Grayson partners with St Edmunds Society to enhance education with cutting-edge training materials

Grayson, a leading provider of construction consumables, is proud to announce a new partnership with St Edmunds Society (St Eds), a Norwich-based charity offering vocational training and employability skills training to young people aged 16-18. This collaboration aims to significantly enhance the learning experience for St Eds’ students by providing them with modern, up-to-date materials and equipment for training and teaching purposes.

An award-winning charity, St Eds offers a diverse range of courses and qualifications, including City and Guilds Multi-Skills Construction (L1) in which students can gain skills in carpentry, bricklaying, painting and decorating, plastering, tiling and plumbing, with the opportunity to specialise in these areas in an industry-approved training environment. St Eds also works closely with local schools to support students who find mainstream education challenging. Recognising the high-need nature of St Eds’ student cohort, the institution has a robust welfare team in place, providing extensive emotional and mental support beyond what is typically available in traditional schools and colleges, ensuring that students receive the care and guidance they need to succeed both academically and personally.

Through this partnership, Grayson has supplied St Eds’ construction department with state-of-the-art equipment and materials, including those for cavity wall construction and other specialised techniques used on-site. This contribution has enabled St Eds to expand its curriculum, offering more enrichment activities that go beyond standard qualification requirements. As a result, students can gain a deeper insight into the construction industry and hands-on experience with materials and techniques that are crucial for their future careers.

In addition to supplying equipment, Grayson works closely with the staff at St Eds to keep them up-to-date on the latest products and techniques, elevating the quality of education and ensuring that both tutors and students are well-acquainted with the modern materials currently used onsite. Grayson also recently sponsored the Construction Student of the Year Award at St Eds’ graduation ceremony in July. Katie Wills, Grayson’s Regional Manager for the South, attended the ceremony to recognise the hard work of the emerging talent and proudly presented the award to the deserving student.

“The tutors are thrilled with the new resources provided by Grayson,” says Heidi Duhig, Fundraising Manager at St Eds. “These are tools and materials we wouldn’t typically have access to due to budget constraints, and they allow us to provide a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience for our students. Thanks to Grayson’s support, we can now expose our students to a broader range of construction skills and knowledge, better preparing them for their future careers.”

Gary Smith, Lead Construction Tutor at St Eds, comments: “We have been able to develop our teaching methods with the resources that Grayson has been giving us. We are using realistic profiles on one model now, rather than using wooden profiles. Cavity walling is more realistic with the cavity stop socks they have generously given us, along with the lintels, cavity trays and weep holes.”

By partnering with St Eds, Grayson is helping to ensure that the next generation of tradespeople are equipped with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to succeed in the industry. Tony Higson, Managing Director at Grayson, adds: “We are incredibly proud to support St Edmunds Society in their mission to provide alternative education and practical training to young people. By equipping students with the latest materials and tools, we are helping to create a solid foundation for their future careers in construction. It’s essential that these students have access to the best resources, and we’re delighted to be a part of their journey.”