Embedding Mental Health in Community Engagement

With construction works well underway at York in-patients facility, delivering a mental health facility for our client (Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation NHS Trust), the site team effectively delivered an initiative with Applefields School in York, concurrent with the project being centred on mental health. The school, which provides specialist educational needs, signed up to a site visit in March via the Open Doors initiative. The pupils enjoyed the visit so much that the school asked if it was possible to come back to undertake further activities.

The site team, alongside our supply chain, delivered a full day bricklaying workshop for the pupils. The workshop allowed for differentiated learning to maximise learning outcomes so that all pupils, irrespective of physical disability or learning needs, could take part. The students built two planters which enhanced the site Welfare area and created a ‘break-out’ zone for the benefit of the supply chain. The workshop was delivered in collaboration with Marlborough Brickwork and support from Westend Joinery, which was complimented with a site tour to create a specialist experience, delivering skills and heightened appreciation of life in the construction industry.

To complete the planter project, we appointed EasiWorks (a branch of Autism Plus), a horticultural-based social enterprise that provides placements and workshops to Autistic trainees, to plant edibles and feature planters which enhanced the welfare area, delivered local Social Value and provided such an enjoyable experience that the trainees returned to maintain the planters and to keep up to date with site progress.