Volunteers from VIVO Defence Services and its partners have spent two days giving an important community centre for Royal Marines, veterans and their families a makeover.
The Gordon Messenger Centre at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), Lympstone, Devon, provides a community facility for the entire Royal Marines Family through various events, activities, and meetings.
And employees from VIVO joined forces with their supply chain partner Spire Decorating, as well as colleagues from Pinnacle Service Families, to spruce up parts of the building over two days.
The volunteers painted the café/lounge area, the forge room, two conference rooms, a disabled toilet, a children’s play area and another toilet. In addition, VIVO funded all the materials needed to decorate the building.
The Gordon Messenger Centre opened four years ago and is used for meetings by military charities, the Royal Navy Family and People Support team and local Royal Marine families.
The work was completed after VIVO’s local Repairs Liaison Officer (RLO), who is based in Plymouth, applied for funding from VIVO’s social value team and then arranged for the volunteers to carry out the work.
VIVO Defence Services provides maintenance services for more than 27,000 military family homes – Service Family Accommodation – across southwest and southeast England.
Its RLOs work in those communities creating a link with military families, helping them when they have issues around maintenance at their homes and to forge links with the Armed Forces Community in the areas where they work.
This includes attending events, identifying social value activities that support communities locally and even arranging volunteering days such as painting the Gordon Messenger Centre.
Major Mark Latham RM, who is based at the CTCRM, said: “With the very kind and generous offer from VIVO, the internal walls of the Gordon Messenger Centre (GMC) were brought back to life.
“The volunteers worked hard over a two-day period to regenerate the internal surroundings. This exceptional community project has given fresh life to a tired building, rejuvenating the Centre for the benefit of all users.
GMC Manager Lisa-Joy Peake added: “The work that has been done is incredible. The GMC team members all fed back to me how kind and friendly the team were. The quality of the work is superb.
“This will keep the centre looking at its best. The users often comment on how amazing the centre is and how much it makes them feel valued.”
James Forrester, Operations Director (Accommodation) at VIVO Defence Services, said: “Well done to our RLO team for organising this and well done to the volunteers for such a great job, giving back to the many local military communities we serve.”
For more information about our Repairs Liaison Officers go to www.vivodefence.com/rlo
