Tag Archives: Housebuilder

Charity & CSR, Construction, News

Housebuilder donates £500 to support charities food parcel project

A Bury St Edmunds-based charity was given an extra helping hand towards its Christmas project to provide 600 food parcels for vulnerable people throughout East Anglia.

Gatehouse, which is based at Dettigen Way, was given £500 by local housebuilder Bellway Eastern Counties, which is building new homes at Bronze Fields in Bury St Edmunds, as well as other locations across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.

Amanda Bloomfield, CEO of Gatehouse, said: “In 2021 we delivered 600 food parcels to the vulnerable and the needy just in time for Christmas.

“The average cost of a food parcel is £10, so Bellway’s very kind donation directly impacted 50 families who are in need, across East Anglia.

“The project aims to deliver parcels to families from all walks of life, including those in emergency need. It is essential we try and help at a time which can be really difficult for many people.

“The charity has been running since 1986 and was originally set up as a Christian family service. We currently have some paid staff members and 25 longstanding volunteers.

“We have around 100 volunteers on Christmas Day, as we also provide a three-course meal and entertainment for people who would normally be alone at Christmas.”

The Christmas Project is one of four project areas covered by Gatehouse’s work. The charity also runs a foodbank, a community wellbeing project and a home store, which provides donated furniture and appliances to those on benefits or with low incomes.

Head of Sales for Bellway Eastern Counties, Rhiannon Jones, said: “The winter period can be difficult for a lot of struggling families and it’s projects like this that can make that time a little easier.

“The work Gatehouse does throughout the year is incredibly important and helps hundreds of people in need.

“As a local housebuilder, we are pleased to be able to help a charity that directly benefits those living in the local communities in which we build.”

More information about Gatehouse is available on the charity’s website at www.gatehouse.org.uk.

For details about Bellway’s new homes in the area, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/eastern-counties/bronze-fields or call the sales office on 01284 545375.

Captions:

  • Amanda Bloomfield, CEO of Gatehouse, with Rachael Gatehouse, Sales Manager for Bellway Eastern Counties
Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News, Property

Foodbank receives support from city housebuilder

A city foodbank charity which fed 35,000 people last year has been given a funding boost by a local housebuilder.

Coventry Foodbank, which has the largest foodbank warehouse in the country and gave out 280 tons of food last year, has been given £500 by Bellway’s South Midlands division, which has its regional headquarters in the city.

The foodbank, which was set up 10 years ago, is based at the Halo Centre in Progress Way. It provides a box of three days’ worth of food supplies and toiletries to people who are given food vouchers by a range of agencies including the city council, the NHS and Citizens Advice.

Hugh McNeill, project manager at Coventry Foodbank, said: “We are funded by public donations which provide us with the financing to ensure we can carry on providing food at our 12 foodbank centres in the city.

“This very generous donation from Bellway will give us a much-welcome boost after a very hard time for everyone. The public have continued to support us incredibly well during the pandemic but things have been tough.

“In 2019, we fed 28,000 people and last year we fed 35,000 people. Of that number, approximately 14,000 will be children under the age of 16.

“In the first few weeks of the pandemic, with people being furloughed and laid off, we saw a 100 per cent increase in people accessing our foodbanks. That demand eased off but we have been busier than ever.

“We will use the £500 to support our commercial kitchen project. We are setting up a kitchen in the warehouse so that we can train people with catering skills.

“While we train the people they will be making ready meals or soup for use at the foodbank. The idea is to furnish them with skills that can be used to help them gain employment.

“We very much see this sort of training programme, which will also include any tutoring people may need to gain maths or English skills, as the future role of foodbanks.

“Our ethos is that this foodbank should be a hand-up not a hand-out and the money from Bellway will help us provide that.”

Elaine Brown, Head of Sales at Bellway South Midlands, said: “The pandemic lockdown must have put an incredible strain on charities such as the Coventry Foodbank for many reasons.

“This is a brilliant charity that is funded by public donations which allow it to carry on its work and can literally be life-saving. Their food boxes help put food on the tables of thousands and thousands of men, women and children in Coventry every year.

“We are always pleased to support local charities who do such good work to support people and families and there is no doubt that Coventry Foodbank is at the forefront of reaching out and providing immediate and much-needed assistance and support to the local community.”

