Two daring colleagues are preparing to be strapped to the wings of a plane for a hair-raising charity fundraiser at 135mph. Taylor Unwin, from Barnet, and David Batey, from Shuttleworth in Bedfordshire, are taking part in a wingwalking challenge in aid of Teens Unite. The brave pair both work at
Leading property management agent, Rendall & Rittner, has recently supported the work of charity, Ukrainian Action, by sponsoring six trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. With Ukrainians facing the prospect of another winter of power outages and instability, the donations have been distributed across the country where they are most
Construction businesses will be called on to pledge greater support for mental health at the launch of a major lobbying campaign at Frameless in London on 22 November. The campaign, which is being led by Causeway Technologies, will ask for mental health provision to be included in Health & Safety
Most of the time, when you run a construction company, your focus is going to be on completing your projects as efficiently and to the best standard as possible, but although that’s vital, of course, there are other things that you might need to think about, especially if you want
Local housebuilder Harron Homes has donated 30 pairs of high-quality wellies to the children of Staveley Primary Junior School in Staveley, Chesterfield, close to Harron Homes’ Thorpe Meadows development. Staveley Junior School is part of the Outdoor Play And Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme, which aims to encourage creative outdoor play
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dandara is donating £50 for every home reserved in October in its divisions across the UK to Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. The independent housebuilder is taking part in the annual fundraising campaign which has raised over £39m since it began in 2001
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has partnered with CITB and Samaritans to create a wellbeing support tool, as part of the industry wide initiative Make It Visible. Make It Visible aims to make welfare and wellbeing support visible on every construction site, helping to reduce the stigma around the subject
National builders’ merchant Jewson and plastic pipe manufacturer Polypipe have awarded nine youth sport teams across Scotland dual-branded sponsored strips as part of a competition. Earlier this year, the companies partnered to help support grassroots teams across Scotland by taking applications from junior sports clubs who felt they deserved a
Today is World Mental Health Day, an expert has shared their top pieces of advice for UK tradespeople on how to avoid burnout, after research revealed that more than four in five (84%) experience mental health problems due to work-related issues. The research was commissioned by IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest
Real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust, has revealed the level of community impact created as it reaches the first anniversary of its charity partnership with Groundwork UK. As part of Firethorn’s commitment to ESG, a grant of more than £310,000 was issued to Groundwork in 2022, establishing a charitable
Two daring colleagues are preparing to be strapped to the wings of a plane for a hair-raising charity fundraiser at 135mph. Taylor Unwin, from Barnet, and David Batey, from Shuttleworth in Bedfordshire, are taking part in a wingwalking challenge in aid of Teens Unite. The brave pair both work at leading heating, plumbing and air movement materials supplier TG Lynes in Enfield. While Taylor, a Warehouse Operative, insists he is undaunted about what lies ahead, David admits his knees will be knocking when the big day comes on December 9. Taylor, a 20-year-old gym fanatic, said: “I’ve not really done anything like this before but I love the thought of danger and adrenaline. “I’m pretty fearless to be honest so I’m sure I will enjoy it.” Sales Executive David, aged 56, said: “I don’t like flying and haven’t been on a plane in more than five years. “I will be extremely nervous, there’s no doubt about that, but once I commit to something there’s no turning back. “It’s all for a good cause and I’m hoping I can somehow enjoy the experience!” The challenge is taking place at Old Warden Airfield in Shuttleworth. Both men are hoping to raise at least £600 each. Donations can be made at either https://www.justgiving.com/page/taylorwingwalk2023 or https://www.justgiving.com/page/davidswingwalk Andrew Ingram, managing director at leading heating, plumbing and air movement materials supplier TG Lynes, said: “I am full of admiration for Taylor and David pushing the boundaries and taking on this terrifying challenge. “I hope people dig deep and support Teens Unite, which is a fantastic local charity we have had the pleasure of working with over the last 12 months.” TG Lynes supported Teens Unite with £7,500 worth of product and labour through its Helping Hands campaign last year. The charity provides people aged between 13 and 24 with the social, emotional, and physical support that is vital to their cancer recovery. TG Lynes stocks industry leading brands and supplies thousands of products including valves, steel and copper tubes and fittings, press systems, composite and plastic plumbing, drainage solutions and support systems and tooling. An extensive plant hire service is also available. Visit www.tglynes.co.uk for more information. