UYO Office undergoes transformation!

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September 13, 2017
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October 12, 2017

UYO Office undergoes transformation!

When Paula Klein (General Manager) and Ruth McCann (Administrator) returned from their annual orchestral residential course this summer they were speechless when they found that their very cramped, dark and narrow office space based on Royal Avenue had been transformed into the office of their dreams.

The makeover was created and installed in-kind by the team from IKEA Belfast. The new office features extensive BESTA storage from floor to ceiling, in a luxe white finish, sleek grey LÅNGFJÄLL office chairs, state-of-the-art height adjusting BEKANT desks, simplistic white frames for Ulster Youth Orchestra’s performance posters, brand new carpet courtesy of Seymour Dugan Interiors in Lisburn and fresh white walls, courtesy of Dulux Decorator Centre in Belfast. GTM Relocations enabled the whole process to run smoothly by very generously collecting the office equipment and paperwork, storing and returning it when the makeover was complete.

Rachel Trousdale, Marketing Manager, IKEA Belfast commented; “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people which for us also extends beyond the home environment. We know that people are spending more of their time in the workplace and IKEA has a fantastic range to make their workday just as wonderful as home. We enjoyed collaborating with UYO and the challenge of creating an environment they wanted to work in every day. We listened to the staff’s need for more storage and floor space as their current furniture filled the entire room.

“By changing the office layout, replacing the old bulky furniture and adding built-in wall storage, the room gained more natural light and physical space, which instantly created an office fit for productivity and creativity.”

Paula and Ruth commented on the unveiling of their office’s new look –

“Our old office was oppressive and cluttered. Over the years we had amassed quite a collection of mismatched desks and cabinets, most of which were too big for our compact space. It was difficult to work in such a cramped space as storage was so limited and we were unable to open our window without precariously climbing onto the filing cabinet! It was impossible to have a meeting in our office as there wasn’t even the space for another chair. We love what we do, but facilitating everyday tasks in the office was physically difficult.”

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“We were genuinely speechless when we returned from our annual orchestral residential course. We had seen the plans beforehand but were amazed how it was possible to turn our office into such a light, bright and airy space. The clever storage solutions and the height altering desks have made the room so adaptable, and now there is enough floor space to gladly welcome visitors into our office.”

“The whole look now is stylish, professional and sets the right tone for the future, as we enter our 25th anniversary year in 2018.”

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SNip Ikea 2

David Smyth, Chair of the Ulster Youth Orchestra stated; “We are delighted at IKEA’s makeover. The UYO operates on a careful budget and the Board are aware of the severely restricted office space where every square foot counts. As always the standards of the UYO come first and this act of generosity is much appreciated and will be of great benefit.”

Paula added; “With UYO being a charity we hadn’t felt that we could indulge in the luxury of a new work space. The quality of our services to our young players was and still is the main focus therefore focusing on the office took a back seat.

24 August 2017 - Picture by Darren Kidd /Press Eye.

 Picture by Darren Kidd /Press Eye.

“There are not enough words to express our gratitude to IKEA Belfast, Seymour Dugan Interiors, Dulux Decorator Centre Belfast and GTM Relocations. Each morning we take our shoes off at the door and spend a few minutes gazing lovingly at our new office before we even switch on our computers!”

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