Social Value impact at Canada Water
Local students experience this iconic event
Topping out at Canada Water
On 6 March Wates, British Land and AustralianSuper celebrated the topping out of Plot A1, a sustainable mixed-use building in the heart of the 53-acre Canada Water masterplan.
The Topping Out Ceremony was a unique opportunity for young people to witness a significant construction milestone in their local area. We invited Construction Youth Trust, a charity that educates, trains and inspires young people to help them build better futures. They brought along five engaged students from St. Saviour’s & St Olave’s School and Bacon’s College, who are participating in their current programmes.
The group were welcomed among the crowd and spoke to a variety of operatives, networking and gaining important insight into the industry. We were able to introduce the students from Bacon’s College to Gardiner & Theobald, with whom they were being interviewed for trainee roles the following week, and three of the students visited British Land’s Marketing Suite to understand more about the development and how it is being promoted and sold.
Also among the invitees was local resident Shyne Acquah-Hagan, former Construction Youth Trust student from South Bank University Academy and now a Wates Commercial Management Trainee, who we supported during the application process.
The group met Sir James Wates who offered them his own advice on entering the construction industry.
Supporting social impact
With Wates and British Land’s commitment to social value on this project, we engaged with Connection Crew, a local Southwark Southwark-based social enterprise specialising in events production, to lead on the audio visual and branding elements. Their production company, Stitch, provided
technical support, enabling seamless streaming of the topping out ceremony from the 35″ floor down to the 5″ floor where the over 150 guests watched on. They also sourced further SEs to provide catering, including Mentmore Coffee and Fink Street Food, who reinvest 50% of their profits into mental health counselling services and initiatives.
Delicious biscuits were provided by Half the Story, a social enterprise creating supportive job roles for those who have experienced homelessness.
Circular economy in action
A group of local artists attended on the day having re re-used waste material from the site to create 16 different mixed media artworks which were proudly displayed at the entrance to the main viewing area on the day. The reuse of maerials into creative pieces was a great way to show Wates’ commitment to the environment
and reducing or reusing waste on site.
