Nearly 90% of local authorities experienced increase in demand for allotments (APSE) 38% of local authorities now have waiting lists of 1,000 people or more (APSE) National Allotments Week (9-14 August) to highlight benefits of growing your own produce As National Allotments Week 2022 approaches, the value of the 18
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and its partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle have donated more than £35,000 in services to end-of-life charity partner Treetops Hospice, as part of its Local Communities Partnership Programme. During the last 12 months, G F Tomlinson has been working closely with the hospice to
Taking place on 6October, around 500 runners are expected to take part All funds to be donated to LandAid, the charity on a mission to end youth homelessness Target to raise £30,000, adding to £50,000 raised from previous years An annual West Midlands charity run will be returning to Longbridge
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee leading heating manufacturer Worcester Bosch has gifted royalist Anita Atkinson a limited-edition Jubilee oil boiler Leading boiler manufacturer and a proud Royal Warrant Holder Worcester Bosch has surprised County Durham-based royalist Anita Atkinson with a brand new, one-of-a-kind ‘Jubilee’ edition oil boiler, to help
With the help of funding from reward Finance, a Yorkshire property developer has created a new social hub in Castleford. The new Livelihub on Methley Road, close to the town centre, is the brainchild of entrepreneur Craig Mitchell, owner of Carter & Co Property Solutions. It features an artisan coffee
For this year’s International Women’s Day, Parker Building Supplies, Chandlers Building Supplies and Fairalls celebrate some of the inspirational women that are leading the way within the business and helping to smash stereotypes. Allun Pittingale, MD of the Independent Builders Merchant Group, said: “Working in a male dominated environment these
Selco Builders Warehouse has announced Cancer Research UK as its new charity partner for 2022. The nationwide builders’ merchant will stage a range of fundraising events in support of Cancer Research UK, which funds doctors, nurses and scientists to carry out pioneering research to help provide a solution to defeating
THE INPUT GROUP has pledged its support to PASIC, a support service for the families of children with cancer in the East Midlands, to begin the first chapter of its corporate charity partnership. The Input Group, whose headquarters are in Derby, kickstarted its efforts on behalf of the charity in
Tradesman and tradeswomen are being urged to get involved with the ‘Big Brew’ – a new national campaign to highlight the mental health crisis in the construction sector. The Big Brew started on 1 October and has encourage tradespeople to connect and talk over a cuppa in a bid to
Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group has partnered with Gathering Voices to provide the local arts charity with exclusive use of the buildings at the former Park Furnishers site in Bristol in a bid to help support local artists working in the city. Forming part of the wider Whitehouse Street regeneration,
Nearly 90% of local authorities experienced increase in demand for allotments (APSE) 38% of local authorities now have waiting lists of 1,000 people or more (APSE) National Allotments Week (9-14 August) to highlight benefits of growing your own produce As National Allotments Week 2022 approaches, the value of the 18 allotment planters at Quintain Living’s Canada Gardens in London’s Wembley Park during their first full growing season is becoming truly apparent. The allotment garden has become a hub for residents of all ages to get together and connect with nature, to socialise over shared growing tips and to enjoy producing fresh, seasonal food for the whole family. Taking place from 9 to 14 August, National Allotments Week 2022 is all about gardening with nature in mind, as well as raising awareness of the role of allotments in nurturing communities and supporting people to grow their own food, live healthier and more active lifestyles and connect with one another. Demand for allotments has soared since the pandemic. According to the State of the Market Report (Allotments) 2021 from the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE), nearly 90% of local authorities experienced increased demand for allotments as a result of Covid-19. “Gardening and growing your own food can do so much to boost health and wellbeing – both physical and mental. This is why Quintain Living provides allotment beds at Canada Gardens. Our residents can get outside, connect with nature and enjoy the benefits of gardening – it’s particularly rewarding for those growing their own produce to eat. It’s a great way for residents to enjoy home-grown fruit and vegetables, whilst reducing their carbon footprint as well as to teach children where their food comes from.”Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living Sadly, the availability of allotments lags far behind demand for them. According to APSE’s data, 51% of local authorities have between 100 and 400 people on their waiting list; 38% have waiting lists of over 1,000 people (up from 20% in 2020). Over 34% of local authorities report that people are waiting an average of over 18 months for an allotment plot to become available. In the London Borough of Brent, the Council reports that, “There are more than 20 sites run by us but due to high demand they currently all have a 1-2 year waiting list. Applications for new people to join a waiting list for an allotment site are currently closed.” The figures throw into stark relief just what a privilege it is for Canada Gardens residents to have allotments beds available to use at their leisure. “We are delighted that the allotments at Canada Gardens have proven to be such a valuable community feature. The entire development, with its acre of gardens, large roof terrace and on-site clubhouse is all about family and nature. The allotments are a core part of that.”Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living In addition to the 18 planters, Canada Gardens, which is managed by Quintain Living – the award-winning management company overseeing the rental of more than 3,250 apartments in Wembley Park – has a storage shed for residents’ tools, pots and seeds as well as a greenhouse for use. The shed also contains useful planting and growing information, while residents have recently set up a WhatsApp group to do the same. The green-fingered community members also come together in person, with the most recent event organised by Quintain Living generating an excellent turnout. Residents enjoyed sharing their growing tips and hearing from the professionals about how to care for their crops. As the weather warms up, the Canada Gardens allotment beds are flourishing. Residents are growing a wide range of fruit and vegetables, including beans, tomatoes, carrots, cabbages, strawberries and blackberries, while a small herb garden is also coming along nicely.For more information on Quintain Living or to book a viewing, visit www.quintainliving.com, @quintainliving on Instagram or call 020 3151 1927.
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and its partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle have donated more than £35,000 in services to end-of-life charity partner Treetops Hospice, as part of its Local Communities Partnership Programme. During the last 12 months, G F Tomlinson has been working closely with the hospice to provide advice and project management services on a pro bono basis, to aid in Treetops’ aims to improve its estate, including staff offices and external landscaping at its main site in Risley, Derbyshire. The Local Communities Partnership Programme is a collaborative initiative developed by G F Tomlinson, which is aimed at supporting communities and charitable bodies within the region. It is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering social, economic and environmental benefits to the local communities in which it works through the SCAPE Regional Construction framework, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings. Treetops Hospice, which provides care and support to more than 3,000 local people every year, was selected as the finalist following a ‘Dragon’s Den’-style event last year. G F Tomlinson and its partners, Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE, and Perfect Circle, have provided over 325 hours of time and expertise to the hospice, equating to £35,000, and is the equivalent cost for Treetops Hospice to do one of the following: provide an at-home nursing service for five weeks allow for nurses to be at the bedside of 324 terminally ill people allow for roaming nurses to respond to 515 calls for help during the night allow for its counsellors to be there for more than 90 children when someone close to them passes away Working together, the partners have provided Treetops with designs and budget advice for landscaping and boardwalk improvements to increase safety and accessibility of their grounds. They have also provided professional services for structural assessment, design and costing to enable the reconfiguration of hospice offices and backroom spaces to provide improved working areas for their dedicated and caring staff. Architecture, mechanical and electrical design were provided by Arc Partnership. The landscape architecture and structural engineering services were delivered by built environment consultancy Pick Everard – operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration. Treetops Hospice will now use the information provided to prioritise the works and secure sufficient funding to make the improvements. To support the Treetops Hospice’s master planning for the wider estate in Risley, supply chain partners Gleeds and Amptron have provided condition surveys for the buildings and M&E systems. This will enable the hospice to plan ahead for future maintenance requirements to ensure facilities remain safe and functional. As an evolution of G F Tomlinson’s partnership with the hospice, the firm is also supporting Treetops with the refurbishment of its charity shop in Sandiacre, providing costing and project management services to ensure the condition of the building is fit for purpose. In preparing for the work G F Tomlinson sourced competitive quotes from specialist sub-contractors and programmed the works around the live shop environment. Mechanical contractor Miller Freeman was kind enough to carry out its work free of charge bringing further benefit to