Fire Disaster Appeal: The Carpenter’s Arms
On the morning of Saturday, 30th March 2024, our drug and alcohol residential recovery centre, The Carpenter’s Arms, suffered a devastating fire at its Six Hills property on the A46 between Loughborough and Melton Mowbray.
Miraculously, none of our staff or residents were injured and we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Services for their incredible efforts to bring the fire quickly under control.
The photo you see here is of our residents in happier times alongside the devastation of the fire damage to our kitchen. Unfortunately, there is also extensive smoke damage to the dining room, gym, our new reception area and our first-floor pastoral, administration and management offices. It is heart-breaking that these are all areas that our staff members and residents have personally refurbished over the last three years.
Thankfully, we have been able to put in place all temporary measures to save the site from shutting down and to house residents on site whilst we build back. Our immediate priority is to ensure that those elements of the programme that play such a key part in drug and alcohol recovery – for example, cooking and eating together and physical fitness through use of our on-site gym – are back up and running as soon as possible.
The Carpenter’s Arms Fire Disaster Appeal has now been launched to raise immediate funds for the following:
- New refrigeration and freezer units. Whilst we have managed to secure a mobile kitchen, there is little space to store perishable items. We wish to install the facilities needed to replenish our perishable food stores, particularly the two weeks’ worth lost in the fire.
- Getting our food store back up and running. We need to fit out an area where we can build back and safely store our non-perishable food items.
- Kitchen and dining equipment. We’re missing everything you would normally find in a kitchen and dining room – chopping boards, food preparation equipment, plates, cutlery, tables and chairs which enable our residents to cook and eat together.
- Gym equipment. Physical fitness plays a big part too in mental wellbeing. We know that our residents really benefit from time in the gym to escape negative thoughts and boredom as they recover from the effects of drug or alcohol misuse. Gym equipment the men are missing most at the moment are dumbbells and benches.
- Lounge area. Comfortable sofas and chairs (please note: we can only accept items with the appropriate fire safety label attached).
If you would like to lend your support to helping THE CARPENTER'S ARMS (MIDLANDS) TRUST to rebuild after this devastating fire, we would be truly grateful.
Best wishes
Richard Spence, CEO at The Carpenter’s Arms
Organizer
Richard Spence
Organizer
England
THE CARPENTER'S ARMS (MIDLANDS) TRUST
Registered nonprofit
Donations eligible for Gift Aid.