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading property management agent, Rendall & Rittner, has recently supported the work of charity, Ukrainian Action, by sponsoring six trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. With Ukrainians facing the prospect of another winter of power outages and instability, the donations have been distributed across the country where they are most needed. The team of Rendall & Rittner volunteers drove over 1,000 miles from Woolwich in 48 hours to hand over the aid to volunteers in Poland. The trucks were stacked with a range of aid items, including medical provisions, clothing and school supplies, and have since been taken across the border into Ukraine with some of the supplies being taken to homes for children and young people in Lviv. The six trucks have also been donated and have been taken to the front line for use in delivering supplies, transporting people, and assisting the wounded. Ukrainian Action is a volunteer-run charity that is committed to sending vital aid to the citizens of Ukraine. Since March 2022, it has delivered over 200 vehicles filled with critical donations. Rendall & Rittner’s recent participation marked the charity’s 45th convoy of aid. Jeff Hartman, Founder of Ukrainian Action comments: “We are very appreciative of the vital support of Rendall & Rittner. Together, we are protecting lives and making a difference to numerous Ukrainians who are affected by the continuing humanitarian crisis. Your generous involvement and support enables us to continue providing essential provisions to those who are most vulnerable, and the vehicles are being used to deliver supplies and to help the wounded which will increase the likelihood of their survival.” Rendall & Rittner’s involvement with Ukrainian Action was kickstarted following the return of Area Director, Elisa Keating, from a six-week sabbatical period. During this time, Elisa began volunteering with Ukrainian Action in an administrative capacity. Since returning to her role at Rendall & Rittner, Elisa has continued to provide procurement and logistics support for the charity. Catherine Riva, CEO of Rendall & Rittner Ltd comments: “Assisting the incredible work of charities has always been very important to us at Rendall & Rittner. Following her sabbatical, Elisa shared her experiences working with Ukrainian Action with us. With the war in Ukraine creating an unimaginable situation for those who live there, we are proud to have supported the work of this incredible organisation. We would like to thank our team who drove the vehicles and our colleagues, clients, and customers for their generosity, helping us to collect aid supplies and raise over £28,000 for this urgent humanitarian cause.” To find out more about Ukrainian Action please visit their website and to show your support please donate on the JustGiving page. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction businesses will be called on to pledge greater support for mental health at the launch of a major lobbying campaign at Frameless in London on 22 November. The campaign, which is being led by Causeway Technologies, will ask for mental health provision to be included in Health & Safety and Social Value procurement conditions in construction contracts. At the event, Causeway will reveal the results of a unique industry survey of 1,439 construction site workers, which show that 56% are currently experiencing or have experienced mental health problems including anxiety and depression. 12% of respondents said they had experienced or were experiencing suicidal thoughts. The survey was conducted by Causeway’s mental health ambassador Trevor Steven – ex-England and Everton football player – who visited sites up and down the country between May 2022 and September 2023. While most surveys in the sector tend to be completed by office-based employees, Causeway’s approach has been to use the subject of football to encourage construction workers to open up about their mental health. Crucially, this includes labourers and site-based workers who very rarely complete questionnaires. As a result, the vast majority of respondents were employed full time or self-employed trades and subcontracted staff on site. “Shockingly, we are still losing on average two construction workers to suicide every working day,” Trevor said. “Studies have shown that male site workers are disproportionately affected by mental health issues. However, they are often deemed the most vulnerable but hardest-to-reach demographic in the construction industry. “We need to do more than just hanging a few signs up around sites. Mental health needs to be approached in the same way as health and safety – which is why we are asking businesses to step up and pledge to provide greater and more meaningful support.” In addition to the pledge, Causeway will lead a political lobbying campaign that will call for mental health provision to be part of the Health & Safety and Social Value procurement conditions for future construction contracts. Causeway CEO Phil Brown explained: “We have seen some encouraging signs that businesses are engaging with mental health at an industry level and we are grateful to the progressive businesses that have worked with us to help complete the survey. However, the industry’s mental health crisis still shows little sign of abating and we need to approach the issue from multiple directions. “Mental health is the true health and safety crisis in construction today. That’s why we are proposing that mental health be an integral part of future construction contracts.” The full results of the mental health survey will be published at www.causeway.