Treetops. Works on the shop refurbishment are currently underway and are being overseen by one of G F Tomlinson’s Site Managers. The works will complete later this month. Chris Flint, managing director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very proud to be continuing our partnership with Treetops Hospice 12 months after the leading charity were selected as the finalist of our Local Communities Partnership Programme. “With dedication from the team at G F Tomlinson and our partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle, we have been able to provide advice, design and costing work to help bring Treetops’ plans for its hospice facility and grounds to life. As a Derbyshire-based business that is highly active in the East and West Midlands, we feel it is extremely important to give back to the local communities in which we operate. “Social value is a cornerstone of our business, and a fundamental part of our ongoing relationship with SCAPE through its Regional Construction framework, so we wanted to partner with other like-minded regional organisations in the industry to collaborate on and contribute towards a highly beneficial outcome for a local charity that provides support and care to thousands of patients and their families every year.” Julie Heath, chief executive officer at Treetops Hospice, said: “We know we face challenging financial times ahead as the cost-of-living increases. It’s going to be tough. The support and technical information provided by G F Tomlinson and their partners will help us to apply for funding to undertake major and much-needed maintenance projects. Their help is also helping us to keep the hospice in an excellent state of repair for all our patients.” Managing director of Perfect Circle Victoria Brambini said: “We are proud to continue to support this joint partnership with G F Tomlinson. Community-focused initiatives sit at the core of our ethos, with Treetops Hospice benefitting from a collaborative model that creates value at the heart of the public sector. Together with SCAPE, our aim is to help deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Local Communities Partnership Programme.” Sara Williams, head of pre-construction at Arc Partnership said: “At Arc, we pride ourselves on delivering real value together and supporting our local communities. Not for profit organisations like Treetops Hospice play a vital role supporting people in the region at the most challenging times of their lives, and we are delighted to have been able to collaborate with our partners, G F Tomlinson and Perfect Circle to develop improvement plans for Treetop Hospice’s estate and support them in providing these crucial services.”
Taking place on 6October, around 500 runners are expected to take part All funds to be donated to LandAid, the charity on a mission to end youth homelessness Target to raise £30,000, adding to £50,000 raised from previous years An annual West Midlands charity run will be returning to Longbridge in Birmingham for its fourth year in an effort to raise funds for LandAid, the property industry charity on a mission to end youth homelessness. Taking place on Thursday 6 October, participants can opt for a 10k or 5k route, and individuals of all abilities are encouraged to take part in the event, whether they choose to run, walk or cheer on from the crowd. First launched in 2017, the run has become an annual fixture in the running calendar amongst businesses and individuals throughout the West Midlands and further afield looking to put their running ability to the test. This year’s event, hosted by St. Modwen, the Birmingham-based owner of leading logistics development and housebuilding businesses, will see around 500 runners pounding the pavements of Longbridge and Cofton Park along this notoriously challenging yet scenic route. Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of St. Modwen, commented: “We’re delighted to be able to bring the much-anticipated run back to Longbridge this year. Past years’ events have been hugely successful, raising over £50,000 to support the vital work that LandAid do to help young people out of homelessness. We hope to raise even more funds this year and continue supporting the charity for years to come.” “As St. Modwen has played a key part in the regeneration of Longbridge, we’re looking forward to being able to bring the whole community together and show others what a brilliant place Longbridge has become to live and work in.” All funds raised from the event will go towards the next phase of St Basil’s Live and Work project, LandAid’s Birmingham-based charity partner, which provides apprenticeship opportunities and living accommodation to young people in the West Midlands facing homelessness. Paul Morrish, Chief Executive of LandAid, said: “LandAid is thrilled to be a charity partner of St. Modwen. All funds raised from the St. Modwen Charity Run for LandAid will make a huge difference to the lives of young homeless people across the Midlands and rest of the UK. Sign up today and you will be giving young homeless people a safe, secure and affordable home.” Registrations are now open to take part in both the 5k and 10k options, head here to find out more: https://join.landaid.org/event/stmodwen10k For sponsorship opportunities, please contact landaidcharityrun@stmodwen.co.uk
