Project Overview:

BBC Children in Need is the BBC’s UK corporate charity. The annual telethon appeal is one of the highlights of the BBC calendar and plenty of activity takes place across the UK around this time to raise crucial pennies to help improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

The 2009 Appeal raised a record-breaking £39 million which is already starting to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people.

As part of the Appeal, Middle Park Community Centre in South London was chosen to be refurbished.

Situation/Challenges:

For Children in Need 2009, celebrity entrepreneurs from the hit BBC UK TV series Dragon’s Den (the Dragons) accepted their biggest challenge yet, and with Confluence behind them, they set their sights high for invariable success to refurbish the Middle Park Community Centre.

The Centre was in desperate need of refurbishing, requiring extensive works. It is the heart of the local community, its doors are always open and the local kids love it, as it provides them with a safe haven to have fun in and escape to rather than roaming the streets.

With only 72 hours for the works, Confluence had a mammoth task to achieve the vision and security that the local community needed.

Outcome/Results:

The success of the project can only be defined by the community and children of Middle Park approving of the works.

“I was gobsmacked when I came in. Everything was brilliant, brilliant!” exclaimed one Middle Park Centre regular.

The common room was made over with brand new furniture and an incredible jigsaw mural created by the children.

A stylish modern kitchen was installed and the dodgy toilets were given a complete facelift. At the heart of the community centre, the storage room was transformed into a fully functional recording studio.

It was a time to celebrate for everyone, including Confluence. The community centre is for the children, and it’s apt that one of them had the last word ”Awesome, totally awesome!”.