We all know that there are many Tradespeople out there who go above and beyond for their Customers. Doing that little bit extra to make the job great but Naima Ben-Moussa, a Plasterer from Greater Manchester, has gone a whole lot further still!
Having gained a qualification in plastering, she set up her own business, but nothing prepared her for the destruction she witnessed when she visited a lady in need of her services. She had just entered a home destroyed by domestic violence. The Domestic Abuse Survivor, who had three small children, had been left in a house that was barely livable, and the lady’s outlook was bleak.
After speaking with the lady and surveying the damage, Naima knew that she could and desperately wanted to help. Having grown up with Domestic Violence herself, Naima wanted to give the lady and her children their home back. So Naima offered to do the plastering free of charge and set up a crowd fundraising page to cover the cost of the materials.
What happened next blew Naima away and set Naima on a path to help as many survivors of domestic violence as she possibly could.
Naima’s work was featured in the Russel Howard Show in a short piece designed to restore viewer’s faith in humanity. Naima’s work had been brought to the attention of Jeremy Vine who interviewed her on his radio show. Jeremy was so moved by her actions that he donated generously to her cause and so did many of his Listeners. Naima’s crowd funding exceeded her expectations and she realised that she could help many more Survivors of Domestic Abuse. So Naima established a registered Charity, called Rebuilding Lives UK, and hasn’t stopped working for it since!
Working with the Trustees and with award winning journalist Nina Hossain as Ambassador, Naima efforts in setting up Rebuilding Lives UK were recently rewarded by winning Fix Radio’s “Trade Hero of the Year” at Construction Week 2022.
The Charity has received an amazing amount of support from local Building Merchants and has established a partnership with British Gypsum, who have not only donated plastering materials but are also working with the Charity to set up a course tailored specifically for Survivors to be able to repair their own homes.
The Charity, is now at the stage where they are receiving referrals for work from Domestic Violence Agencies in Manchester, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Macclesfield.
The referrals are for property repairs including; plastering, joinery, decorating, carpet fitting, CCTV installation and anything else needed to restore the Survivors property back to a safe, livable condition.
In addition to property repairs, the Charity has an holistic approach, including the use of local support organisations and counselling, to enable Survivors to take back control of their lives and giving them hope for the future.
Naima, CEO of the Charity, said “We are currently recruiting Tradespeople to help the Charity, especially in Manchester, Nottingham and Derbyshire areas where the first referrals are being generated. Likewise, we are also looking for Companies who would be willing to sponsor either materials, labour, expertise or raffle prizes. We are a fun and friendly Charity who would really welcome your support and you could make a difference to a Survivor’s life. We would love you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. A big thank you to all the people and Companies who have helped us to far.”.
Whilst the Charity is currently based in Manchester, Rebuilding Lives UK aim is to become nationwide and reach as many Survivors as it can.
Rebuilding Lives UK is funded through the generosity of donations, time given by local Tradespeople and the support of Sponsors.
If you are interested in helping the Charity in any way please email naima@rebuildinglives-uk.org.
Much more detail on the Charity, including making a financial donation can be found on the website.