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee leading heating manufacturer Worcester Bosch has gifted royalist Anita Atkinson a limited-edition Jubilee oil boiler Leading boiler manufacturer and a proud Royal Warrant Holder Worcester Bosch has surprised County Durham-based royalist Anita Atkinson with a brand new, one-of-a-kind ‘Jubilee’ edition oil boiler, to help mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The boiler has a specially designed front that commemorates this weekend’s Platinum Jubilee and was installed free-of-charge by Karl and Ross Hawes of local heating and plumbing company KH Heating. Mrs Atkinson is a self-confessed fanatical monarchist having curated a vast and extensive collection of around 12,000 pieces of royal memorabilia, that she displays in her museum in a converted barn in Weardale, Country Durham. She received an unexpected call from Worcester Bosch and was thrilled to hear that she would be getting her very own royal themed boiler to add to her jaw-dropping collection. Speaking of her new boiler, Anita said; “I was over the moon when Worcester Bosch got in contact with me. We’ve had our current Worcester boiler since 2006 so it was perfect timing for an upgrade. The Jubilee is all about community and coming together, so I also want to say thank you to KH Heating for going above and beyond by installing the boiler.” Mrs Atkinson will be spending her jubilee weekend running a royal pop up at a tearoom in Bishop Auckland. The event is in collaboration with Bridge Creative, a social enterprise that creates opportunities that remove barriers to employment for adults with learning disabilities. Vic Billings, Director of Marketing commented; “It is a historic achievement for the Queen to reach seventy years of service to this country, and we’re honoured to have been warming communities for sixty of those. To celebrate both the jubilee and our own birthday celebrations, we wanted to find someone who really embodied the spirit of the jubilee celebration and gift them something meaningful. “Anita stood out thanks to the enthusiasm she has evidenced by her majestic collection of royal artifacts. The fact she displays them for all to enjoy and also undertakes so much local volunteer, we knew that she was the ideal person for this giveaway.” Find out more on Worcester Bosch and its 60th Birthday celebrations here: https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/60-years Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
With the help of funding from reward Finance, a Yorkshire property developer has created a new social hub in Castleford. The new Livelihub on Methley Road, close to the town centre, is the brainchild of entrepreneur Craig Mitchell, owner of Carter & Co Property Solutions. It features an artisan coffee shop and sandwich bar, as well as a hair and beauty salon. The new venture, which has created four new jobs, was brought to fruition through funding of £100,000 arranged by Reward Finance Group. Reward Finance Group, which was introduced to Carter & Co by Brian Snape, owner of Mighty Oak Business and Property Finance, enabled Mitchell to bring his development plans to fruition with a short-term bridging loan. Craig Mitchell, director at Carter & Co Property Solutions, who will manage the Livelihub business as part his business portfolio, said: “It is fantastic to be able to realise our ambitions for this prominent site in Castleford and create a social hub unlike anything else in the town. The new salon is an exciting venture too, offering a high specification space in a superb location that immediately attracted hairdressing professionals who loved the concept of working within Livelihub. “Being able to access £100,000 on a short-term basis through Reward has been really beneficial to the project. Their approach is refreshing and one that I haven’t previously experienced from the major banks, with a great dedication to getting to know my business and understand what we need to grow and thrive.” The funding allowed the conversion of the former workshop and storage space to be completed in as short a timeframe as possible, preventing any delays in the opening of Livelihub. “Craig has identified an excellent business opportunity here with Livelihub given the growth in café culture and the demand for high quality commercial premises in smaller town communities like Castleford. We are delighted to be able to support the business through our Business Finance product, which is ideal for clients like Carter & Co who require a short-term working capital facility to be able to progress with their growth plans whatever they may be,” added Karen Paige, Reward Finance Group associate director. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
