School pupils learn new skills with visit from housing developers
Pupils at a school in south Shropshire have been learning the importance of communication and confidence as part of a project to help them think about future careers.
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The youngsters at Chirbury Primary School were visited by members of Shropshire Rural Housing Association and SJ Roberts Construction, who are building a development of affordable homes near the school.
As well as explaining to the children how the building work was progressing, the visitors joined an activity session with 2B Enterprising, which works with schools to develop young people’s entrepreneurial skills.
John Green, chief executive of Shropshire Rural Housing Association, said the children were very receptive to the project.
“We have been keen to build links with the school as much as possible during the construction of the new affordable homes in Chirbury, and this project was a great way of doing that,” he said. “It was all about encouraging the children to think about the skills they will need to be a successful worker when they grow up.
“So myself and Evie from SJ Roberts Construction joined them in a fun networking-style event, chatting to the pupils about their hobbies and interests.
“You could see it was a really good way to improve their confidence and communication skills, which are of course vital for their future careers.
“We also explained why we are building new houses in their village, and are looking forward to taking the children on a site visit as the project nears completion later this year.
“It was an enjoyable experience and we would like to thank everyone at Chirbury School for inviting us along.”
Evie Bennett, marketing executive at SJ Roberts Construction, added: “We engage with the local community on as many of our projects as possible and the relationship that we’ve built with 2B Enterprising is a particularly positive way of reaching local schools.
“These sessions equip the children with important life and enterprise skills, and the networking session was particularly interesting as it gave the children the opportunity to ask lots of questions about the roles within our respective businesses.”
Shropshire Rural Housing Association is building 13 affordable homes for social rent in Chirbury, with priority being given to local people who want to remain living in their community instead of moving elsewhere.
The project is in conjunction with landowners Powis Estates, with grant funding being provided by Homes England and Shropshire Council. SJ Roberts Construction is undertaking the work, with completion expected in late 2025.
