SIFA Fireside are a leading charity based in Birmingham helping the most vulnerable citizens find long-term, sustainable routes out of homelessness.

Following a flood at the SIFA Fireside site, Tom Rochford (National Operations Manager for OnSite Drainage Services) was keen to get in touch to see if OnSite could be of assistance.

Tom and a team of OnSite engineers arrived today to conduct a drainage survey on both the storm and foul drainage at the SIFA Fireside premises.

SIFA Fireside CEO Carly Jones said: “The last six months have certainly challenged us, from COVID-19 in March to the flood in June. We’ve had so much support from the community and the work that OnSite are doing for us will ensure we fix the current drainage issues and prevent further floods.  I can’t thank Tom and the team enough for making this happen.  We look forward to continued working with OnSite in the future as we put long-term plans in place to stormproof the building and maintain the drainage system.”

Following a thorough investigation and discussion with the SIFA Fireside team, OnSite have developed a strategy and solution to the drainage issues, eliminating any hindrance to SIFA Fireside and the great work they do within the community.

Unrelated to the flood, the OnSite team also identified another drainage issue at the entrance to the building. This has previously affected the accessibility of some service users to the centre and created risks in winter conditions. The SIFA Fireside team had done their best to keep problems at bay, however, Tom was keen to eliminate the issue completely. OnSite will be back to rectify the issue making the front access point safer and easier to access for all service users.

“Using OnSite’s CCTV survey equipment, in conjunction with iTouch software, we were able to survey the system and share the results and our initial thoughts straight away with the client.”
Tom Rochford – National Operations Manager

OnSite are excited to commence what will be a long relationship supporting SIFA Fireside and the remarkable work they do with the most vulnerable people in Birmingham.