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Upkeep
15th April 2009
In the winter 2007 issue of Switched On, we reported that we were working with the charity ‘Upkeep’ to add safety information to the electrical display they had built with the help of the Electrical Contractors’Association.
Upkeep is an educational charity based at The Building Centre in central London, where it has a permanent exhibition about buildings and how to look after them. Visitors can see full-sized displays of sections of buildings and building services, as well as gather information about home maintenance and environmental sustainability.
Upkeep delivers a busy programme of training courses to about 2,000 people each year, using the exhibition as a learning resource. Course participants can use the exhibits to learn how buildings work. As well as introducing important electrical safety information to the display, which shows a complete domestic electrical installation, we have refurbished it to make it more interesting and realistic for visitors and those attending training courses.
As can be seen from the ‘before and after’ photographs, the refurbishment has made the display a real focal point of the exhibition. The new messaging, which includes energy saving tips as well as electrical information and safety warning signs, has made it easier to understand. In return for our help in refurbishing and enhancing their display, Upkeep distribute our safety leaflets to their visitors, and include information about the Electrical Safety Council and our electrical safety DVD in the training packs for their Domestic Electrical and Heating Installations course. This course is part of the Upkeep/City & Guilds Certificate for Repair Staff, which is available to people working for housing providers, contractors, property companies and estate agents.
To find out more about Upkeep, visit their website at www.upkeep.org.uk or see their exhibition at The Building Centre in London, to which admission is free of charge.
