The Oaklea Group is a charitable organisation whose purpose is to give vulnerable people the opportunity to live and work as independently as possible within their communities. Their mission is to support and care for people and communities so they can learn, develop and thrive. Right2Work, a Community Interest Company which is part of the Oaklea Group, asked Sound Reduction Systems Ltd (SRS) to deliver the project, subject to funding being secured. In late November 2025, Right2Work was successful in their application for funding through Westmorland and Furness’s, Cumbria’s Social Enterprise Partnership, UKSPF scheme.
The brief was unique due to the two facilities having completely different functions. The noise levels were causing issues in two of their locations for service users, team members and volunteers. The Appleby Hub Cafe & Community enterprise is in a former Methodist Chapel in the heart of a the busy, rural village. The Hub provides local residents and visitors with a place to rest, eat and drink and supports people with Learning Disabilities to gain new skills and confidence, as well as hosting many other functions and activities for the local community. The Furniture Warehouse also supports people with Learning Difficulties to develop new skills and supports the local community through the recycling and re-purposing of old and unwanted furniture.
In each instance the number of hard reflective surfaces within the rooms reduced speech intelligibility and made for an unpleasant and challenging acoustic environment, especially for those with hearing aids or an enhanced sensitivity to noise. This was unfortunately affecting Right2Work’s ability to support the local community effectively and, in some instances, some users had stopped attending the venues.
As part of the quoting process, SRS despatched a technical representative to measure and survey the rooms, create acoustic calculations and specifications using their Sonata acoustic absorbers, and generate visual solutions. Once funding was confirmed, SRS manufactured and installed the panels in both venues within three weeks.
Following the installation and after a few weeks to gauge results, Sarah Ross (Executive Assistant) at the Oaklea Group kindly provided the following comments from the venues:
Appleby Hub:
“The installation of the sound panels has made a real difference to us. Customers who had previously stopped attending workshops and coming to the cafe, due to not being able to cope with the noise, have now returned. We now see several of them weekly on Fridays. We also host a bellringers group, who have all told us that the acoustics are greatly improved since the panels have been installed. I was also pleased to see that, after the installation, the room was left beautifully with everything put back with care. It was lovely to see that they had put our fairy lights back up so delicately. There was a real attention to detail and no mess was left for us to sort out. I was very impressed by the service and the result.”
The Furniture Warehouse:
“It appears as though the installation of the panels has effectively reduced the echo effect of the noise within the recycling unit. When asked, the Learners have said that it is not as noisy anymore and staff feel that it has made a difference. Previously there were times when it was almost impossible to converse within the unit whilst there were a number of Learners deconstructing furniture because of the background noise and this is now less of an issue. Although it can sometimes still get noisy it is not as bad as it was and the panels see to have improved the environment within the recycling unit.”
"If you have a noise issue in your village / community hall, scout hut, school hall, or in any large, open area, we recommend the team at SRS. From the first moment we called them for a quote, through the application process and following, Alex and his team were professional, polite, efficient and friendly. They were quick in their response to our many questions and worked with us to ensure the funders requirements and very tight timelines were met."
SRS can help with soundproofing and sound absorption. You can fill in our simple 3 Step Estimator form by clicking here. The 3 Step Estimator works within your mobile device, so you can upload the pictures and information directly from site, if required. Alternatively, you can just email or whatsapp us with the room dimensions and a few pictures of the ceiling and walls in the room.
Useful Links:
Oaklea Trust: www.oakleatrust.co.uk
Appleby Hub: www.right2work.org.uk/appleby-hub/
The Furniture Warehouse: www.right2work.org.uk/furniture-warehouse/
