Current Projects

The Piehouse Coop (MVT)

1 May 2026

Project contact: graham@teamviy.com.

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Cafe 50

1 May 2026

Project contact: wayne@teamviy.com.

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Rainworth FC

1 May 2026

What does this community space/venue do?
Rainworth Miners Welfare FC is a long-established community football club based in Rainworth, a former Nottinghamshire mining village on the edge of Mansfield. Originally founded in 1922 as Rufford Colliery FC, the club continues to play an important role in local life following the decline of the coal industry. Known as “The Wrens,” the club serves the wider community by providing football, recreation, and social opportunities for hundreds of local people each week through more than 20 youth and men’s teams. As one of the village’s key community hubs, the club supports young people’s development, health, and inclusion while helping maintain local pride and connection.
What is VIY doing?
VIY will be undertaking multiple lighting upgrades, replacing over 20 outdated light fittings that are currently costing the club unnecessary expense. These will all be upgraded to new energy-efficient LED lighting, improving the overall energy efficiency of the building and helping to reduce running costs for the club. In addition, VIY will carry out the full renovation of one hospitality box that has fallen into disrepair, replacing rotten external timber with new cladding and refurbishing the internal space. There will also be extensive external painting and decorating works across the site, with the clubhouse repainted in the club’s colours to create a bold, standout appearance and renewed sense of pride.
What will be the impact of our project?
The benefits of these works are both practical and community-focused.
Upgrading over 20 outdated light fittings to LED will significantly improve the building’s energy efficiency, reducing electricity consumption and lowering ongoing running costs for the club. This frees up valuable funds that can instead be reinvested into football provision, facilities, and wider community activity.
The renovation of the hospitality box will restore a previously deteriorating space into a usable, welcoming facility once again. This improves both functionality and the overall matchday experience for visitors, sponsors, and community users.
Externally, repainting the clubhouse in the club’s colours and completing wider decoration works will greatly enhance the site’s appearance. A more vibrant and well-maintained facility helps build pride among members, players, and supporters, while also creating a stronger identity for the club within the local area.
Overall, these improvements contribute to a more efficient, attractive, and welcoming environment—strengthening the club’s role as a community hub and helping it continue to serve local people for years to come.
Project contact: charlie@teamviy.com.

Filed Under

Independent (MVT)

1 May 2026

What does this community space/venue do?
It’s been 20 years and counting since we opened our first set of doors for the first time and in that time we’ve seen countless bands and DJs grace our stages. We’ve been Sunderland’s only constant in youth culture through the last very rocky (nearly) two decades. Independent is the home of music in Sunderland, nurturing young talent, supporting bands and often giving people a stage to play their first ever show. We’re a Venue, a Disco and a Drinking Den, and the home of the Blue Pint.
Alongside hosting regular live shows from some of the UK’s most exciting emerging artists and local North East talents, Independent is also the biggest and longest running nightclub on Wearside. Having been the place to party for young people for so long our brick walls (and sticky floors) have seen so many big nights and bad dancing. In 2024, Independent hosts two weekly club nights (see below) alongside a bunch of extra one-offs and extras including our daytime clubbing and themed parties.
What is VIY doing?
VIY will deliver a multi-phase refurbishment project at Independent in Sunderland, focused on improving both the green room and adjacent staff areas.
In the existing green space, VIY will support the removal of a current stud wall to increase the overall size and usability of the room. The space will then be redecorated and upgraded with new seating, a central table with integrated power points, and improved flooring to create a more durable and comfortable environment.
Alongside this, a new stud wall will be constructed to reconfigure and expand the office space, creating a clearer separation between the green room and office.
In a neighbouring room, VIY will develop a dedicated kitchen and seating area for staff and artists, enhancing welfare facilities across the venue.
Young people will be involved throughout the project, working alongside professional tradespeople to gain hands-on experience in demolition, carpentry, partitioning, flooring and painting & decorating, while working towards accredited qualifications and building key employability skills.
What will be the impact of our project?
The project will significantly improve the layout, functionality and overall quality of the facilities at Independent. Expanding the green room and upgrading its features will create a more practical and comfortable space for artists, while the reconfigured office will provide a more effective working environment for staff.
The addition of a dedicated kitchen and seating area will enhance day-to-day welfare provision, making the venue better equipped to support both staff and performers.
For the young people involved, the impact will be substantial. They will gain real-world construction experience across a range of trades, achieve recognised qualifications, and develop confidence, teamwork and problem-solving skills. This supports their progression into further training, education or employment.
More broadly, the project demonstrates how community-focused construction projects can deliver lasting social value, strengthening connections between local young people and creative venues while leaving a tangible legacy within the space.
Project contact: shaid@teamviy.com

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Crosby Community Venue

1 May 2026

What does this community space/venue do?
Crosby & District Scouts supports young people aged 4 to 25 across Crosby, Waterloo, and Thornton, made possible by a team of dedicated volunteers.
What is VIY doing?
The project focuses on retrofitting Crosby Scout Hut in Sefton, which is currently in poor condition, costly to heat, and only used for storage. To restore the hut for use by scouts and other local community groups, significant refurbishment and retrofitting works are required. This will include installing wall and ceiling insulation, draught-proofing, and repairing or upgrading doors and windows.
What will be the impact of our project?
In addition to improving the building, the project will provide a practical construction and green skills training opportunity for at least 20 local young people who are NEET or at risk of NEET. At least 5 local volunteer trade skills mentors, recruited through our trade partners, will work alongside VIY’s Lead Mentors to guide and support participants on site, ensuring the retrofit works meet the required standards.
Project contact: nigel@teamviy.com.

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Women’s Aid, Luton

8 May 2026

Project contact: graham@teamviy.com

 

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Avonmouth Community Centre

15 May 2026

Project contact: wayne@teamviy.com.

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Mablethorpe Community Hall Project 2

1 May 2026

Project contact: charlie@teamviy.com.

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Boom (MVT)

1 May 2026

What does this community space/venue do?
Leeds, UK grassroots venue now based inside @canalside.leeds 👊🏼 All genres, but dedicated to promoting hardcore, metal and punk

What is VIY doing?
VIY will deliver a hands-on refurbishment project at Boom in Leeds, transforming the existing green room into a more functional, welcoming and multi-use space.
Working alongside experienced tradespeople, young people will take part in designing and building key features of the room. This will include installing a new seating area, constructing a central table with integrated power points, and creating a bespoke wall-mounted storage frame for guitars, coats and bags. A dedicated microwave station will also be introduced to improve basic kitchen facilities.
Throughout the project, young people will gain practical skills in carpentry, joinery and painting & decorating, while working towards accredited qualifications and developing confidence, teamwork and employability skills.

What will be the impact of our project?

The project will create a more practical and comfortable green room space for artists and staff at Boom, improving both functionality and overall experience. The addition of organised storage, seating and accessible power will make the space more efficient and better suited to its day-to-day use.
For the young people involved, the impact will be significant. They will gain real, hands-on construction experience, work towards recognised qualifications, and develop key life skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving. This helps to increase their confidence and supports their progression into further training, education or employment.
More widely, the project strengthens community connections by bringing together a live music venue and local young people, demonstrating how creative spaces can also play a role in social value and skills development.

Project contact: shaid@teamviy.com

Filed Under

Jubilee Clinic

17 April 2026

What is VIY doing?
We will be improving the thermal performance of the building by dry-lining, adding insulation to external walls. We will be decorating, installing new skirting, new lights

What will be the impact of our project?
It will make the venue cheaper to run, thus more viable. The appearance will be greatly improved

Project contact: mick@teamviy.com

Filed Under

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