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PUPILS at Newton-le-Willows Primary School received a lesson in site safety recently by regeneration specialist St. Modwen, the developer behind the transformation of the former Vulcan Works.
St. Modwen joined forces with construction partner Seddon Construction Ltd. to host a special assembly for the school children.
The assembly highlighted the importance of health and safety around live construction sites and covered the various hazards that can be found on site.
Seddon Construction’s mascot Seddy’s Teddy visited a key stage 1 and key stage 2 assembly. Seddy asked the children, aged five to 11 years, to identify the large machinery and other potential dangers, including deep holes and scaffolding. The pupils were also invited to try on high visibility jackets and safety helmets.
Kathryn Wain-Mahoney, head teacher at Newton-le-Willows Primary School, said: “‘As a school we are aware of the high level of construction work currently taking place in the surrounding area. It was extremely beneficial for us to work alongside St. Modwen to educate our pupils on how to stay safe around these sites.”
Paul Batho, Projects Director for St. Modwen at Great Homer Street, said: “A building site might seem like a great place to explore but in reality, they can be extremely dangerous, especially for children looking for somewhere to play. Therefore, it is so important for St. Modwen to work with local schools and raise awareness of the hazards to keep pupils safe.”
Maggie Heap, community project manager for Seddon Construction, added: “We were delighted to meet all the enthusiastic pupils at Newton-le-Willows Primary School to talk about the importance of health and safety on construction sites and introduce Seddy Teddy.
“It’s incredibly important for us to engage with the young people who live in the areas we work with for clients like St. Modwen – to promote safety and hopefully inspire the next generation of construction talent.”
The regeneration specialist has a long-standing commitment to Newton-le-Willows where it is building 650 new homes, an Aldi supermarket, children’s play area, history trail and public open space. St. Modwen has also built new facilities for the bowling and rifle clubs, which are part of the Vulcan Sports Club. Next year a new multi-purpose sports facility will open.
