It’s been an incredibly busy few months here at RUSH 2The DEN, and we wanted to share what’s been happening behind the scenes.
While it’s been hard work, we’re so excited to finally say that our first upstairs room is now ready! River has already been let loose with the paintbrush, bringing the new space to life.
But getting here hasn’t been straightforward…
It Started with The Snug
The first step was closing The Snug, reducing our three-room venue to just two usable spaces while work got underway.
Then the demolition began.
- The craft cupboard came out.
- A hole appeared in the ceiling.
- The loft hatch was removed.
- A new doorway was created.
Everything was going according to plan…
Then the Building Had Other Ideas
When we finally got a proper look into the loft space, we discovered something we definitely weren’t expecting.
The concrete slab we’d planned around simply wasn’t there.
That discovery meant completely rethinking the project.
Instead of carrying on as planned, we had to remove the old bitumen, packing materials, floorboards and shims before installing brand new floorboards and steelwork.
As you can imagine, that added both time and cost to the project.
Then Came the Heatwave…
Just as the new steelwork arrived, the summer heatwave hit.
To make things even more challenging, the steels had to be spliced, which meant installing and hand-tightening 360 high-tensile bolts.
That single job took over two weeks.
Despite working through some incredibly hot weather, the fantastic team from Larkin Homes Ltd kept going. To stay safe, they worked upstairs during the cooler mornings before moving downstairs in the afternoons.
During that time they also:
- Replaced the ceiling in The Snug
- Built the secondary staircase
- Completed plastering
- Carried out electrical work
More Progress Every Week
Once the steelwork was finally in place, the supporting walls were built and the original beams removed.
Thankfully, that also meant the team no longer had to climb through the old support struts (or collect any more splinters!).
Flitch beams were then installed, allowing the first four Velux windows to go in.
At the same time, Commerce Windows Ltd replaced the kitchen and toilet windows downstairs.
Inside the building, the transformation has continued with:
- Wall insulation
- Plasterboarding
- Electrical wiring
- Decorating beginning upstairs
For the first time in around 50 years, the rear of our building is seeing natural daylight and fresh air.
Thank You to an Incredible Team
None of this would be possible without the amazing people giving their time, skill and hard work.
A huge thank you to the fantastic team from Larkin Homes:
- Chippy Dave
- Kev
- Connor
- Alfie
Along with:
- Jake, our electrician
- Chris, our incredibly skilled plasterer
- Our very own Bomber, the plumber
You are all absolute stars.
What’s Happening Now?
The team is now removing the old ceiling in the main hall.
That means all of our Tots and Youth Club sessions have temporarily moved into local parks while the work continues.
We’re still having lots of fun, and we can’t wait to move everyone back into our fantastic new mezzanine space once the dust settles.
The Next Big Question…
The next stage depends on one very important question:
Will we have to splice the remaining steels as well?
If the answer is yes, the bolts will be even larger than those we’ve already installed, the work will take significantly longer, and unfortunately the costs will increase again.
The unexpected steelwork has already added both time and expense to the project, but we’re determined to see it through.
We Still Need Your Help
After three long months, we’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come.
There’s still plenty of work to do, and we’re continuing to raise funds to get the project finished.
If you’re able to help, we’d be so grateful if you could donate or simply share our GoFundMe page with friends and family.
Every donation and every share helps us get one step closer to opening an even bigger and better RUSH 2The DEN for our community.