Case Study: Britmet Supplies LittleHolme with Roofing Tiles for Isolation Pods

When the coronavirus outbreak hit, the world stood still. Schools, shops, restaurants closed, and everyone was told to stay at home. But what happens if you don’t have a home? 

In March 2020, the Government told councils to close down ‘dormitory-style’ shelters and relocate residents due to the difficulty of maintaining social distancing. For the residents of the Macari Centre in Hanley, half of them were moved to the Holiday Inn Express in Trentham Lakes while the others stayed with social distancing measures in place.

Lou Macari, founder of the Macari Foundation in Stoke on Trent, contacted Arch Leisure/LittleHolme Ltd for support with his vison of creating a pod village for rough sleepers in an old, 22,500sqft warehouse on Regent Road. Each pod provides 10sqm of floor space with LED lights, heater and TV point for homeless people in this time of need. Fire resistance was a key factor in the materials selection as it was for use in an indoor warehouse.

The pod accommodation scheme has been welcoming guests since the last week of May 2020. LittleHolme Ltd approached Britmet while the country was close to lockdown in a race to find a reliable supplier of durable, fire resistant, sustainable roofing materials. “We were so glad to be given the opportunity to give back to the community during these unprecedented times.” Arch Leisure/LittleHolme Ltd were “so pleased that Britmet were prepared to supply the materials for these pods whilst everyone else had closed down and were incommunicado!”   

Sales and Marketing Director, Chris Powell, said, “It was a honour to work with Arch Leisure and Littleholme on this project, at a time where our business was all but closed down, we were contacted and asked to help out. There was no shortage of volunteers to reopen the factory and get manufacturing. The Pods looked great and we hope they help the less fortunate stay safe for many years to come!” 

Date Posted: 17th June 2020
 

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