For more information about the charity visit coventry.foodbank.org.uk.

Bellway’s South Midlands division is currently based at Oak House, Binley Business Park, having recently relocated to new larger premises in the city.

The housebuilder is also building new homes at developments in Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.

For more information about any of the developments visit bellway.co.uk.

CAPTIONS –

  • Jeané Izautenbach (left) from the Halo Centre, Coventry with Jess Bray (right) of Bellway South Midlands
Construction, News, South East

Bellway’s young stars rise through the ranks

A Milton Keynes-based housebuilder is leading the way in supporting the careers of young people in the area – and developing the next generation of employees in the construction industry.

More than 12 per cent of the 154-strong workforce employed by Bellway Northern Home Counties – which has its divisional headquarters in Caldecotte and is building new homes across the region – are aged between 18 and 30.

What’s more, 6.5 per cent of employees are in apprenticeships or training positions which are helping them to develop their skills and to rise through the ranks.

There are many different career paths to embark on at Bellway, from bricklayers building new homes to sales advisors selling them, and young people are employed within teams across the division, including technical, sales, construction and management.

Paul Smits, Managing Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “It is great to see so many young people progressing within Bellway and starting their careers in construction as part of our company.

“We have a fantastic team of enthusiastic individuals within the division who are keen to learn and work and produce the best new-build properties for our customers.

“As a company, we are committed to helping support employment opportunities in the areas in which we build, as well as nurturing the housebuilders of the future by ensuring skills are passed down to the new generation coming through the ranks.

“I look forward to seeing our young employees building their careers in construction and continuing the high standard of work that our customers expect from Bellway as a housebuilder.”

Bellway Northern Home Counties is building new homes across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

The housebuilder is also proud to be part of the 5% Club, which comprises companies aiming to have five per cent of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ positions.

For more information on starting a career with Bellway, visit bellwaycareers.co.uk.

 

CAPTIONS –

  • Bellway Northern Home Counties is encouraging young people into housebuilding roles
News

New sales manager appointed by Bellway

A new sales manager has been appointed at housebuilder Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division.

Aly Morehen, from Northamptonshire, is now based at the company’s divisional office in Milton Keynes. His new role includes the management of four of Bellway’s active sites in Bedfordshire: Eastcotts Green and Eastcotts Place in New Cardington, Brook View in Wixams, and Berry Wood in Wootton.

Aly has been working in the housebuilding industry since 2015, working his way up from a Sales Advisor to Sales Manager.

Bellway is a well-known national housebuilder with a five-star rating from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). The company recently retained its five-star status for the fifth successive year.

The award demonstrates that over 90 per cent of Bellway’s customers who completed the HBF’s National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey would recommend the housebuilder to a friend.

Aly has only been in his current position for a couple of weeks but is already looking towards the future with the role.

Aly said: “I’m enjoying being part of the Bellway Northern Home Counties team so far. To be working for a housebuilder with an excellent reputation in the industry is fantastic and it is clear to me, after only a few weeks of being in the team, just how much everyone in the business cares about the work being done. To join at a time when the company has retained its five-star builder status – which is based on feedback from customers – speaks volumes for the care and consideration delivered.

“Ensuring customer satisfaction is a key element of the sales manager role and something I value tremendously. Buying a new home is a major life decision, perhaps the most important one people will make, and it is vital that our customers are supported during this process and that we, as the sales team, make it as seamless as possible for them.

“Looking forward, I want to be able to significantly contribute to the division, particularly in maintaining its recognised high-standards in delivering quality homes on aspirational developments where people want to live.”

Luke Southgate, Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “We are pleased to welcome Aly to the team and look forward to seeing his achievements at Bellway Northern Home Counties. With his previous experience in the housebuilding industry, we are confident that he will be able to do well in his role and aid in the growth and success of the division.

“With Bellway’s recent retention of five-star builder status, a new sales manager for the division will only increase the high level of care we provide to our customers in Bedfordshire and beyond.”

Bellway Northern Home Counties’ offices are based in Caldecotte, Milton Keynes, and the division is currently building in locations across Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire.

More information can be found at bellway.co.uk.

CAPTIONS

  • Aly Morehen, Sales Manager for Bellway Northern Home Counties