For this year’s International Women’s Day, Parker Building Supplies, Chandlers Building Supplies and Fairalls celebrate some of the inspirational women that are leading the way within the business and helping to smash stereotypes. Allun Pittingale, MD of the Independent Builders Merchant Group, said: “Working in a male dominated environment these women demonstrate the best of equality and how women within our group of builders merchants are thriving and leading from the front in all areas of the business.” Emma Goodship is used to surprising people at work. Turning up in her 26 tonne HGV to building sites, she’s often greeted with a startled look by builders! Originally from Brockham village, Emma, 36, now lives in Horley working for Fairalls builders merchants in Gatwick. Having worked in the equestrian sector for many years, Emma took a break to travel around Australia in 2011. It was here that she noticed the enormous trucks that traverse the immense continent. This sparked her interest in investigating a career change. Emma said: “I thought to myself, I could do that – I could drive those trucks and I think I’d really enjoy it.” On her return to the UK, Emma successful passed her Class 2 (rigid) and Class 1 (artic) at first attempt. She has been working with Fairalls Builders Merchant for the past five years. Emma said that her mother is the woman who has most inspired her. “My mum has always been the one to say ‘give it a go’. From when I was young she was always keen for us to try new things, whether it was learning guitar or riding a horse. She’s been great.” “I love my job at Fairalls. I love driving. Of course there has been a bit of skepticism from some men about my driving a HGV, but not anymore. They know that I am pretty good at my job. In fact some builders request me in particular to do their delivery. I’m good at getting into tricky areas and also my truck has the largest crane for deliveries! “By virtue of my job, and how well I do it, I feel I’m helping to break stereotypes of what a women’s career should look like. I’m happy about that. Long may it continue.” Milly Boden – Branch Manager Designate Parker Building Supplies, East Grinstead. Milly Boden, 30, has been working in the builders merchant sector for seven years. When she first started in the sector her role was in counter sales. Since then Milly has swiftly moved up the career ladder and is now helping to manage the East Grinstead branch of Parker Building Supplies. When asked what attracted her to work in the builders merchant sector, Milly says that she likes a challenge. “The fast paced, competitive, rough and ready construction industry – who wouldn’t want to be a part of that life!” She says that the countless women, in every sector, that have worked hard to build something successful, inspire her everyday to achieve more and always aim high. “These are women who fight against bias and boss it anyway,” she said. Her advice to other women wishing to join the builders merchant sector, is: “Go for it! Learn as much as you can to be the best at what you do. Stick up for yourself. Nobody, man or woman, wakes up knowing the ins and out of the construction industry – men have to learn, women have to learn.” “Working in a very male dominated sector can be challenging but in a fun way! There is still an element of ‘surprise’ that women, like me, can be very knowledgeable about everything to do with building and construction. I’m not sure why this ‘element of surprise’ should still be around. However, it is improving. “It is always empowering when the hard work you have put in pays off! For this International Women’s Day let’s continue to #BreakTheBias. Women can do everything that men do – and often better.”
Selco Builders Warehouse has announced Cancer Research UK as its new charity partner for 2022. The nationwide builders’ merchant will stage a range of fundraising events in support of Cancer Research UK, which funds doctors, nurses and scientists to carry out pioneering research to help provide a solution to defeating cancer. Selco has a strong reputation for its fundraising exploits and, despite the pandemic, raised in excess of £100,000 for its previous charity partner Global’s Make Some Noise in each of the last two years. Selco’s charity coffers have already been boosted for Cancer Research UK with a donation of £5,861.78 being made from sales of carrier bags over recent months. Carine Jessamine, marketing director of Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Cancer Research UK in its fantastic work to try and find the answers to an illness which touches the lives of each and every one of us in some way. “Every pound we raise will help fund vital research and that will be the huge motivation behind our fundraising during what will be a busy year of charity activity. “Cancer Research UK was selected by a vote from our colleagues and we are excited by our new charity partnership. Along with the support from our generous customers and suppliers, we hope to raise a significant amount of money and play our part in supporting vital medical research.” Georgia McCormack, divisional manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Selco staff for voting for us and helping achieve our ambition of seeing three in four people survive their cancer by 2034. “Our progress relies on the incredible dedication and commitment of volunteers and supporters like this – without whom we would not be able to fund our life-saving work. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can support the research that will beat it.” With hundreds of trade brands always in stock, Selco’s 72 branches are firmly focused on helping tradespeople complete their jobs as quickly and effectively as possible. As well as offering trade services, Selco also has a strong digital presence including Click & Deliver, a Click & Collect services.
