Vana O’Brien who is a resident at one of our Empty Homes properties in Brighton has been named joint runner-up in the Youthbuild UK Young Builder of the Year Awards. Youthbuilds awards celebrate the achievements of young people who, despite having to overcome a range of barriers, have succeeded in training for and or gaining employment in the construction industry.
For the past few years Vana has worked hard to gain a Level 3 qualification in bricklaying from City College Brighton & Hove. But it wasn’t an easy start for Vana who was homeless for the first six months of her course. Despite this Vana persevered and linked up with college services to secure housing and build a support network.
