Coast & Country teamed up with developer Galliford Try and Redcar & Cleveland Council to educate youngsters at Overfields Primary School in Ormesby about the dangers of building sites.
The three partner organisations will be working together on soon to be announced projects and Galliford Try Partnerships North has committed to Coast & Country’s social value pledge.
The builder’s safety champion -‘Ivor Goodsite’ – was a special guest, engaging the youngsters and bringing a fun element to a serious message.
In addition to the health and safety talk, work has been carried out to the school’s garden, making it an area for the children to enjoy and learn in.
Anthony Brown, Director of Property and Developments at Coast & Country, said: “Social value is incredibly important to us and this includes looking at how we can maximise our contribution to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of those living in our communities through our business activities. It is vital that these values are shared with our suppliers and that they understand our ethos.
“We are determined our investments, development programmes and regeneration projects, as well as the day-to-day running of the company, should benefit not only our tenants but also make a significant contribution to the local economy and jobs market.
“The visit to Overfields School and the improvements carried out to the school’s garden are examples of this in action and we are grateful to Galliford Try for the willing involvement of its team.”
Tracy Watson, Head Teacher at Overfields Primary School, commented: “It has made a huge difference and the children were commenting at break time about how smart the garden now looks.”
Stephen McCoy, Managing Director with Galliford Try Partnerships North, added: “When we move into a community we know that, to youngsters, our site can appear to be a new and exciting playground and so we make sure we take a strong safety message directly to them.
“Experience shows that doing this in a fun and engaging way means the children understand the potential dangers of playing on building sites and follow the safety code.”