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Most of the time, when you run a construction company, your focus is going to be on completing your projects as efficiently and to the best standard as possible, but although that’s vital, of course, there are other things that you might need to think about, especially if you want to show your customers (and potential customers) exactly who you are and why they should be pick – after all, construction is definitely a competitive sector to be in. One thing you can do that will help you stand out and give you a wide range of other benefits as well is to support charities, and ideally charities in your local area. Supporting charities isn’t just a kind and good thing to do (although it is those things, and that’s important to remember), but it can also be a good business decision. Keep reading to find out more. Create A Positive Company Culture One of the biggest positive things that can come out of your construction company giving to local charities like the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is that it can help to create a truly positive company culture, and that’s something that can make your customers and your employees (not to mention your investors) very happy indeed. When your team comes together to give to charity, or you organize something special that raises money from your customers to give to a good cause, everyone will feel good, and it can even make the bonds within the company (and towards your clients) stronger too. You’ll all be working towards one good goal, and that will make your work environment more positive, boost morale, and improve job satisfaction overall. This isn’t just good for now and the team you have right at this second, but it’s also great for the future and the team you might want to employ further down the road. When people see that you do good things for charity and that you have a good company culture, they’ll be more likely to apply for a job, and that means you can have your pick of more applicants and find the ideal person to fill whatever role you need filled. Better Corporate Responsibility You need to know a lot about your customers if you’re going to market to them in the right way and, of course, if you’re going to make sure they get what they want from you. So that means you should be aware that a lot of people really do care about what businesses they use and how those businesses take care of the world around them. In other words, customers are actively looking for businesses that are as ethical as possible and practice corporate responsibility. Although there are lots of different ways you can show you’re doing this, one that helps a lot of people all at once and proves that you’re taking corporate responsibility seriously is giving to a charity or possibly many different charities. When you give some of your profits to charity, you’re showcasing your commitment to good corporate responsibility and proving that you aren’t all about business, but that you genuinely care for other people and want to do what you can to help them. And what you give will help them, but it will also help customers choose you over and above anyone else, stay loyal to you, and spread the word about your business, and that’s definitely something no business owner is going to turn their nose up at. Building Community Relationships As much as you might not like to think about it, the fact is that construction projects do tend to have an impact on the local community – and that impact could be good or bad, or there might be mixed feelings about the whole thing. The good parts include creating job opportunities or building useful new buildings like schools or leisure centers, but the bad parts could include disruption and noise or even the need to demolish a much-loved building to make space for your project. Unfortunately, as much as the good parts will be what’s left at the end, the bad parts are what will often stick in people’s minds, and therefore there will always be a somewhat negative view of your business. You can change that by giving to charity and using that idea to build community relationships and not damage them (or perhaps repair them after some damage has been done). Whether you’re supporting local charities, sponsoring schools or classes, contributing to providing housing for those in need, or anything else, whatever you do is sure to improve your reputation and build community relationships.
Local housebuilder Harron Homes has donated 30 pairs of high-quality wellies to the children of Staveley Primary Junior School in Staveley, Chesterfield, close to Harron Homes’ Thorpe Meadows development. Staveley Junior School is part of the Outdoor Play And Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme, which aims to encourage creative outdoor play in schools, leading to increased focus in the classroom and the ability for children to regulate their behaviours. In fact, schools applying OPAL’s play-focused approach have seen a reduction of recorded behavioural incidents by around 80%. Staveley Junior School is a school of 146 children serving the community of Staveley, which aims to provide an excellent education while providing pupils with life experiences they might not be able to access at home, including opportunities to play, be creative, and learn outdoors. In light of this, Staveley Primary School is on a mission to develop its outdoor space while implementing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) scheme over the next 18 months. A core part of this project is ensuring the pupils have suitable outdoor attire for rainy days and during the colder seasons. Harron Homes’ generous donation of wellies constitutes a significant contribution toward this need, equipping the children with comfortable, durable wellies for fun and educational outdoor activities. Sue Parkes, Headteacher at Staveley Junior School, said, “The children are delighted with the wellies. They’ve already started learning outdoors, but this will allow them to continue to do so through-out the upcoming winter months so that they can get the benefits of outdoor learning throughout the year. “Many of our families would not be able to equip their children with outdoor attire of their own – particularly at this time of rising costs across the board. Harron Homes’ donation of these high-quality wellies is therefore a huge help, and we would like to extend our gratitude towards everyone at the company.” Natalie Griffiths, Sales and Marketing Director for Harron Homes North Midlands, said: “Harron Homes is a housebuilder with community at its heart. We are dedicated to the communities where we build and make it a priority to support schools local to our developments. Last year we donated hi-vis jackets to the pupils of Inkersall Primary Academy in Chesterfield to help them during Walk to School Month, and it’s great to be able to help out another school this year. “All children deserve the opportunity to learn in a creative and dynamic way, and we’re excited to see how Staveley Primary School develops its outdoor play offering for these bright young minds.