Volunteer to help Liverpool Habitat for Humanity

Liverpool Habitat for Humanity, a charity which helps to build low-cost homes for families on modest incomes, is appealing for volunteers to help with the next wave of construction at its project in Toxteth.

Liverpool Habitat for Humanity is building 32 homes for partner families on just over two acres of land generously donated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, on Kingsley Road, in Granby/Toxteth. The project has also received significant funding from NewHeartlands, the Housing Market Renewal Initiative (HMRI) on Merseyside.

Nine homes are build-complete and the charity is preparing to launch the next phase of construction, for which a regular supply of volunteers will be required.

To date, Habitat for Humanity International has built 350,000 homes and operates in over 90 countries. The Granby/Toxteth site is the first such project in the North West and the largest in Britain.

Future homeowners work alongside the volunteers, devoting 500 hours of 'sweat equity' in lieu of a £10,000 down-payment on their home.

Two in every 10 volunteers at Liverpool Habitat for Humanity have come from overseas, representing nearly 60 different countries of the world; and 40% of the volunteer builders have been women.

Sarah Shaw, volunteer coordinator at LHFH, says: "Our volunteers are a mix of individuals, corporate volunteers, students and community, interest and faith groups. They get involved in nearly all aspects of construction and have contributed to keeping the costs of the houses down.

"An added value for the individuals and the community at large is the breaking down of barriers when people from all sectors of society work together towards a common goal. Learning new skills also empowers individuals to grow in confidence and knowledge."

• To find out more about volunteering with Liverpool Habitat for Humanity, contact Sarah Shaw, tel:01517079440, email:sarah@liverpoolhfh.org.ukor visit the website http://www.liverpoolhfh.org.uk/.
• For more about Volunteers' Week go to http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/