Clarion Housing

Residents in Borehamwood lose everything in home fire, but thanks to Clarion and EQUANS receive a generous donation of new furniture for their new home.

After sadly losing everything due to a home fire, the family in Borehamwood had to be re-housed and therefore needed furniture desperately. In partnership with Clarion, who generously donated all the furniture from one of their Latimer show homes, EQUANS offered to arrange transportation of the furniture from Ely to Borehamwood in order to get it to the residents.

Thanks to the efforts of Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, EQUANS was able to source and fund the services of a removals company who were able to deal with the request at short notice and deliver the items which will help furnish a three bedroom home for the family.

One of the family members commented: "Losing everything in the fire was a tragedy, but the speedy response in finding us a new home and then the wonderful furnishings had really improved morale for my family."

Earlier in September, EQUANS returned to a Norfolk based community allotment to spread more than 14 tonnes of top soil into the raised planters that had been built several weeks earlier.

Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, returned to the Sprowston Youth Engagement Project Allotment along with a number of his EQUANS colleagues, including our very own RLO, Karen Newell, to lay more than 14 tonnes of top soil into the raised planters he'd previously help build.

The volunteer team luckily had good weather for the day and soon had all the beds brimming with soil.

Once finished the allotment is going to be used as an inter-generational space, to encourage young and old to work together. Paul Wheeler from SYEP commented that his hope was to link in with local community fridges and food banks to donate surplus fruit and vegetables to help those local residents struggling.

The south west site team received an impressive top score of 45/45 for an audit visit to their Plymouth Planned Maintenance site from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) after scoring top marks in each of the three categories.

In August, a CCS monitor visited the scheme and carried out their audit of the site, commenting things like "Since the first visit the works have progressed and the estate appearance has undoubtedly been lifted by them. The environmental measures are to a high standard and focussed by the EQUANS net zero commitment. Health and safety performance has been independently recognised as being to the highest standards."

The CCS is an independent organisation founded to raise standards in the construction industry to ensure all construction sites present an image of competent management, efficiency, awareness of environmental issues and above all neighbourliness. Monitors from the scheme regularly audit our sites to ensure we are adhering to the scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice which is designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirement.

Each audit is split into three categories; respect for the community, protecting the environment and valuing the workforce each with a potential score out of 15 with a total combined max score of 45 available. To score above 13 in any category warrants an excellent level of achievement for that category.

Congratulations to Frank, Karen and the rest of the site team, who work so hard every day to maintain such high standards

In August, EQUANS helped support the Vange Community Day.

EQUANS staff including Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, was on hand to speak to residents about volunteering opportunities, what social value investment they'd like to see in the area and also upcoming planned community events.

The entire event was free to attend and including free ice cream, pizza, refreshments, garden games and even a mental health tent.

A community centre in Hertfordshire has received a new lease of life thanks to decorative works undertaken by EQUANS volunteers.

The Farriers Hall Community Centre in Borehamwood was in desperate need of a makeover and thanks to staff from EQUANS who volunteered a number of days of their own time the centre has now been given a completely fresh new look.

Across three days in August, Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, was joined by EQUANS colleagues, Gary McGregor, Emily Scragg, Joao Brito and Mark Kelly to carry out the much needed decorative works to help transform the centre into a bright and inviting space.

To help speed along the works our supply chain partners, Speedy Services generously donated the free supply of a mobile scaffold towers which was desperately needed to reach all the high walls and also Dulux who kindly provided all the paint free of charge!

Thanks to volunteers from EQUANS, the communal garden at Resting Seat House in Braintree, Essex, has now been brought back to life.

The once beautiful communal garden, had an area that had become overrun by weeds and bushes and was in desperate need of some love and care to bring it back under control.

In July, Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz was joined by Project Coordinator, James Russell from EQUANS whom had utilised his volunteer hours to help strim back and clear a 25m stretch of weeds, then lay weed matting and spread several tonnes of bark chip to create a lovely new area for residents to enjoy the outdoor space.

As well as help from EQUANS colleagues, Julian also received support from our supply chain partner Speedy Services who kindly supported the initiative by providing the required petrol strimmer free of charge.

Alongside Clarion staff, EQUANS staff have shown further support to Clarion Futures in the delivery of their Digital Inclusion sessions for residents.

Most recently, Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, attended the latest Clarion Digital Inclusion session at Fulbridge church in Maldon, to help offer support to residents learning about the digital world.

During the session Julian was able to advise a resident on how to send photos on email and WhatsApp, how to create a secure password on their iPad, and even how to book a meal online at their favourite resident.

After visiting a primary school in Norfolk earlier in the year to host a safety assembly, EQUANS has returned to announce the winners of a safety poster competition.

In July, EQUANS Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, was joined by Resident Liaison Officer, Karen Newell and Mark Rule, who returned to the Cawston Primary School in Norfolk to announce and present prizes to the winners of the safety poster competition set when he previously visited the school back in June.

One winner was chosen from each year group of the school, and there were some fantastic designs.

Julian previously visited the school to host a special safety assembly warning children of the dangers of construction sites and building works, whilst asking the children to design their very own posters to help warn other children.

With EQUANS currently carrying out planned investment works in the area, it's a priority for EQUANS to deliver these special talks to local schools to ensure the safety of children, parents and residents as well as the general public.

Careers in construction are being promoted to residents living in Essex to help support school and college leavers, thanks to EQUANS.

In June, Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, visited Clarion's Alternative Provision Unit in Wickford, Essex, where he was promoting the benefits of a career in construction by holding a virtual conference.

Julian is currently working throughout Essex on behalf of Clarion, engaging with local schools and colleges to support STEM activities and promote apprenticeships and work placement opportunities. He will also be organising 200 free e-learning spaces for Wickford residents to support student learning outcomes.

If you're interested in a career with EQUANS or would like to find out more about apprenticeships and work placement opportunities, please contact Julian on 07795 194 449 or click here to view our current vacancies.

Thanks to EQUANS building a new community allotment in Sprowston, Norwich, local youth will learn how to grow their own food.

In June, Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, visited Sprowston to help create a brand new community allotment including six large raised planters for local youth group, Sprowston Youth Engagement Partnership (SYEP).

The new garden will be used by SYEP to teach local youth how to grow their own food, and to promote intergenerational socialisation with older allotment members.

Julian will also be hosting a volunteer day in the coming weeks to fill the planter beds with more than 16 tonnes of grade 1 top soil.