THE INPUT GROUP has pledged its support to PASIC, a support service for the families of children with cancer in the East Midlands, to begin the first chapter of its corporate charity partnership. The Input Group, whose headquarters are in Derby, kickstarted its efforts on behalf of the charity in December to coordinate the delivery of over 200 Christmas presents during the month across several drop off points. The full-service construction firm also supported with deliveries from other PASIC charity partners, with more than 100 families benefitting from the team’s efforts. Chris Monk, managing director at The Input Group, said: “We believe that the work being carried out by PASIC is truly life changing for families in the community, and as a family business, we are delighted to work with them as they carry out their mission. “PASIC work tirelessly to create a positive, lasting impact in the lives of brave young people and their loved ones. We’re pleased to have played some part in PASIC’s Christmas appeal and festivities and look forward to future opportunities to support them throughout 2022.” Louise Towse, chief executive of PASIC, said: “We’re so grateful to The Input Group for making the coordination of Christmas presents run as smoothly as possible, with their generous offer of time, labour and transport. They were a huge help and eased the load and freed us up to wrap a record number of gifts in time – which ranged from family boardgames and building blocks, to puzzles and colouring kits. “We’re looking forward to working closely with The Input Group moving forwards and are excited about the prospect of offering other forms of support together to families in the area.” PASIC was established more than 40 years ago and provides emotional, social, and practical support to families of children and young people with cancer living in the region. PASIC also helps to build valuable support networks to reduce isolation and make a positive impact to the lives of families coping with childhood cancer. To find out more about The Input Group, please visit www.inputgroup.co.uk or contact marketing@inputgroup.co.uk. To find out more about PASIC, please visit https://www.pasic.org.uk/
Tradesman and tradeswomen are being urged to get involved with the ‘Big Brew’ – a new national campaign to highlight the mental health crisis in the construction sector. The Big Brew started on 1 October and has encourage tradespeople to connect and talk over a cuppa in a bid to remove the taboo around mental health across the construction industry. The event is the brainchild of national construction charity Band of Builders (BoB), which is organising a range of events on construction sites and at builders’ merchants up and down the UK to encourage people within the industry to come together to discuss mental health issues and support one another, breaking down the stigma around mental health – and also helping the charity fund its vital services. Resideo (through its Honeywell Home brand), Jewson, DeWalt and JW Grant are supporters of the Big Brew and have already pledged to host events throughout October. The campaign comes amid a mental health crisis within the industry, with the suicide rate of UK construction workers estimated to be as high as two people every day. UK construction workers are also nearly three times more likely to die by suicide than their counterparts in other industries. Further shocking figures show that: ● In the UK alone, more than 400,000 working days were lost to mental health issues in 2018 (55% of all days lost)1 ● Mental health issues cost the UK construction industry approximately £37 billion every year ● A survey in 2019 found that 90% of construction managers said they had struggled with their mental health2 BoB is a registered charity that helps members of the UK construction industry who are battling illness or injury. It does this through the completion of practical projects, with volunteer tradespeople giving up their time to work on these projects, while materials are donated by companies across the construction industry. Peter Cape, Big Brew lead at BoB, wants to encourage tradespeople to get involved with the Big Brew. “It’s so important that members of the construction community look out for each other, including talking about mental health or looking for the telltale signs that fellow roofers may be struggling – and what better way to do it than over a brew, especially a big one,” said Peter. He went on to say: “We are all acutely aware of the mental health crisis within construction. Suicide rates in the sector were already at one per day before the COVID pandemic, according to ONS figures, and it’s widely accepted that these have worsened to closer to two per day3. “At Band of Builders, we see