Building better communities
Many of our projects are in areas of multiple social deprivation or other locations where the company has a chance to make a positive difference.
Stoke Football Action
In Stoke-on-Trent we are responsible for the upgrade and maintenance of the city's 122 schools through our specialist education PFI company, Transform Schools.
We have provided over £100,000 of funding, as well as management support, which has unlocked public sector funds to create a £340,000 four-year football coaching programme, with support from the Football Foundation and Sportsmatch. Additional funding has enabled the scheme to extend to more secondary schools, plus primary schools for the first time.
This programme has already proven extremely effective in reducing vandalism and other anti-social behaviour amongst pupils at risk of social exclusion.
The scheme was officially launched by Rt Hon Richard Caborn MP, Minister for Sport, in December 2006.
Love My School
This campaign was developed to increase the sense of pride and ownership among pupils at our Transform Schools concession in Rotherham. The aim was to reduce levels of vandalism, litter, graffiti and malicious damage.
Groundwork
We have continued our work with Groundwork to improve the physical amenities in a number of communities where we have a long-term presence. In 2006, this involved projects in Hertfordshire, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and London.
Volunteers from Balfour Beatty worked with local people in Hertfordshire to improve a path and cycle route in a village affected by our M1 widening works.
Local artists have been engaged to develop a community zone behind a centre in Bolton Woods, Leeds.
A community garden is being created from three disused allotment plots at Harpuhey, Manchester, the second most deprived ward in the country, which has suffered for many years with high levels of crime, anti-social behaviour and generally poor local environment. With much of the physical works complete, other community events have included local children making bird boxes, which will be used in the garden as well as planting schemes.
The Palmers Field regeneration project aims to introduce improvements to a large open green space north of King's Cross to improve security and tackle problems of poor quality local environments. A community and corporate planting day is planned for May 2007.
Green corridors are being created in Sheffield to improve the image of a local business park. This scheme has encouraged businesses to work together and includes the support of South Yorkshire Police who have set up a 'Business Watch' line.
Building Learning Communities
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and our concession Transform Schools Rotherham developed Building Learning Communities as a not-for-profit company. Its aim is to promote and manage the use of project schools by the local communities they serve.
London Youth Games
As the 2006 and 2007 corporate partner to the London Youth Games, we are working to encourage children to become more involved in sport. Over 20,000 children take part in the Games each year and we have set up a sports development grant, in partnership with Help a London Child, to help local boroughs improve facilities.
£220 thousand raised for Marie Curie Cancer Care over two years as our preferred corporate charity
25 thousand school children compete in the Balfour Beatty sponsored London Youth Games