In the run-up to Christmas, the team at Gratte Brothers Ltd came to the aid of a local foodbank whose heating system had stopped working. We stepped in to provide the free installation of new equipment which ensured the team of volunteers were kept toasty warm. Why? Because ‘Supporting Our Communities’ is one of our core values as a Group.
Christmas puts even greater strain on local foodbanks as the added expectation of the season makes it a challenge for many families to put food on the table. Food Bank Aid—a distribution charity for 31 food banks across North London—operates year-round from of a central hub in North Finchley. This base is the core of all their activities; supplies arrive, are organised, and then distributed to the various food banks. Unfortunately, as Winter set in, Food Bank Aid’s heating system packed up—leaving the team of volunteers exposed to unbearably cold working conditions.
Gratte Brothers Limited’s Operations Director, Tony Kyle, set out to investigate the problem along with IDSL Air Conditioning. The first challenge the team faced was discovering that the existing (non-Gratte-Brothers) system was beyond repairable. The system had exhausted its lifespan, with various components throughout heavily damaged.
Our team reacted at lightning pace to deliver a workable and free of charge solution for Food Bank Aid. The next day Electrical Manager, Billy Wood, arrived on site to run a series of electrical modifications and testing, prepping the hub for the subsequent heater delivery a few days later.
Overall, the team achieved:
- Installation of ten double metal clad sockets, including three with phone charging points – all strategically positioned.
- Five 5kva transformers to optimise the electrical setup.
- Five strategically placed heaters to provide optimal warmth.
- Marked up radial circuits and a team briefing on maintenance criteria.
Charlotte Souter, Trustee and Volunteer at Food Bank Aid commented; “You have been incredibly kind, generous, and your team are definitely the ‘A-Team’. We felt like we were a top client of Gratte Brothers. The service was second to none, and the speed of delivery was something quite astonishing. It started with an off-the-cuff chat with Iain Thomson, and turned into something quite amazing.”
We are pleased to report that everyone at the Food Bank Aid hub is thrilled with the work. Ian Kamiel, Director at Food Bank Aid was “totally blown away” by our generosity and “the speed in which the work was done”.
As our Group’s core values state, we are committed to having a positive impact on the communities we are present in. So, we are glad to have been able to help this incredibly worthy cause. The solution we delivered means that the team could comfortably continue to provide much-needed support to the community of over 20,000 a week depend on.
A special thanks goes to the Gratte Brothers’ employees who were involved in this special project. Our Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility teams visited the site in January 2024, seeing what difference the heaters have made and to discuss what Gratte Brothers can do to support Food Bank Aid in 2024 and beyond.
