the room.

Rebecca Cumblidge, Senior Accountant at Aico, stated “I was very excited that Oswestry Memorial Hall was chosen for Project SOS – it’s a building that is available for the whole of Oswestry’s community to use and the team there have been and are working hard to make it an open and inviting space for all. To transform the main hall in 1 week was quite a task, but it looks fantastic and can be used for years to come. This really became a community project with volunteers, businesses and apprentices getting involved.”

Throughout Project SOS, the group transformed the hall with careful preparation and painting. They began by sanding down panels, skirting boards, and wooden blocks, followed by applying base coats of the paints on walls and panelling. As the week progressed, they added fresh coats of white paint to the walls and a deep blue on the panelling, filling in any gaps left by the old partition to ensure a seamless look. By the end of the week, the team had also painted around the windows and door frames, completing the project with a thorough cleanup of the space.

Hall Manager, Paul Newman, said “Oswestry Memorial Hall was gifted to the town in 1906 by Mrs Sarah Parry-Jones. She wanted it to be a memorial to her two sisters who died within a week of each other, in hopes that the hall would be a place to inspire and enable community spirit. What’s happened here this week is exactly what she would have wanted and will help make sure the hall carries on being a vital community venue for Oswestry in the future.

I’m really grateful to Aico, Oswestry Lions, Mike Isherwood, and all the volunteers who have helped. Local trades and suppliers have helped in many ways, and all will be acknowledged in a special ‘Hall of Fame’ notice we’ll erect in the hall. The Memorial Hall is more than a building, it is a community of people. I hope this will be the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the hall’s history and that we can welcome more people through the doors.”

A total of 113 hours were collectively dedicated by Aico colleagues through Project SOS, to help transform Oswestry’s Memorial Hall. As the European market leader in home life safety, Aico strive to deliver safer homes through engaging with their local communities. Their Corporate Social Responsibility programme, ‘Aico in the Community’, was developed to support local and national educational and charitable organisations. The transformation of Oswestry Memorial Hall has served as a testament to Aico’s commitment to creating positive change.

Laura Opechowska, Community Liaison for Aico added “This project was more than just a fresh coat of paint for the Oswestry Memorial Hall. It celebrated our community spirit and shared heritage, bringing together local residents. Project SOS truly highlighted the vital role that community partnerships play in fostering a genuine sense of pride and connection among us all in Oswestry.”