Barnardo Gardens

Important Safety Works at Barnardo Gardens

We are committed to ensuring Barnardo Gardens continues to be a safe place to live. To do this, we regularly work with safety experts to check the building and carry out work to improve fire safety measures.

After carrying out ventilation shaft testing in specific properties in February 2025, we are now moving into the next phase of essential fire safety improvements. Find out more details about upcoming internal surveys and future works below.

Contact our Fire Safety team

Next steps: internal surveys at all properties

Thank you for your cooperation during our recent safety tests. These checks have given us a much clearer understanding of the ventilation shafts.

Now we have carried out these tests, we can begin planning the next stage of fire safety improvements works at Barnardo Gardens.

To plan the works, we need to carry out internal surveys on all properties to help us identify where we can make improvements. They will be carried out by our contractor, M Dyson Ltd. Here's what to expect from the survey:

20-minute visit per home
Checks and photographs of:
- Bathroom, kitchen, airing cupboard
- Escape routes and windows
- Smoke/heat detectors, fuse board
Surveyors may need to move personal items

You’ll be contacted directly by M Dyson Ltd. to book an appointment — please respond promptly. These surveys are vital for identifying where safety upgrades are needed, and the quicker we complete them, the quicker we can begin works.

In the meantime, please remember to leave the building immediately if your smoke alarm goes off — this is crucial for your safety. If there is a fault in the ventilation system, smoke could spread quickly in the event of a fire.

If your smoke alarm goes off, please leave the building immediately.

Future fire safety improvement works

Once surveys are complete, we’ll begin fire safety works to improve compartmentation between flats — ensuring 60 minutes of smoke and heat resistance.

When the works are set to begin, you'll receive:

A full scope of works.
Contact details for our team and contractors.
A detailed schedule.

We’ll also let you know about any direct impacts to your home and how the contractor will set up on site.

Fire door installations

We’re pleased to confirm that the Building Safety Regulator has approved the installation of new fire-rated front entrance and communal doors. Our contractor, Ventro, are set to begin installing them in early July 2025. Affected residents will be contacted directly to book appointments. We will be in touch soon with more details.

Your safety matters

We understand that conversations about safety, particularly around fire, can be sensitive and may cause worry. These checks are part of our ongoing work to keep Barnardo Gardens safe, meet regulations, and fix any issues before they become a problem.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we carry out these essential checks.

How you can help

To help reduce fire risks:

Please regularly check your smoke alarms are working properly. We recommend doing this once a week - use the test button and replace batteries if needed.

Report any fire risks to our safety team : fire-safety@thch.org.uk

Thank you for helping us keep Barnardo Gardens safe.

Visit our Fire Safety page