Tag: volunteers

Helping to create a community hub in Seascale

Posted on by helent
The site prior to demolition
The site in Seascale prior to demolition

Expertise from one of our key delivery partners is assisting to create a community hub in Seascale.

Volunteers from Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick (BBK) have given their time and expertise on electrical work to help the Shackles Off Youth & Community Project, which has secured funding to build a purpose-built youth and community centre in Seascale.

The BBK team is giving electrical design support to understand the power requirements for the new building to determine suitability of existing supplies or a need for new ones.

The Shackles Off Project has been in existence for 17 years and started as there was no youth provision in the immediate area.

A group of volunteers from the local churches and community saw a need and worked with young people for six months to establish their needs.  In September 2008 the first open-access youth provision on a Friday night started and Shackles Off became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2021.

The project is predominately for young people, 20% of their work also focusing on family and community support.

Transforming lives

Mandy Taylor, from the Shackles Off Project, said: “Many lives are being transformed by the work we do. This extends from young people being involved in the youth clubs and informal educational workshops, to specific work with mental health, risk taking behaviour and those who are NEET (Not in education, employment, or training).

“The community work extends to: Depression support group, parent autism support group, over 50s youth club, community events.  Shackles Off responds to the needs of the community we work in, so is ever evolving and reactive to change.

“We have had help from the supply chain and, in particular Balfour Beatty, who helped us with advice from time to time via Michael Holdforth.

“Michael also organised for Nathan Lucock to help with the E&I design work.  Nathan’s input has been invaluable and has also helped us make some decisions that we hadn’t necessarily already thought of, saving us potential delays down the line.

“We are very grateful for both Michael and Nathan’s support to our project and also Michael for the additional volunteer work he does from time to time, including being Father Christmas for our youth club parties!”

The site after demolition
The Seascale site after demolition

To see our latest volunteering opportunities use the Together For Good platform.

 

 

Volunteers spark STEM passion in primary pupils

Posted on by helent

Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick (BBK) volunteers have helped to inspire the next generation of nuclear workers at a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) event.

Three volunteers from Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick stood at a STEM event with their company banner.

Patrick Connolly, Emily Jones, Jack Stockdale, and Nathan Lucock took part in a two-day engagement event at Whitehaven Academy with 400 primary school pupils aged six to nine.

The event, organised by Cumbria Primary Business Partnership, aimed to ignite early interest in STEM careers, through hands-on learning and innovative activities.

Interactive workshops were designed to captivate young minds. The BBK team led an introduction to magnetism, where they acted as a magnet, attracting or repelling co-hosts to demonstrate magnetic properties. Children were split into groups to explore the science of magnets.

One group tested the magnetic properties of various materials, while the other learned about electro-magnetism and experimented with triggering magnetic reactions.

Armed with worksheets, the students documented their findings, honing both their curiosity and scientific inquiry skills.

The workshops emphasised practical learning, and gave the children a chance to see science in action and discover that STEM can be a fun and rewarding field.

Lasting Impression

The event not only inspired the young participants, but also left a lasting impression on the BBK volunteers. Apprentices Emily and Jack excelled, using the opportunity to develop leadership skills and boost their confidence.

Patrick praised the event as a ‘STEM baptism of fire’ and highlighted the collaborative spirit. He encouraged more colleagues to join future events.

The BBK volunteers said:

“This initiative strengthens ties between local businesses and the community, and offers pupils a glimpse into potential career paths.

“The children’s enthusiasm, and the team’s eagerness to participate, also signal a bright future for this collaboration.

“With such efforts, more young people may realise their passion for STEM, and it can open doors to exciting career opportunities and strengthen the local workforce.”