Lady in Red Plasterer, Naima Ben Moussa, is harnessing her trade skills for a very worthy cause – and inviting other builders to join her. for a very worthy cause – and inviting other builders to join her. Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks to the founder of a domestic abuse survivors’ charity
Last year Professional Builder reported on the inspiring story of Naima Ben Moussa, a young spreader who is utilising her plastering skills to help those in need. After she was called in to renovate the home of a domestic abuse victim whose home had sustained significant damage from her partner, she would harness the power of social media in raising over £80,000 to come to the aid of women in a similar predicament, gaining considerable press attention along the way, as well as being nominated for a Trade Hero award and Woman of the Year award. Since then, Naima has set up her own charity, Rebuilding Lives UK, which is dedicated to helping domestic abuse survivors to move on with their lives.
Naima explains the vital work that her organisation is undertaking: “I’m managing the jobs, as well as being hands on, and for safety reasons we have to ensure that there are two people working in a survivor’s property at all times. We also have to carry personal alarms with us, carry out detailed risk assessments for every project, as well as ensure that everyone is aware of what to do should a confrontation occur. In addition to repairs, we’re fitting security cameras and new secure locks in properties, as well as working in partnership with other domestic abuse charities, including Manchester Women’s Aid. In fact, we now have agencies working in the domestic abuse field regularly contacting us asking for support with their cases.”
Making a difference
Even though it is less than a year since its inception, Rebuilding Lives UK has helped sixteen individual women and counting, but Naima has ambitions to extend the scope and reach of the charity still more. “Witnessing what some of these women and their children go through is all the motivation we need to go much further with what we’re doing,” she reveals. “We were recently working on a property where all the doors had been kicked in. What’s most affecting is interacting with the kids in these situations, because it’s so obvious that they’re traumatised by it. We replaced all the doors and fitted a security system front and rear of the house and, if a degree of normality and protection can make a modicum of difference to their lives, then that’s a genuine achievement. A lot of people in these situations feel very alone and trapped. Realising that there are people out there willing to help can be uplifting in itself.”
Volunteer trades
Naima has developed a network of tradespeople who have been willing to give up their time to work on her vital voluntary work and is eager to recruit more. “We have individuals who come in for just a few hours, and some who give up their weekends. The jobs themselves are more often than not the kind of thing that most general builders could undertake, and we’ve even had retired builders helping us out. Tradespeople who volunteer their services can make a real difference to someone’s life.”
Naima is also developing links with manufacturer’s including British Gypsum who are working with the charity to provide a bespoke training course aimed at domestic abuse survivors. It’s designed to help them develop the skills needed to maintain their own domestic space, as well as more information about careers in construction. “There’s so many people who are supporting us, but I’d like to thank Gareth Dunn, Service Innovation Director at British Gypsum,” enthuses the proprietor of Lady in Red Plasterer. “He’s been very supportive of what we’re trying to do. The company has also committed to supplying materials for our jobs, along with some builders’ merchants.”
“We’ve got more and more people coming on board to help us with our work, and they’re raising funds through their own events. The ambition is to develop nationwide coverage so we can help those in need in every part of the country. I’m being contacted all the time by survivors looking for support, so I’m acutely aware of the need and there are tradespeople out there who can make a difference. Our long-term ambition is to refurbish properties that can be used as safe houses and sanctuaries for people fleeing their abusers.”
For further information on Rebuilding Lives UK visit https://rebuildinglives-uk.org/
