Current Projects

EMMAUS Trust, St Albans

9 January 2026

Project contact: graham@teamviy.com

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Beeston Scouts Hut

29 January 2026

Project contact: charlie@teamviy.com

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Eyres Monsell Club For Young People

29 January 2026

Project contact: charlie@teamviy.com

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The Social Action Hub 2

20 February 2026

What does this community space/venue do?
The Social Action Hub in Rainworth is a long-established local charity focused on improving life chances and supporting the community, particularly children, young people, families and vulnerable adults. Originally formed in 1993 as a detached youth project, it has grown into a thriving community hub offering a wide range of services including weekly youth clubs, holiday playschemes, one-to-one support, mentoring and mental health help, as well as volunteering and work-experience opportunities. The Hub also tackles food poverty and isolation through initiatives such as a social supermarket, which allows local people on low incomes to access affordable, nutritious food in a dignified, choice-based way while also offering advice and signposting to additional support, alongside emergency food parcels and a youth community fridge. In addition, it provides community learning, courses and social events to help people develop skills, connect with others and feel supported.
What is VIY doing?
(VIY) will undertake a full garden transformation at the new Social Supermarket venue in Rainworth, converting a previously disused and overgrown, uneven outdoor space into an attractive and accessible wildflower garden. The garden will form part of a grow-to-sell scheme, where food and herbs are grown on site and then sold within the social supermarket, helping to promote sustainability, local food production and environmental awareness. New planters will be constructed, alongside the build of a new decking area with a sheltered roof.

In addition, VIY will work to improve the wider appearance of the site by renovating the underpass and the front of the building, installing new planters, refreshing existing paintwork and exploring the creation of a floral or wildlife-themed mural or artwork to make the space more welcoming and visually engaging for the community.

What will be the impact of our project?
This project will have a wide-ranging positive impact on the Rainworth community by transforming an underused and neglected space into a welcoming, functional and environmentally sustainable community asset. By delivering the garden transformation and site improvements, Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) will help create a safer, greener and more attractive environment that local residents can take pride in, improving the overall look and feel of the area and encouraging greater community engagement with the Social Supermarket.
The grow-to-sell garden will increase access to affordable, locally grown food and herbs, directly supporting people experiencing food insecurity while promoting sustainability, healthy eating and environmental awareness. Income generated through produce sales will help strengthen the long-term viability of the Social Supermarket, ensuring continued support for vulnerable households.
The creation of new planters, a decking area with sheltered roof, and improvements to the underpass and building frontage will provide an inclusive space for learning, volunteering and social interaction. The project will also offer hands-on skills development opportunities for young people and volunteers, building confidence, employability skills and a sense of ownership within the community. Overall, the project will reduce isolation, enhance wellbeing and foster stronger connections between people, place and purpose.
Project contact: charlie@teamviy.com

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The Comfrey Project

9 January 2026

Project contact: shaid@teamviy.com

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Garon Park Youth Club Project 3

7 November 2025

Wellbeing at Garon Park’s Mission is to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the local community as well as enhancing the beauty, biodiversity and environmental value of the 32-acre Garon Park site in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. The organisation was incorporated on 19th June 2018 with the aim of providing safe and secure facilities, to promote and protect the good physical, mental and sensory health of the residents of Southend and for the recreation or other leisure time occupation of those residents.

Project contact: graham@teamviy.com

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The Joseph Lappin Centre

9 January 2026

Project contact: matt@teamviy.com.

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Kings Heath Community Centre

9 January 2026

What does this community space/venue do?
Kings Heath Community Centre are aiming to raise £150,000 to help fund the takeover and running of Kings Heath Community Centre.
Following the Council’s decision to transfer the running of several community centres across Birmingham, a consortium of individuals, voluntary groups, businesses, and local councillors put forward a proposal to take on Kings Heath Community Centre.
This initial consortium included Enjoy Kings Heath, Birmingham Artisan Markets, Kings Heath Neighbourhood (Ward) Forum, and Leftfoot Venues. They were chosen as the preferred provider and, since then, it has grown to include Kings Heath Playcare Scheme, Queens Heath Pride, Green Oak Academy, Stage2 Youth Theatre, Kings Heath Masjid, Our Scene CIC, Place Prospectors, United Artists of South Birmingham, Blue Moon Markets, Cook and Grow Together CIC, Birmingham South Woodcraft, and others. There are also several, individual small business owners and members of the community involved.
What is VIY doing?
VIY will be refurbishing the function room and Kitchen area. They are looking extremely dated and with the Centre trying to attract potential funders, they feel these areas are especially in need of refurbishing to attract new users. On top of the redecorating of the internal areas, we will also be completely renovating the garden areas including new wooden edging boards, complete new fencing, planters, benches etc.
What will be the impact of our project?
The function room that is completely being redecorated is currently hardly used due to its run down state. The new look will give it a much better feel where the room can be used for classroom activites and even small sports/games. The outdoor garden area is also not being used at all. This has the potential to be a very well used place, the work we are doing here will make it an area all of the venue members can use.

Project contact: jordan@teamviy.com

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Weeley Village Hall

26 September 2025

The venue is a vibrant community venue, it has various groups, these include, keep fit, yoga, dance, toddler groups, English studies, coffee mornings
What is VIY doing?

Parts of the venue are looking a bit tied and in need of redecoration, we will be preparing and redecorating the small hall, the WC’s and entrance area. We will also be construction flat pack bird boxes, hedgehog homes for environmental awareness module.

Project contact: mick@teamviy.com

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New Lodge Youth Centre

20 August 2025

Project contact: owen@teamviy.com

 

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