Multi-disciplinary construction company Dowds Group swapped their offices and sites for a kitchen last month to cook up a storm and provide meals for a community in London. Dowds has partnered with Cook for Good, a non-profit organisation that works with companies to offer a combination of team building with a strong social responsibility dimension. The charity’s initiatives aim to tackle food insecurity, social isolation and health inequality in a social housing estate in King’s Cross. Dowds Group’s London team rolled up their sleeves and worked as a team to cook up 100 delicious and nutritious meals that were available to the local community the next day. “This is a great way  for the team to bond outside of the office environment, but most  importantly it was an opportunity to give back to  the community,” said James Culloty, Director of Dowds Group, London. “Almost half of those living in the King Cross housing state are below the London living wage and 1 in 4 say they are facing real financial challenges, so we hope this session has a meaningful impact.” “We loved having the Dowds Group team in the Cook for Good kitchen. They were great sports, working hard to cook up a huge amount of food for our community whilst having a load of fun along the way,” commented Miriam Emanuel, Partnerships Manager at Cook for Good. “The meals they created have been shared with two local outreach organisations, and we are investing the profits into our wider community programme, so they have created long-lasting impact, too. We would like to thank the team for choosing a charity with social impact for their teambuilding event and look forward to welcoming more teams from Dowds Group into our kitchen soon.” Cook for Good aims to provide 8,500 meals to the community between this year and the next. The organisation’s projects also include a surplus food pantry, where members spend £3.50 a week for a basket of items worth between up to £35, a community kitchen with cooking classes for Kings Cross residents and bespoke health and wellbeing programmes for key groups that need extra support. Dowds Group’s corporate responsibility activities are organised through their ‘Health Matters’ programme, which was established and chaired MD, James Dowds in 2018.  The programmes initial remit was to look at ways of improving the physical and mental wellbeing of Dowds staff, however they quickly expanded the programme to widen the benefits derived for the business and the local communities where they operate. Today, Health Matters continues to cover a wide range of initiatives promoting good physical and mental wellbeing for the Dowds team, but also charity fundraising, sponsorship and awareness campaigns, community engagement and volunteering. Managing Director, James Dowd said: “We’ve been in our Kings Cross Office for just over 18 months now and we feel very well established in the area.  Initiatives such as Cook for Good reflect our concern for the wellbeing of the Kings Cross community and provide us with the opportunity to mark our commitment to building relationships with local residents.  We hope this will be the first of many such initiatives, it is a great way to  support the community whilst allowing our team to builder stronger connections. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Panattoni, a leading global developer of industrial real estate, has successfully completed the Expo Real Charity Bike Ride 2024, cycling from Prague to the International Expo Real fair in Munich. This year’s ride aimed to support the Association of Parents and Friends of Blind and Visually Impaired Children in the Czech Republic, a long-standing organisation dedicated to assisting children with severe visual impairments. Thanks to the generous contributions of participants and other donors, the bike ride raised a total of CZK 281,287 (c. €11,000), exceeding the initial target by over 100%. A total of 33 participants, including 15 cyclists from Panattoni Czech Republic, Germany, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, and Poland, took part in the event. The 3-day ride of 450 km led from Prague via Pilsen and Regensburg to Munich, where it was completed on October 6, 2024. The route was demanding, with over 3,000 meters of elevation gain, posing a significant physical and mental challenge for all participants. The main goal of the bike ride was to support the Association of Parents and Friends of Blind and Visually Impaired Children in the Czech Republic, which is dedicated to providing essential services for children with visual impairments. Donations enable the Association to organise swimming and physiotherapy programs, as well as integration meetings for children and their families. Additionally, the Association is creating a unique library of tactile books, allowing children to access literature through touch. Financial contributions made through the Emil Foundation will help these children develop their abilities and better integrate into society. As a leading global company, Panattoni is fully committed to its social responsibility. I’m delighted to see so many participants from around the world actively involved in projects like this. This event demonstrates that we can both individually and collectively help those in need,” says Artur Mokrzycki, Head of Capital Markets Europe, Panattoni. In total, 64 contributions from various donors will be used to support the activities of the Association and to directly help two specific children in need. One beneficiary is little Tobík, who will receive rehabilitation and physiotherapy to support his motor development. Another part of the funds will go to Valinka, who suffers from a rare genetic disease. These funds will be used for hippotherapy and other rehabilitation care to help slow the progression of her disease. Pavel Sovička, Managing Director of Panattoni for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, also expressed his joy at the success of this charity event: “I’m extremely proud of all my colleagues who made the challenging journey despite the autumn weather to support a good cause. Thanks to their determination, we were able to support children who truly need help. The amount raised will help the Association of Parents and Friends of Blind and Visually Impaired Children in the Czech Republic continue to provide crucial services for blind children. We were also able to support the specific cases of Tobík and Valinka, who will receive much-needed help in their fight against their serious illnesses.” Panattoni confirms it’s long-standing commitment to the “Good Neighbour” initiative and actively contributes to community development beyond its business focus through charitable and socially responsible projects. Thanks to this bike ride and generous donations, it has been able to support underprivileged children, providing resources to improve their quality of life and giving them better opportunities for further development and full integration into society. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Suppliers from across the industry recently came together to take part in Jewson’s dragon boat race tournament, one of the national builders’ merchant’s annual fundraising events for its two official charity partners, Band of Builders and Whiteleys Retreat. Taking place for a third consecutive year, more than 400 people – made up of Jewson colleagues and team members from 35 of its suppliers – were split across 25 teams, competing in a series of races at Draycote Water, ahead of a knockout round.  A grand finale took place between three teams, with the highly competitive race won by ‘Super Fast Plus’, made up of colleagues from CT1. Every year, Jewson organises a wealth of fundraising activities for Band of Builders, which supports tradespeople and their families during times of need. These include initiatives such as the annual Big Brew, which this year took place on 10th October.  The event encourages tradespeople to connect over a hot drink and discuss the different elements of their job which impact their mental health, to drive more positive conversations about wellbeing in the construction industry.  Jewson has raised more than £300,000 since it became official charity partners with Band of Builders. In 2023, Jewson announced Whiteley’s Retreat as its official charity partner for Scotland and the North. The organisation, which has a centre based in Ayrshire, provides free therapeutic respite breaks and extended support for children, young people and their families with cancer or life altering illnesses. Richard Holland, Category Manager at Jewson, said: “Each year, our dragon boat race event gets better and better. There was an incredible atmosphere amongst all participants, who were here to work together, play hard, and most importantly raise money for charities that are incredibly close to our hearts.” Tony Steel, Operations Director at Band of Builders, said: “Our partnership with Jewson continues to thrive, and the dragon boat race is just one example of the brilliant ideas Jewson has to continue supporting our charity, and the people who benefit from it. “The money raised from this year’s event will go towards some of the many tradespeople and their families that we’ll be working with in coming months, ensuring they have the tools and support they need to get back on track and rebuild their lives.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals