Jewson has announced the winners of its Building Better Communities competition, awarding 14 community projects across the UK a share of £100,000.
The 14 winners were invited to a Building Better Communities celebration event at the Greenworks Training Academy in Birmingham. At the event, property expert and TV presenter, Sarah Beeny, presented the prizes to the diverse list of projects, ranging from sport club pavilions and community theatres, to outdoor classrooms and food banks.
Sarah Beeny commented: “It’s so important for members of a community to have places where they can gather and feel proud of. That’s why I’m honoured to support the Building Better Communities campaign from Jewson, which is focused on transforming small corners of people’s communities through local, sustainable building projects. The improvements we are making now will benefit not only people today but also communities of the future.”
Scooping the top £50,000 prize was Penlee RNLI Lifeboat Station in Penzance for its appeal to re-erect the 31 year old lifeboat base.
Elaine Trethowan, Volunteer Press Officer at Penlee RNLI Lifeboat Station, said: “We are overjoyed to win the Building Better Communities competition. Our current lifeboat station is no longer fit for purpose. This prize from Jewson puts us a huge step closer to providing a station that not only gives our volunteer crew the facilities they deserve but serves the wider community too.”
David Fenton, Marketing Director at Jewson, said: “A huge congratulations goes out to all the Building Better Communities competition finalists. It’s a fantastic achievement for the winners and we can’t wait to see the positive effect the prize money will have as we move into the build phase. We’d also like to thank everyone who got involved in the project, either by nominating, voting or spreading the word.
“By donating our sustainable building materials and expertise to develop community facilities across the UK, we aim to improve the comfort of the buildings, the health and well-being of users and where possible make a positive impact on reducing energy bills and the building’s impact on the environment.”
Launched in February, the Building Better Communities initiative is designed to boost community spirit up and down the country by asking projects to nominate themselves for the chance to win a share of £100,000.
With the help of a team of Jewson employees and supplier partners, Jewson narrowed down over 2,000 entries to a shortlist of 63 projects. The nominations were all judged against the same set of criteria — the legacy of the project, the sustainable products which were identified or could be used to improve the overall comfort of the building, the impact of the project and the strength of the applications.
After a combination of votes from Jewson customers and the general public, and further judging, Jewson announced the final 14 worthy winners — each receiving their own slice of the £100,000 prize pot.
The prize money will help pay for supplies and labour to improve projects across the country which are close to communities’ hearts.
For regular updates on the Building Better Communities winners, visit: www.buildingbettercommunities.co.uk.
A number of suppliers have committed to supporting Building Better Communities, including British Gypsum, Marshalls, Mastercrete, Regency, SterlingOSB, SAM, Symphony and VELUX.
