NIFHA Press Room
Big Build 2010 .... 1 week....150 volunteers.....12 homes
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Last year Habitat for Humanity celebrated its 15th year in Northern Ireland, with a Big Build to Romania, where 180 volunteers built 10 homes 1 week alongside orphan-headed families. It was an amazing experience for all who had a hand in it and the plan is to do it again in 2010!Big Build brings together people from all across Northern Ireland to build not just houses but community and hope. No building skills are needed, just a big heart. All shapes, sizes, old and young, men and women are fully able to participate. This year we’re challenging 150 people to volunteer in Romania to build 12 homes in 1 week.
Chief Executive Officer of Housing Executive Paddy McIntyre and local politicians Declan O’Loan and Ian Paisley were amongst almost 200 people from all over Northern Ireland who took part in Big Build 2009, travelling to Beius, Western Romania and building 10 homes alongside orphan headed families in just one week. Every day around the world Habitat helps families build their way out of poverty. Every Habitat home is built with the homeowners own hands and paid for at a price they can afford. This year the goal is to serve more than 50,000 families. Peter Farquharson, Executive Director, HFHNI said ‘As we celebrated 15 years of Habitat’s work in Northern Ireland by building big in Romania it was a real encouragement to have representation from the NI Assembly and strategic partners like the Housing Executive at the Big Build. This strategic engagement provided a platform for Habitat Romania to reach out to local and national politicians and policy makers as they work to eliminate poverty housing in Romania. Commenting on the Housing Executive’s involvement with HFHNI, Chief Executive Paddy McIntyre said,
“The Housing Executive is delighted to have been involved in the Big Build project last year, it was a humbling experience for all those involved in helping the families in Beius. Over the last number of years many of our staff have volunteered through Habitat’s Global Village Programme. We will continue to support Habitat in their work to address housing need for vulnerable families across the globe.”
Northern Ireland’s housing sector was well represented with volunteers from Clanmil, Trinity Housing, Habinteg and NIHE coming from across Northern Ireland.
Also participating in the Build were the British and Irish Ambassadors to Romania and Jan Sorenson, UN representative to the EU who launched the 2009 UN report on Global Poverty at the Big Build site on World Habitat Day, Monday 5th October. The Big Build was the biggest celebration of World Habitat day in Europe a day when we are called to affirm that adequate shelter is a basic human right.
Habitat for Humanity Romania, after 12 years of ongoing work in Beius, are within sight of eliminating poverty housing within this small Northern town. The Casa Alba, 'White House', project will provide homes for 8 families in desperate need of decent shelter. They have waited 20 years for this opportunity and this project will utterly transform their lives. For more information click here
The challenge is to raise a minimum of £1850 in support of Habitat for Humanity. This covers flights, accommodation, food and clean drinking water, transport, first aid provision, orientation materials and a significant donation to co-sponsor the 12 homes with our partners in Habitat for Humanity Romania.
We have chartered a plane, leaving Dublin on 2nd October and returning 9th October.
We just need 150 Big Builders to join us!
Watch how it was done last year! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_iAzlLJyuI
Want to know more?...visit www.habitatni.co.uk
