50 people from Birmingham people have found new jobs at a Shard End development.

Client Barratt West Midlands has announced that 50 local people have found jobs in the last five months at its new development in Shard End.

The Crescent, a £27m project to build nearly 200 homes, is now the place of work for 50 labourers, tradesmen and sub-contractors – as well as two apprentices. Many of the people employed live within five miles of the site.

Since the scheme began last November more than £2.2 million worth of contracts have been given to local suppliers, operating within five miles of the site, including electrical contractors, ground workers, bricklayers and security companies.

As well as new homes the development will provide a new vicarage for All Saints Church, a new library and 14,000 sq ft of retail units including a Co-op, bookmakers, post office, chip shop and a bakery.  A number of the retailers operate from the area already and are being relocated in brand new premises as a result of the development.

In total 124 one-, two- and three-bedroom houses will be available for private sale along with 67 affordable homes.

Adrian Farr, Managing Director for Halesowen-based Barratt said that the development is a classic example of how new construction projects can quickly employ significant numbers of people and benefit the local economy.

“From the start the Shard End scheme has been about more than just fulfilling housing needs and is one of a number of projects we are working on in the region that have local people at its heart.

“We have worked for a number of years with our partners here in Shard End to devise a scheme that would benefit the whole community and it is pleasing to see that in developing this site we are also able to aid both physical and social regeneration.”

Details of one of the apprentices and the local labourer are:

Alex Lennon

Carpentry apprentice

Age 16

Lives in Kings Heath

Studying NVQ in carpentry at South Birmingham College

Alex said, “Being an apprentice is fantastic; I like being outdoors and am learning a trade which I enjoy.  I had to take test to get this position so I feel really lucky to be working here. 

“I knew I wanted a real job and to study at the same time and being able to do this with Barratt is ideal.  In the future I’d like to get into construction management and hopefully this apprenticeship will put me in good stead to achieving that one day.”

Chris Adams

Site labourer

Age 33

Lives in Shard End

Found position through Job Centre, was previously unemployed for six months

Chris Adams (L) and Alex Lennon (R)

Children from Hob Hill C of E Primary School have been trying their hands at poetry after taking part in a Valentine’s Day competition with client Barratt West Midlands.

And Jayde Hibbert aged 9, Stephen Rodda, aged 10, and Joel Edwards aged 10 have had their poetic talents rewarded after their romantic verses were picked as first, second and third respectively by their class teacher Leigh Danckert.

Jayde’s poem was especially impressive and earned first prize, along with £20 in Toys’R’Us vouchers:

Love is like the fire of my heart,

Love is like a shimmering star,

Love is surrounding us all around,

Love is the beat of the sound,

Love is the pitter patter of the rain,

Love is when I see you again.

The winners with their poems

Students working towards a BTEC Level 3 in Construction at Bedford College recently took the opportunity to learn the ropes of site safety from construction professionals at Barratt Northampton’s Greenkeepers Mews development at Biddenham Vale, Great Denham.

Aged from 16 to 22, the students were given a tour of Greenkeepers Mews by Site Manager Steve Tofield who was on hand to pass on his experience in the construction industry and especially his know-how when it comes to keeping people safe on-site.

Thanks to Toby Savage for the great photography.

Chrildren in Northamptonshire got festive recently for client, Barratt Northampton’s, design a Christmas card competition.  Pupils at Oakley Vale Primary School in Corby and Upton Meadow Primary School in Northampton put their drawing and painitng skills to the test as they designed a Christmas card that the company would distibute to its residents at its developments in the area. 

Another winner and the Barratt sales adviser with the cards

These were just two of more than a dozen seasonal competitions that the USA PR team managed this year and we’re already getting our thinking caps on for more community projects for Valentine’s Day 2011!

Thanks to Steve Baker for the cute photography!

Clients Barratt Mercia and Barratt Northampton picked up three awards between them in this year’s prestigious What House? competition.

Barratt Mercia was awarded a silver prize in the Best Partnership category for it’s Bluebell project in Camp Hill, Nuneaton, whilst Barratt Northampton scooped gold for its Vizion development in Milton Keynes for Best Landcape and a silver for its NU@D2 development in Northampton for Best Sustainable Development.

Barratt’s regional managing director, Richard Brooke attended the glittering ceremony at London’s Gosvenor House Hotel, hosted by Jimmy Carr, to collect the prizes.

We’ve all been getting into the World Cup with a company sweepstake but so have our clients with promotions and events that tap in to this national obsession!  Here’s just one of the promotional photos we’ve comissioned for client Barratt Northampton…

Barratt sales advisor Rachel shows her skill!

Baroness Scott of Neadham Market, peer and president of the Liberal Democrat party visited Barratt Northampton’s Vizion development in Milton Keynes today.  The visit was organised by the Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership and the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Euan Henderson.  The Baroness was keen to find out more about Milton Keynes, its role in the sub region and some of the key issues facing the town.

Vizion is Barratt’s £62 million landmark apartment scheme and comprises more than 300 new homes, a new Sainsbury’s superstore and underground parking.

Paul Walker, Baroness Scott and Councillor Euan Henderson

We’ve just finished work on a new microsite which lives as part of the main Barratt Homes’ website.

The microsite is based around Vizion - a superior apartment development based in Milton Keynes.

The dedicated microsite was developed as it was felt that we could really make more of a song and dance about why people should consider moving there. It called for something more than the standard page offered up on the Barratt site essentially.

Many people commute from Milton Keynes to the London area, and Vizion is positioned just a couple of minutes from the motorway. Also there is the new The Hub just over the road which offers a great selection of bars, cafes and restaurants. (It’s pretty good, I’ve been down there to check it out.)

We’ve started targeting the website with our traditional press ads we produce for Barratt, and so far the response has been great!

Visit the new site - www.barratthomes.co.uk/vizionliving