Jewson recently supported Pathway to Construction, a free family event showcasing opportunities within the construction industry and the built environment. One of the event highlights, the House-Build Challenge, was sponsored by Jewson and saw groups of local school children compete to construct the best-scaled house.
Pathway to Construction, held in Hasting’s Alexandra Park on the 22nd June, focuses on eco-construction and sustainable technologies. This year’s event, proved to be the biggest and best yet with a wide range of practical demonstrations by students from Sussex Coast College. Visitors of all ages could also attempt bricklaying and plastering, carpentry and plumbing and find information on the latest energy saving plans and legislation updates.
The main feature of the day was the House-Build Challenge. Students from William Parker, Bexhill High, Hasting Academy, Blacklands Primary, and for the first time two groups of schoolchildren from France, presented the scaled (5m x 5m sq) houses they had spent weeks preparing with the help of local building contractors. The finished houses were then reviewed by a judging panel – with the winning team awarded £250 for their school.
“Promoting career opportunities within the construction industry is something Jewson has long championed,’ explained David Fenton, Marketing Director at Jewson. “We were delighted to support Pathway to Construction as it reflects our commitment to education and training. Jewson offer comprehensive training opportunities through our Greenworks Training Academy, based in Birmingham, for both employees and customers. Unbiased and practical training is available on the latest sustainable building solutions as well as the latest renewable technologies.”
Bob Perry, Branch Manager at the Jewson Hastings branch, attended the Pathway to Construction event and concluded: “The enthusiasm that went into the day and the standards achieved by the participating schools was extremely impressive. The house-build challenge is a great way to engage and inform young people about sustainable building and renewable energy sources. I’m very pleased we were involved and hope to be able to participate again next year.”