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dandara is donating £50 for every home reserved in October in its divisions across the UK to Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. The independent housebuilder is taking part in the annual fundraising campaign which has raised over £39m since it began in 2001 and helps fund Breast Cancer Now’s world-class research and life-changing services. It is organised by Breast Cancer Now, whose mission is to make sure that by 2050 everyone diagnosed with breast cancer lives, and is supported to live well. Dandara staff took part in a range of activities to mark wear it pink day on 20th of October 2023. Kinie Kaur, wear it pink Manager from Breast Cancer Now, commented: “We want to say a huge thank you to Dandara for supporting wear it pink this October. Every year around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. But by wearing pink and raising money on 20 October, supporters like Dandara are helping to drive forward research and give life-changing support to those affected by this relentless disease.” Trevor Dempsey, Dandara CEO, said: “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every ten minutes and helping find better ways of treating the illness and improving the quality of life for those who are living with it is vitally important. It would be wonderful if it becomes an illness that it is treatable within our lifetimes, so no-one else has to lose a partner, a mother, a friend, brother or a sister to this horrible disease.” Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink day is one of the biggest and brightest fundraising events in the UK. To find out more go to: www.wearitpink.org or https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/blogs/wear-it-pink-back/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has partnered with CITB and Samaritans to create a wellbeing support tool, as part of the industry wide initiative Make It Visible. Make It Visible aims to make welfare and wellbeing support visible on every construction site, helping to reduce the stigma around the subject and increase awareness of the support pathways available. Having secured over £400,000 in funding from CITB, a free website portal was created earlier this year to support the initiative. The portal provides a wide range of resources, covering themes of emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing. It aims to help individuals recognise when they’re struggling and how to cope with the challenges they’re facing. For each area, there is an extensive list of organisations that can provide further in-depth advice and support. Research from the Lighthouse Club shows that stress, depression, or anxiety accounts for 27% of all work-related illness in construction. Tragically, it also reveals that two construction workers in the UK take their own lives each day. The charity’s mission is to ensure that no construction worker or their family feels alone in a crisis, and that they get the support they need before it’s too late. The Make It Visible campaign also has a taskforce of people who are dedicated to visiting construction companies, builders’ merchants, hire centres, and sites across the UK and Ireland to get the conversation started and raise awareness of the free resources. The team has spoken to almost 30,000 people and visited more than 340 sites since the campaign’s launch in May, earlier this year. The portal is currently referring visitors to the world’s biggest mental health check-in, One Million Lives. This free tool has been developed by mental health professionals to help users assess their current state of mind and better understand the complexities of mental health. One Million Lives aims to create a global ripple effect by encouraging users to share the tool with friends and family. Bill Hill, Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity CEO, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from our industry to take on the challenge of improving workforce welfare and wellbeing as a unified force. This new portal curates all the amazing free services from various charities in the UK and Ireland and simplifies access for anyone seeking emotional, physical or financial help. The CITB has been instrumental in making this happen. There is much more to do but this is a great step forward.” Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said: “We know that there is a huge mental health crisis in the construction industry, and we must do more to support workers and their families. The statistics presented by the Lighthouse Charity’s research are trulydevastating,andwith World Mental Health Day upon us, I urge anyone who is struggling right now to reach out to the charity’s helpline. “CITB has been making improvements to ensure employees get the wellbeing support they need, and I feel very passionately about carrying this through to industry. The work we are doing with the Lighthouse Club will help drive long term culture change and promote fairness, inclusion, and respect across workforces. “There is a great selection of resources online, and I hope that this will make support more accessible to the wider industry. When all workers can access support, without fear of stigma, lives will be saved and attracting new entrants will be easier.” To find out more and access the resources, visit the Make It Visible portal today. