A word on our donors: Travis Perkins

Travis Perkins – a prominent supplier of goods to the UK’s building and construction industry for over 200 years – has contributed £15,000 towards the project budget.

The donated funds are being used for general, non-propriety building materials, which can be particularly difficult to get sponsorship for. These include nails, DPC, protective clothing and plasterboard, among other essentials. We are extremely grateful for this generous contribution.

For more information on Travis Perkins, visit their website at http://www.travisperkins.co.uk/

 

Photo update: Monday Construction Club

Former pupil Jay Wilson shares his knowledge and skills with Year 7s at yesterday's afterschool Construction Club.

 

More kind donations: Velfac and Wates

We would like to say a huge thank you to Velfac - an international company specialising in high performances doors and windows - for a very generous donation worth in excess of £9,000.

Needless to say, no house is complete without a top-notch, attractive array of doors and windows; with plenty of coming and going sure to take place, this latest donation is most welcome.

We also wish to express our gratitude to Wates, who are one of the UK’s largest building and construction companies, for an extremely kind donation of £5,000. With a rich history spanning well over a century, Wates is synonymous in the trade with quality service and sustainability.

We really are very fortunate indeed.

A word on our donors: Makita

We would like to express our gratitude to Makita – the world’s leading manufacturer of power tools – for kindly donating top of the range equipment for our students to use throughout the project.

For close to 100 years Makita has been delivering quality tools to people and companies across the globe, playing an important role in the evolution of construction worldwide.

Burlington Danes Academy is extremely fortunate to have received such a generous donation, includimg: top of the range electric impact drivers and screwdrivers, a sliding chop saw, a power planer, a jig saw and a sander.

As the company's own vision statement says: “By providing the tools, Makita is ensuring that anything is possible... not only contributing to a better today, but investing in a better future.”

A bird's-eye view

To capture the pace and progress of the project, Woody James, the film crew's cinematographer and director of photography, has installed a permanent camera mount overlooking the area where the house is to be erected.

The mount will remain on the school roof for the duration of the project and the crew will use it to film a timelapse shot on every visit to Burlington Danes. The resulting sequence will contribute to a clear and aesthetically pleasing illustration of the magnitude of the task undertaken. The material might also be used for a progression shot that will recur throughout the film.

Familiar faces at Monday Construction Club

Every Monday after school, the workshop doors are thrown open to any students keen to lend a hand and play their part in the building of the house. So far participation has been outstanding, ensuring an output almost matching that of the timetabled construction classes.

Numbers have been consistently high and the atmosphere is always one of enthusiasm and productivity. Attendees are showing an eagerness to learn that is fairly reflected in the quality of their work and the rapid development of their expertise.

A particularly noteworthy contribution has come from an extremely competent group of fresh-faced Year 7 girls who rarely miss a session.

Mariam Rahman, Ola Ibrahim, Rania El-Gamal and Einas Omar have shown passion and commitment to the cause and are fast proving themselves to be invaluable members of the team. Already dab hands with the contents of most tool boxes and always prepared to acquire new skills, they are also showing an astute understanding of the technical side of the building plans.

Mariam, 11, said: “I wasn’t too interested at first, but once I tried it I found it really interesting and I really enjoyed it. It’s really fun.”

Keep it up girls and we’ll have a house before Christmas!

 

Photo update: Great Monday club turnout