PAINTING and decorating students have put what they have been taught towards a great cause by revamping a building used by foundation learners.

The Reeds building, on East Durham College’s Houghall campus in Durham, comprised two old houses that served as the residence of the college principal during the 1960s and 1970s.

After some time of being unused, the college was debating either leaving or demolishing the building until vice-principal Gillian Forrester and EDC’s painting and decorating team formed a plan to give the building a new lease of life.

Over several weeks, nine of the college’s painting and decorating students gained valuable experience repainting the entire interior of the Reeds building.

Ms Forrester said: “This project brought together very different students from our Peterlee and Houghall campuses.

“All of them have worked so hard on the project and have created an amazing space for our foundation students to work, relax and learn in.”

The newly revamped building has bright, airy spaces with freshly painted walls, including a repainted kitchen and two learning areas. At the rear of the building, a corridor of artwork which was painted by foundation learners before the revamp has been left intact, with impressive anime, videogame and other media-inspired drawings still adorning the walls.

Craig Adams, 39, of Easington Lane, who is one of the students who worked on the project, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to do it, it’s definitely rewarding to see it finished.”

The newly revamped building was officially opened in late February with a special handover event where the foundation learners could look around the new building and meet with the painting and decorating students who carried out the work.

Adrian Otty, lecturer in painting and decorating, said: “Thank you very much for organising the hand over presentation. The students are delighted that their work is appreciated and all of the students - Craig Adams, Glenn Griffiths, Ryan Mortimer, Oscar Davis, Jordan Skinner, James Armstrong, Sam Kettel, Linda McDonnald and Kieron Naylor – should be extremely proud of their work.”