Sasha Bainbridge, partnerships director at Lovell East Anglia, and Gerry Ruffles, head of education at MOBIE, were joined by architectural designer James Watkins from Ingleton Wood and architect Emily Barnston from Feilden+Mawson Architects on Wednesday 28th February for an educational event for the students at Arden Grove School, Norwich.
The event aimed to inspire 6-year-old children about the housing industry in a fun and interactive way. Gerry gave them a presentation, engaging them in discussions about what homes are and about the different elements of houses.
The day was divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with Emily and James helping in one session each.
The highlight of the event was a creative activity where the students were encouraged to design their own development. MOBIE designed and provided cutouts of houses, trees, street scenes and furniture, with Emily and James helping the children with their designs, even incorporating some dinosaurs into the plans to enhance the fun.
Sasha Bainbridge commented: “Educating children about the future of housing is essential which is why our partnership with MOBIE is so significant. Children and young people will play a vital role in shaping the future of our homes and communities, so inspiring them from an early age is important. We aimed to engage them in a fun and interactive way, and it was clear they enjoyed it and we had some wonderful feedback from the students and everyone involved. We are excited about the future of this partnership, and inspiring more young people in the future. A massive thank you to MOBIE and James and Emily for supporting us on the day.”
The Place lead, Anne Oakley, said: "At The Place at Arden, we aim to help children build their self-regulation skills and their self-esteem. We want children to be able to explore new experiences, to develop new interests and talents and ultimately, to re-engage them in learning. We are delighted that Lovell and MOBIE were able to plan and resource our special project day. All the children worked hard with the professionals and thoroughly enjoyed the day."
MOBIE was founded and headed by TV presenter and architect, George Clarke. More details can be found at www.mobie.org.uk
Arden Grove school is part of The Wensum Trust and includes THE PLACE, where children have social and emotional mental health needs (SEMH). THE PLACE at Arden aims to understand and celebrate every child.
Lovell has an educational partnership with The Wensum Trust to help tackle the skills and jobs shortage in the construction industry and educate young people about the range of career opportunities in the sector. Previous support has included giving students at Acle Academy site visits to St Edmund’s Park at Acle, a Lovell development built in partnership with Repton Property Developments.
Lovell is a partnership housing expert and a leading provider of innovative and high quality residential construction and regeneration developments across the UK, building homes, sourcing land and investing in communities. It is a trusted and reliable partner, with great people trusted to deliver great homes, developing long term partnerships with housing associations, local authorities and other partners for over 50 years.
For more information on Lovell visit www.lovell.co.uk or follow Lovell on social media.
