Leading partnerships developer Lovell recently hosted educational site visits for two local schools at Cardiff Council’s upcoming St Mellons Community Living Project, which will provide high-quality, independent living accommodation for older people.
Situated on Crickhowell Road, on the site of the former Youth and Community Centre, the £17.2m development is being built by Lovell for Cardiff Council and will deliver a total of 60 one and two-bedroom, self-contained apartments for social rent, that will be built to high sustainability standards, powered by a communal heating system and benefit from solar panels.
The first of the sessions took place with six students from Eastern High School, and the second with ten students from St Illtyd’s Catholic High School. Both sets of students received a talk from Lovell Senior Site Manager Neil Burman, who covered the progress of St Mellons, the intricacies of construction and insights into his career and role as senior site manager. The students were then told more about the day-to-day of the site from Lovell Site Manager Dan Bevan. They also learnt about the various different roles available within the construction industry from Lovell Community Development Coordinators Merial Gough and Charlotte Holder.
The talks also touched on the pathways into the industry, such as the Network75 scheme run by the University of South Wales, which offers work experience and part-time work for five years, allowing university students to graduate debt-free as their fees are covered by the participating companies.
The highlight for the students was writing their names on a board, which will be included in one of the building walls, leaving a lasting mark on the development.
Gemma Clissett, regional partnerships director at Lovell, said:
“Giving back to the communities we build in as at the core of what we do at Lovell, so we were delighted to deliver these sessions to both Eastern High School and St Illtyd’s High School. We hope that the students found the sessions interesting and maybe even discovered an interest in the construction industry.”
Nick Sparrow, Careers Wales Adviser at St Illtyd’s Catholic High School, said:
“There is so much value in taking pupils interested in any aspect of construction onto a site and to hear from people in the trade, and meeting women working for Lovell was an inspiration for our female pupils too.”
Helen McCallion at Eastern High School, said:
“Recently, a group of our students had the opportunity to visit St Mellons. They were given the opportunity to discuss different roles within the organisation and routes into a career in construction.
“Students were given a tour and a breakdown of the site plans. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and each took something away from it. We are very much looking forward to continuing our work with Lovell and Mobile and have an exciting project planned for next year with the same students in line with the new curriculum for Wales. A wonderful authentic learning experience for all involved. Thank you Lovell!”
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said:
“It’s great to see our partners active in local communities, where are working together to create more affordable homes. I’m sure the pupils from Eastern High and St Illtyd’s appreciated this chance to learn about our new community living scheme in St Mellons, as well as gaining an insight into the opportunities available for careers in the construction industry.”