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National builders’ merchant Jewson and plastic pipe manufacturer Polypipe have awarded nine youth sport teams across Scotland dual-branded sponsored strips as part of a competition. Earlier this year, the companies partnered to help support grassroots teams across Scotland by taking applications from junior sports clubs who felt they deserved a new sponsored kit. Having been inundated with responses, judges from both businesses have selected nine winners who’ll now receive cheques that they can put towards the new strips. The winning teams have been announced as Wigtownshire Youth Rugby and Stranraer FC Youth in Stranraer; Livingston Rugby Boys’ Team in Falkirk; Drumpchapel United in Paisley; Oban Galaxy and Rockfield Primary Team in Oban; Inter Galloway AFC Community Youths in Dumfries; Ceann Creige Hurling and Camogie Club in Glasgow, and Dumbarton Riverside Disability Football Team in Dumbarton. Speaking of their win, head of youth development at Stranraer FC Youth, Allan Jenkins, said: “Our town features prominently on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. We’ve got about 100 young people involved across four teams, from Under 13s up to Under 21s, who need kits and equipment to play with. Because of that, we regularly approach local businesses for support. We rely on goodwill, sponsorship and fundraising to keep our club going. “Winning a branded kit will be a huge and very welcome boost for us. All footballers love to put on a pristine new strip because it creates excitement and a buzz, so the team is going to be thrilled when we tell them the news. For Jewson and Polypipe to select us as winners is brilliant and is appreciated by everyone involved at the club.” Grace McBride, coach and club secretary at Ceann Creige Hurling and Camogie Club, said: “We haven’t had new kits since we set up four years ago, so they’re looking a bit worse for wear. Because we operate in a deprived area, we try to offer affordable training and provide equipment at no cost. We have tried to get sponsorship but it’s difficult now, with so many businesses struggling. “That’s why we’re so pleased to have won. The kids will be so excited to have a new kit. It will give them a sense of uniformity, to all be wearing the same thing at last!” Allan Davidson, Regional Managing Director for Scotland and The North at Jewson, said: “We play a vital role in the communities in which we operate, and part of our commitment at a local level includes supporting young people to do what they love. “A lot of applicants to our kit giveaway explained that they’re from deprived areas, and struggle to get the funds needed to refresh their kits. This made judging incredibly difficult as we’d love to support everyone, but our nine winners prove they go that extra mile to help young people access sports which change their lives, and we are pleased to be able to make that even more special through the provision of dual-branded, sponsored kits from Jewson and Polypipe.” Sean Lanagan, Key Account Manager at Polypipe, said: “We have a strong and lasting relationship with Jewson, so we were keen to be involved in this initiative which we know will mean so much to so many. “Being part of a sports team should mean feeling united through your kit as well as through your determination and desire to work together, and we are glad to have played a part in that for these nine very deserving clubs.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Today is World Mental Health Day, an expert has shared their top pieces of advice for UK tradespeople on how to avoid burnout, after research revealed that more than four in five (84%) experience mental health problems due to work-related issues. The research was commissioned by IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, and the results have been published in its annual industry report. To help tradespeople avoid burning out, and explain the importance of managing workload, IronmongeryDirect has partnered with Liz Sebag-Montefiore, director and co-founder of HR consultancy 10Eighty, to share some expert advice. What is burnout? What does it feel like? Liz says: “With burnout, some will be depressed, lethargic and lack motivation, while others will find it difficult to slow down, hard to focus and struggle with priorities. “Burnout is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from ongoing or repeated stress. The main characteristic of a burnout is that the person feels that they are not in control of how a job is carried out, nor in control of their workload and autonomy, and this compromises their sense of self.” What are the potential consequences of doing too much work? Liz says: “There are risks to physical as well as mental health. Overworking affects cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone) which can lead to brain fog, high blood pressure and other health problems. “Fatigue, apathy, depression and dissatisfaction and a whole host of other symptoms can make it difficult to see for what it is.” “Burnout can also lead to slip ups, mistakes and accidents which could be serious for the tradesperson, their client, colleagues and employer.” How can you avoid or recover from burnout? Liz says: “Even the most committed employee who enjoys their work will find that long hours of intense work can lead to serious repercussions – stress, burnout, absenteeism, decreased job satisfaction and poor physical health. “When they feel that they have little in the way of resources to manage their situation, it can lead to the feeling of being ‘burned out’. They need to regain control, motivation and commitment to the job but that’s easier said than done. “Try to pace yourself and reward yourself for what you can do. You could try mindfulness to relax and reconnect with self, purpose and wellbeing. “Take a hard look at your priorities. Get clarity on what really matters. Is there a real deadline? Is it urgent because of who is asking for it? Will it impact productivity or profitability? Where can you adjust, what can you decline, who can help? “Take breaks from work. Be sure to use any annual leave and leave work behind when you’re off – don’t work in your downtime! Try not to check work emails when you are off and say if you are not contactable.” Why is it important to take breaks throughout the working day? Liz says: “We need to be aware of the importance of recovery time in maintaining the wellbeing of employees. We should aim to formulate strategies that build in time for breaks from work and routine, with time for recovery activities, and policies and guidelines that address workflow, overtime and availability. “Better work-life balance will make you more productive and healthier overall. It seems counter-intuitive but taking a break makes you more productive. You need to reset and recharge and reinvigorate from time to time.” Why do you think so many tradespeople suffer from burnout? Liz says: “There are skills shortages in many sectors, including the trades. The work is there to be done and it can be hard to turn down. It can also be difficult to refuse contracts and stay on good terms with employers and colleagues.” Do you have any specific advice for self-employed workers? Liz says: “Rethink priorities. Establish boundaries, make and stick to schedules that work for your whole life not just your working life. “It’s hard to talk about burnout at work. It’s perceived as weakness, or lacking control, ambition or toughness, which makes it even harder for the self-employed. Friends and family may not understand the pressures and when people are relying on your income, it may feel like you are letting them down if you can’t cope. You have to be realistic about how much you can take on without damaging your health and future earning potential.” What is the best way to speak to your manager if you think you have burnout? Liz says: “Take some time to identify your concerns and make notes. Outline your concerns and any adjustments to your work that might help. Ask for support, ask for time if you need it. Burnout can lead to mistakes and accidents; nobody wants that to happen. “A good manager puts workers first by understanding how they work and what they need to work well, then they focus on personalised interventions that maximize job satisfaction, high quality performance, and productivity. “ To read IronmongeryDirect’s full Mental Health in the Trades report, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/research/mental-health-in-the-trades Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust, has revealed the level of community impact created as it reaches the first anniversary of its charity partnership with Groundwork UK. As part of Firethorn’s commitment to ESG, a grant of more than £310,000 was issued to Groundwork in 2022, establishing a charitable programme of activity that focused on tackling some of the most pressing issues facing the local communities Firethorn builds within – from food security, to unemployment, education and access to green space. In the first 12 months, the project has engaged with more than 500 school children and 450 families, provided 293 meals and recorded 168 volunteer hours across the country, as part of regionally-led initiatives in Leighton Buzzard, Peterborough, Ellesmere Port, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Barnsley, Northampton and London. Each of the seven bespoke projects have been designed to address issues specifically within the area of development, ensuring Firethorn’s investment is making a real and long-lasting impact to communities and individuals across the UK. The programme has so far achieved: Peter Mather, Partner at Firethorn Trust, said: “From supporting education projects to tackling the challenges of food poverty, we’re incredibly proud of the programme and what we’ve achieved so far. The partnership has allowed us to take a brand-new approach to delivering real, tangible ESG impact – working in close collaboration with community leaders to provide support where it’s needed most. Community benefit is placed at the heart of every Firethorn development and this important project is bringing that commitment to life.” Groundwork is a federation of charities mobilising practical community action on poverty and environment across the UK. Graham Duxbury, Chief Executive at Groundwork UK, said: “We’re delighted to work in partnership with Firethorn, and it’s been fantastic to see our teams deliver such significant impact via the programme – from young people in urban areas being better connected with nature, volunteers improving outdoor spaces for food growing and young people and unemployed adults gaining experience and qualifications to bolster their future prospects. “There’s more work to do and I’ve no doubt that our partnership will continue to deliver lasting change in communities across the country that are too often overlooked.” Firethorn’s ESG strategy is informed and guided by two leading industry standards – the One Planet Living Framework and the values of the UK Green Building Council. For more information, visit www.firethorntrust.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
