Newsroom Archive

The Friends of Redhill, a group of parents and friends, who raise funds for extra school resources at Redhill Primary Academy in Priorslee, hit the press at the end of last year when they asked for help to assemble the separate pastoral care room, a stand-alone building they had worked hard to fundraise and purchase for the school.

After the building’s foundations were laid in October, the group of fundraisers, often described as ‘imaginative, creative and a little bit crazy’ with their fundraising ideas, struggled to find the help they needed, that was until a team of construction experts from Balfour Beatty Living Places in Telford and Wrekin stepped up to assemble the summer house style building in the grounds of the school. 

The Telford & Wrekin Council contractor  team, whose day jobs include highway maintenance, highway resurfacing and delivery of major projects, arrived at the school and in just one weekend, put together the structure which now sits proudly in the grounds of the popular primary school which first opened in 1998. 

“It’s not often I’m stuck for words”, said Pru McCarney, Chair of The Friends, “But when I heard Balfour Beatty had been in touch and were putting a team together to help us, I was actually speechless. The expertise and professionalism that these people brought to our project was amazing, we would never have done it without them.

“Long before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold of this country, we raised funds in readiness for our precious pastoral care building, of course without realising that its very existence would mean far more to the children than we could have ever imagined”, said Pru.

“Many of us have tapped into the incredible work that the teaching staff do, a Pastoral Care service that has been stretched at Redhill for many years, with one-to-one meetings taking place in busy corridors without the privacy children so desperately need when discussing their problems, so we set about raising the money to purchase this building in 2019.

“It’s been a tough year for so many, but we have battled on and we just wanted to see this building up and ready for the kids this year and all those hundreds of children who will pass through Redhill in the years to come.”

Diane Chapman, Balfour Beatty schemes manager for Telford and Wrekin, said: “We are absolutely committed to supporting the communities in which we operate. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Redhill Primary Academy and The Friends of Redhill, on this wonderful project. 

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of our valued supply chain partners, who have rallied together to deliver this essential pastoral care facility which will benefit hundreds of children for years to come.”

Cllr Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “The community support is part of the added social value commitment included in the contracts we negotiate with our contractors that support community projects across the borough. This project is a dream come true for the school and is one of many that are making a difference to local people’s lives. Well done to all the crews for a job well done.”

Cllr Richard Overton, chair of St Georges & Priorslee Parish Council, said: “This is a brilliant facility and I know how much it means to the school. A great job by everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen.” 

Head teacher at the school, Claire Whiting, added, “We feel so fortunate to have the support of the build team in ensuring that our pastoral care building took shape, the finished building looks incredible and I can’t thank the team enough who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend. We are, as always, so thankful to our wonderful PTA, The Friends of Redhill, who have once again accomplished something remarkable which will not only benefit the children who currently attend our setting but will support children for many years into the future.”