Proffitts CIC – Community Projects and Funding

”We are a small community group who manage and operate a Community Centre in Tanterton, Preston. We wanted to turn an unloved, difficult to maintain area attached to the Centre into a garden, our Garden Project, to benefit the local community and for them to enjoy. We engaged Proffitts to carry out the detail design and manage the construction phase for us as it was felt to be beyond our capacity. Rachael was their project lead. Rachael listened to us when we were in the early stages of preparing the brief particularly in respect of accessibility, planting and not least, cost. Ultimately she ensured delivery of our Garden Project on time and within our very tight budget constraints. We were kept well informed and involved by Rachael at all stages of the Project; from preparing the brief to receiving and assessing quotations from contractors, choosing the contractor, through on site construction to final valuation and invoicing. This took any potential stress out of the delivery process. We now have the garden that we envisioned when we first started fund raising some twelve months ago. It has been a pleasure working with Rachael and the team from Proffitts.” Alan Brookes – Trustee, Tanterton Village Centre – October 2024

”The restoration of Memorial Park has far surpassed my expectations, both in the quality of the improvements and the remarkable level of community interest and engagement throughout the project’s development. This initiative has fostered valuable partnerships between the Friends of Memorial Park, the local school, the Great Harwood Branch of the Royal British Legion, and the local Council’s Parks Service. As the Chair of the Friends of Memorial Park expressed, it has also helped to reignite a strong sense of community spirit within the town. The project’s success has been a key factor in the park earning the prestigious Green Flag Award for 2024-2025, setting a new standard for excellence that will serve as a benchmark in the years to come.” Mark Cassell-Pickup – Senior Parks Development Officer, Hyndburn Borough Council – September 2024.

”This popular, riverside footpath linking into Burrs Country Park has suffered with waterlogged conditions for several years. There have been logistical problems, such as the need to gain access across private farmland and the proximity of the Irwell that have prevented any meaningful improvements to the path. Rachael and Martin took on the project, liaised with the contractor and the landowner and facilitated drainage improvements ,resurfacing, revetment and partial clearance of the path together with the replacement of damaged fencing. All this was achieved to the satisfaction of the landowner and to the benefit of the many users of the path who no longer need to wear wellington boots to use the path. Hundreds of compliments have been paid by those users, both when out using the path and on social media. The project would not have been possible without the knowledge and professionalism of the contactor and the organisational and diplomacy skills of Rachael and Martin.” David Chadwick – Public Rights of Way Officer, Bury Council – May 2024.