The housing team at Anthony Collins Solicitors (ACS) work on many property deals that help housing associations provide homes to people in need. But occasionally a piece of work comes in with an even greater degree of social purpose that emphasises the impact of the team’s work.

St Basils is a charity working with young people in the West Midlands to help them find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, and increase their opportunities.

At the end of 2019, the charity instructed us to negotiate the purchase of a former housing association sheltered accommodation building in Coventry. Their goal was to turn the empty building into 32 one-bedroom flats for young people. We successfully exchanged and completed the purchase in time to allow the refurbishment works to be completed and Lorna Esien Court to be opened in time for Christmas 2020.

Building homes and boosting confidence

As well as working on the property transaction, ACS also acted on the Heart of England Community Foundation grant that funded the purchase as part of their Building Better Lives programme.

Although well-known in Birmingham, this building will give St Basils a bigger presence in Coventry and help extend the work they do with vulnerable young people. As well as providing 32 new homes, this centre will provide the residents with training and employment programmes to build their confidence.

Welcoming new residents

Completion couldn’t have come at a better time according to St Basils chief executive, Jean Templeton;

For Karen Wells and Laura Moore, the ACS property lawyers who worked on the transaction, the significance of helping with a project like this really added to what was a fairly straightforward property deal. As Karen says;