A Llanelli school is the first ‘community project’ to feel the benefit of a powerful new alliance of six construction companies in South West Wales. St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School in Havard Road, Llanelli, now has safer access routes for pupils and staff – all thanks to the ‘working together’ group of construction companies.
The improvement works were carried out under the direction of TAD Builders, of Llanelli, as part of new pilot project in the construction industry. The works didn’t cost the school a penny as the group donated the time and materials needed to improve two key access routes into the school.
“It’s all part of a new initiative where a group of six local construction companies pool our knowledge and resources to help our local communities,” said TAD Builders director Anthony Jones.
The ‘working together’ group of builders are helping to spread the gospel about sustainability issues in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire as part of a wider project sponsored by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and supported by Construction Skills. The firms taking part are – Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd, of Kidwelly; HM Building Services, of Narberth; Lloyd & Gravell Ltd, of Pontyberem; Morganstone Ltd, of Llanelli; TAD Builders Ltd, of Llanelli; and T. Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd, of Ammanford.
“We’re all in this together as an enterprise and the philosophy is very much helping each other when it comes to community projects like the one at St John Lloyd School,” said Mr Jones.
“As a group of construction companies we are looking at a whole range of ideas to do with everything from the environment and waste recycling, to work experience, best practice in the industry and community challenges.
“We are looking at a whole host of community projects in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, projects which are both sustainable and bring benefit to the community. The St John Lloyd project is the first one we have completed and it is one that has given us and the school a great deal of satisfaction.
“One entrance to the school has a series of steps. The guard rail needed improving and we also put in tactile paving and yellow warning strips to make it a much safe route into the school.
“The other entrance had a speed hump which needed removing and then replacing in a more suitable format. We also had to widen the gates because the school has pupils with special needs, so we have allowed for level access and wheelchair access.”
Mr Paul White, the headteacher of St John Lloyd School, said he was delighted to see the school benefitting from the new ‘Working Together’ construction partnership.
“We are fortunate in having good links with the wider community and with local businesses and this is a great example of the power of partnerships. “We are very grateful for the work which has been carried out as it will make a significant difference to our pupils and visitors making it much easier and safer to access the school. We would also like to wish the partnership of construction companies every success in their future endeavours.”
Construction group spokesman Andrew McElwee said: “working together is a very ambitious and novel project bringing together six very well known names in the construction industry in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
“The six firms are well respected in the industry and place great value in producing quality work. Traditional values have held true for the firms in their history, but they are also very focussed on building for the future.
“With that in mind, sustainability issues are top of the agenda for the firms. Sustainability looks to address issues concerned with social, environmental and economic issues within the communities served by these businesses.
“By having a more structured and collaborative approach to addressing sustainability in our communities, the builders will also be able to demonstrate to clients their belief in key corporate responsibility credentials. The aim is to make a greater impact in our communities.”
Mr McElwee added that the ‘working together’ group was now working to build a timetable of collaborative ventures. “These will include a whole raft of ideas which have, at their heart, issues of community support and sustainability.”
