Apprentice school saved after building aquired

Started in 2002 by Ghanaian-born John Budu-Aggrey, Alpha Building Services Engineering trains more than 2,000 people a year aged 14 upwards on trades including gas, plumbing, electrical, tiling, and painting and decorating.

The centre had to move from its original building in Stratford in 2005 because it was on the site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games development. Four years after moving to its new home in Abbey Road, the company came under threat again after its landlord earmarked this building for sale.

Instead, Mr. Budu-Aggrey, who had invested more than £1 million refurbishing the site so it could be used as a training facility, approached Lloyds TSB Commercial for funding to buy the building. The school will now remain open, protecting 35 full-time and part-time jobs.

To expand the business, Mr. Budu-Aggrey plans to franchise the concept so that similar centres can be set up in major cities around the country including Manchester and Birmingham. He has also secured a contract to train staff for B&Q in the South East.

John Budu-Aggrey, Director of Alpha Building Services Engineering, said: “When I first came up with the idea of the trade school, I could not get financing because nobody believed this would be successful. Fortunately, Lloyds TSB Commercial shared my vision and the business has expanded over the past four years.

“We now have more control over our future, can offer continuity for the people we train and continue to serve the local community.”

Dave Jarman, Relationship Manager for Lloyds TSB Commercial, added: “The Alpha centre provides a high level of training for those going into the building trade and an important training facility for young people in the local area.

“By working closely with John, we understood the company’s ambitions and were able to quickly provide the funding the company needed to secure its future on the site.”