the struggles of our colleagues within our community on a regular basis and see peer-to-peer support as vital to addressing this crisis. That’s where the Big Brew comes in. By encouraging people to do such a basic thing – sharing a brew – we want to create a space where tradespeople and others in the sector can share experiences, break down taboos around mental health and support one another. The Big Brew isn’t just about a few one-off events but about creating something long term that will address one of the biggest issues in our industry all year round.” What the Big Brew will fund Anyone can host a Big Brew – and builders wishing to register to host their own events can visit https://www.bandofbuilders.org/the-big-brew/ to find out more. Hosting a Big Brew will offer a place for people to meet and share a cuppa. It will also help raise funds to provide a range of mental health support services aimed at members of the UK construction industry and focused on supply chain companies, small businesses and the self-employed, who were recently discovered to be at higher risk than those working in larger organisations. These support services will include: · Funding dedicated industry mental health support lines · The provision of interim counselling services to support members of the UK construction industry · The provision of counselling support for BoB beneficiaries and volunteers · The provision of 300 free mental health awareness course places for small and medium-sized businesses and the self-employed. BoB will also work with fellow construction charity The Lighthouse Club and partners on the Beacons campaign, which aims to increase the provision of, and access to, regional peer support groups Know your wellbeing STATS Peter Cape added that, as part of the campaign, the Big Brew will encourage tradespeople to remember their wellbeing STATS and support one another: S – Support each other T – Talk about it A – Always ask twice T – Take it seriously S – Stop the cycle He said: “Wellbeing STATS around mental health are vital, and we hope that the Big Brew will be a way for tradespeople to start opening up, even just a little bit, because we all need to do everything we can to start reversing the mental health crisis in the construction sector.” Support the Big Brew at https://www.bandofbuilders.org/the-big-brew/
Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group has partnered with Gathering Voices to provide the local arts charity with exclusive use of the buildings at the former Park Furnishers site in Bristol in a bid to help support local artists working in the city. Forming part of the wider Whitehouse Street regeneration, Hill acquired the site in 2020. Since then, Hill have been working in partnership with Bristol City Council and Galliard Apsley to bring forwards a framework for wider regeneration with plans to create a new mixed-use development consisting of new homes, commercial space and new public realm improvements. “We are delighted to be working with Gathering Voices to help them support local artists by providing a location for such a wide range of creative outputs. With complementary social values, this partnership will help us deliver a lasting, positive legacy in Bristol, delivering much-needed new homes whilst supporting the local community,” said Andy Fancy, Regional Managing Director at Hill. As the project undergoes the early stages of consultation and development, Gathering Voices has been granted exclusive use of the warehouse on a fixed contract to occupy the old Park Furnishers building. Here, they will be creating Stillhouse Studios, a creative space for established and experienced artists, designers, and makers alike to create textile work and various film, photography and performing arts projects along with creative educational sessions for all ages. Ideas for the external parking spaces include food-based markets and innovative environmental projects to bring wildlife to the site. “The arts sector has been one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic where creativity and collaborations have had to be put on hold, which has affected our local community initiatives heavily. We are delighted to be working with an empathetic developer like Hill to bring to life our most recent creative space where we’ll be able to offer more opportunities for communities of Bristol,” added Hannah Klewin, Director at Gathering Voices. With a creative outreach programme designed to bring life back to underused and vacant spaces in and off East Street, Gathering Voices (est. 1985) is an innovative arts charity working primarily with children and young people. The charity also supports adults in music, mentoring, youth leadership and creative projects designed to empower and build community.
