A shipping container conversion specialist has delivered an order to help homeless families in London after receiving support from a European funding programme.
ISO Spaces, which is based in Truro, has delivered 88 social housing units to a London borough council.
After delivering 34 units in 2016, ISO Spaces was asked to provide more converted one, two and three-bedroom containers to provide emergency relocation for homeless people.
Ben Treleaven, co-founder and managing director of ISO Spaces, said: “The number of homeless people and families in the area was growing and the Council found they were having to relocate up to 130 families a week.
“They wanted to provide a quick, high quality solution to enable those families to stay in the area, as well as be more cost effective than using B&Bs.
“The containers that we design and build in Cornwall will be used to provide an interim housing solution on a brownfield site while the Council develop additional social housing.”
In order to fulfil the contract, ISO Spaces needed to invest in casters to allow the containers to be moved easily around the company’s factory in Par.
Treleaven added: “The casters lock into the bottom of the containers and make moving them from station to station much easier. It means that we can be more efficient.
“However, as there is only one container caster manufacturer in the UK, the cost is high and we needed 30 sets.
“To complete the order and once again show that a Cornish business can provide an innovative solution, we spoke with the BIG2 team about funding opportunities.”
BIG2 programme manager, Anna Staevska, said: “The work that ISO Spaces showcases Cornish ingenuity and innovation to the rest of the world.
“It was a straightforward decision for us to back the project and it’s great to know that our support will help families in need.
“We’re actively seeking other businesses that have projects that will create jobs and deliver growth to invest in.”
BIG2 is delivered by Cornwall Development Company and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It aims to support 200 businesses in Cornwall with growth projects, and create 360 jobs by 2019.
