Aspire House Opening
Long held vision of providing a home for homeless women becomes a reality
Since the start of the covid pandemic the Trust had cherished the goal of creating and opening a house dedicated specifically to safeguard, accommodate and support homeless women. For over 10 years the Trust has been supporting women and families out across the Community seeking to safeguard them, support them, and provide for their needs. In 2024 the Trust reached out and cared for 94 women and mothers who were either homeless, in danger of becoming homeless, or in need. For so many years the Trust recognised that while it could do so much it lacked the final critical part of the ‘service’ namely lacked a property in which it could provide safe, secure supported accommodation to enable homeless women to re-build their lives.
In 2022 a property came on the market via a property auction in London. This property was suitable and it was in the right location. On the market for £350,000 it was right in terms of size and potential layout. However, the property required absolutely gutting …….. in other words to make it fit for purpose it needed a fortune spending on it. The Trust took the decision, in faith, to go for it. A deposit of £110,000 had been raised in the previous couple of years so this coupled with a mortgage for £240,000 was taken out and the house purchased. The house was on Main Street – No 16, the house effectively semi-detached from the Trust main property at No.14 Main Street.
The Trust engaged with architects and surveyors. Plans were prepared and submitted to the Council Planning Department. The plans were approved. The architects and the surveyors worked up their estimate of cost and the Project was put out to Tender. The new dedicated female house was going to cost fractionally just under £600,000 to construct and create. The original house would be stripped back to bare brick walls, all the electrics and plumbing, the windows and the doors would be stripped out. Moden building standards and regulations would require high standards of insulation and build quality. Fire safety systems would need installing. Building materials would have to meet stringent fire safety regulations.
While the plans and preparations where progressing the Trust needed to be busy looking to raise the funds to undertake the work as, at that time, the Trust did not have £600,000 within its funds.
With dedication, hard work and planning the Trust set about this major fund raising challenge. The community was so supportive recognising how vital the new dedicated women’s house and service would be.
The work commenced in May 2024. During the course of the works a number of major issues arose which provided both time and cost implications. It became known that the house did not have its own independent direct water supply but shared a ‘feed’ with other properties. This challenge meant having to engage with Severn Trent Water and also the Highways Agency as it would be necessary to excavate Main Street to establish a direct water supply from the mains to the house. In parallel contact needed to be made with National Grid and the Trust utility supplier as it was necessary to upgrade the electricity supply to 3 Phase Power another task which required the Highways Agency to grant a licence to excavate the road.
These works caused the Trust to examine the large copper beech on the front corner of the property in greater detail. A tree specialist examined the tree and raised immediate concerns about its safety as it was recognised that the tree was dying from the inside. This prognosis relating to the tree led to the decision that, in the interest of public safety, it would be wise to have the tree removed at this stage rather than wait for a potential accident occurring later. In due course, having faced these additional challenges, the works to complete the construction phase was completed. The Trust then moved to fitting the house out, recruiting and training the all-female staff team ready to welcome the first residents.
Official Opening:
The Official Opening was led by Rev Anne Wilkins, the Vicar of All Saints Sawley and Chaplain to Aspire House who started the proceedings in prayer.
Sue Brady, Co-Chair of Trustees, welcomed all the Trust’s guests, staff and residents to the formal opening. Sue spoke of the Trust’s ambitions to create and develop a dedicated house and service to safeguard, accommodate and support women who were homeless. There is no other such facility in Erewash or in fact in the majority of Derbyshire. The formal opening is the culmination of many years of planning, hard work, fund raising, and prayer.
Aspire House was officially opened on Saturday 12th July 2025. Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire kindly performed the official opening.
The Deputy Mayor of Erewash, Cllr Greg Maskalick, together with the Member of Parliament for Erewash, Rt Hon Adam Thompson attended and shared their thoughts and wishes for the future of the new women’s service.
The Mayor of Broxtowe, Cllr Robert Bullock was in attendance as the Trust works with Broxtowe Borough Council supporting individuals from the Borough who may be homeless o in danger of becoming homeless.
Derbyshire County Council was represented by Cllr Jodie Brown, Vice Chair of Derbyshire County Council. Cllr Brown has taken a personal interest in the work of Aspire House both in terms of volunteering as well as sourcing funding to enable the female residents engage in activities such as bread making.
Kevin Curtis, Project Manager, spoke to thank everyone from across the community who supported the Trust in making Aspire House a reality. So many individuals, community groups, and churches helped with fund raising. A number of specific organisations and local businesses in particular provided exceptional support for the project.
Severn Trent Water provided a large grant of £54,000 to support the construction of the Multifunction Room which sits at the rear of the main house. The Multifunction Room will provide facilities in which residents of Aspire House can engage in an extensive range of Life Skill Training – daily living skills, budgeting; sexual health; cooking; crafts; DIY skills. Also providing the opportunity to gain skills relating to employability. The Trust’s professional counsellor leads group sessions dealing with emotional intelligence – emotional regulation, anxiety, anger management, social skills, self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy. The Multifunction Room could also provide a resident woman who has been separated from her child or children a safe space in which to have direct contact with her child or children providing the opportunity to spend quality time with their child/children in a safe controlled space which has suitable facilities for the mother to not only spend time with her child/children engaging in recreational activities but also enable her to cook and share a meal with them.
Long Eaton Appliances – Dave Rowland the owner and M.D from early in the Trust’s plans to create Aspire House declared that his company, Long Eaton Appliances would provide and build the kitchen at no cost to the Trust. Dave also undertook to appeal to each and everyone of his suppliers seeking to persuade them to donate the white goods and other appliances needed to fit the kitchen out. Dave was true to his word and every appliance needed for the kitchen was duly secured.
UK Centre of Quality Upholstery Manufacturer Brand – there are over 20 major upholstery manufacturers in the Long Eaton Area who collective operate under this brand name. Long Eaton is the Centre of Excellence for the Manufacture of Upholstery. The members of the Brand generously offered to donate the four two-seater sofas to Aspire House. The sofas were made to the highest quality standard and not only enhance the house and its facilities today but will serve the women who come to live in Aspire House for many years to come.
Trish Eaton closed the formal proceedings by thanking all of the Trust’s dignitaries and valued guests for coming and participating in this precious occasion. As a mark of the Trust’s appreciation and gratitude Trish presented the Lord Lieutenant, Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, with a special small token from the occasion. Trish also presented a small token of appreciation to the Trust’s other civic guests.
For the Trust now, post the formal opening, the real work begins. Aspire House has been created and built – now comes the “re-building of lives”. Your continued support and your continued caring will be critical.
If you would like to make a donation to support the Trust in its on-going work your support will be valued……. “thank you for caring”.
Canaan Trust Homeless Charity
The Canaan Trust relies on your charitable donation and support. Please help us continue to rebuild lives.