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The Hedland Women’s Refuge, located in Port Hedland, Western Australia, offers round-the-clock emergency housing for women and children who are leaving situations of domestic or family violence or experiencing homelessness due to a crisis.
The Pilbara based refuge centre is managed by Shellene, who has been working in the area for several years. The centre is crucial in providing support to the most vulnerable communities, assisting up to 80 families a month across all of their programs.
The Hedland Women’s Refuge offers assistance to individuals and families affected by domestic or family violence and homelessness in the South Hedland, Port Hedland, and Pilbara areas of Western Australia. They provide accommodations, support services, information and referrals, as well as training and education.
“Hedland Women’s Refuge offers support through safety, and support planning to women and affected families experiencing, and/or escaping family or domestic violence, or are homeless due to safety risk. This is done through our Crisis accommodation and Outreach programs.”
“When I stepped into the role of Manager at Hedland Women’s Refuge, I recognised that as a priority the refuge was in much need of an upgrade.”
The centre had been neglected for years and was in dire need of repairs and maintenance. The vinyl flooring had worn down to the subfloor and the blue floors and grey walls gave off a mental health institution vibe instead of a welcoming and safe environment for families seeking support and shelter.
But for Shellene, it wasn’t as simple as picking and installing new floors. Time was of the essence, with any prolonged period of closure meaning that families in need would be turned away. Along with limiting the closure time, quality and durability were also key. With 80 families using the facility monthly, the chosen flooring solution needed to be robust and require very little maintenance and easy repairs.
But while functionality and practicality were top priorities, Shellene wanted to ensure the centre felt like home.
“We needed the centre to feel safe, feel warm and have the feeling of somewhere soft. First impressions are so important to get right, this supports positive engagement and helps create safety. Not just from an environment aspect but also from a place of self.”
Samual Vlahos, from Carpet Court in South Hedland, introduced Shellene to Altro. Sam knew that Altro’s adhesive-free product range would meet Shellene’s criteria for robust, high-quality products with strong guarantees, easy installation, cleaning, and maintenance.
Altro’s adhesive-free flooring ranges are easy to install and cause little disruption to users. This range can be installed over a variety of existing hard, smooth surfaces, such as vinyl, terrazzo, and paint, without the need for costly, dusty, and time-consuming removal processes, saving money on preparation and labour costs. Without the need for adhesives, installation time is cut in half and there is no downtime waiting for glue to dry or odours to disappear. Simply lay the flooring, weld it, and walk on it the same day.
Altro Wood adhesive-free was the chosen solution. It offers a safety woodlook flooring range with easy cleanability, perfect for decorative, homely or biophilic areas. It also has 14dB impact sound reduction, reducing disruptive noise transfer and providing greater comfort underfoot.
Thanks to the use of Altro Wood adhesive-free, the project was finished in less than a week instead of the three weeks that were estimated for other flooring options requiring a traditional adhesive installation.
The Altro Wood adhesive-free product not only met the necessary requirements but also delivered a cosy and inviting ambience with added acoustic capabilities that minimise noise transmission and create a private space for families. This was especially fitting since the facility occasionally accommodates mothers and their four children in a single room.
Shellene is delighted with the completed project, saying that Altro Wood adhesive-free ticks all the boxes.
Though we had a quick turnaround to complete the refurbishment project, we did not want this to impact quality, Altro has definitely delivered, and it softens the space assisting to create the feel we were after.
