Cala urges children to ‘Stay Safe, Stay Away’ from building sites

Cala Homes (Cotswolds) visited Stratford-upon-Avon Primary School to talk to pupils about the housebuilding industry and educate them about the dangers of playing in and around construction sites.

The Year One and Reception classes, aged four to six, enjoyed an interactive session covering the history of building houses and the variety of career opportunities in the industry, but there was also a stark warning about the dangers of going into construction areas unsupervised.

Matt Stubberfield, Health and Safety Manager at Cala Homes (Cotswolds), visited the Stratford-upon-Avon pupils to discuss how Cala keeps its nearby Fernleigh Park development safe.

The children were able to try on a range of protective clothing and watch a video specially created by Cala to help highlight some of the hidden dangers that can be found on building sites.

Part of Cala’s Stay Safe, Stay Away programme, the housebuilder also provides a range of curriculum-based activities including designing a site safety poster and writing a news article. The initiative is a core part of Cala Homes (Cotswolds) Community Pledge, the housebuilder’s long-standing commitment to bring meaningful investment to the local communities in which its building.

Matt said: “The Stay Safe, Stay Away programme is designed to spread the message to children that construction sites are not somewhere to play around. Although we ensure all Cala sites are secure, it is important young people know the dangers of entering a construction area, so they don’t put themselves or their friends in harm’s way.

“The message is a serious one however we hope that our animated film, presentation, and the activities were fun and allow children to relate to the topic.

“Another aim of this initiative is to bring to life at a grassroots level how new homes are developed and the important role that housebuilders play in creating sustainable new communities. It was also great to highlight the great variety of jobs involved in building homes, from land buying and construction to sustainability, which the children thoroughly enjoyed.

“It was a fantastic session, and the children were incredibly enthusiastic and engaged with Stay Safe, Stay Away – we hope they take lots away from the session.”

Tracey Parton, Acting Head of Stratford-upon-Avon Primary School, said: “Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed the Stay Safe, Stay Away session delivered by Matt.

“The event was super successful, capturing the children's attention from start to finish. The interactive nature of the session and Matt’s engaging delivery kept the pupils highly engaged. They asked a lot of insightful and interesting questions at the end, reflecting their genuine interest and understanding of the important safety messages conveyed.

“This experience was incredibly valuable for our pupils, providing them with essential knowledge in a memorable and enjoyable way. We would like to extend our thanks to Cala Homes (Cotswolds) for organising this session, and we are very grateful to Matt and Cala Homes at Fernleigh Park for delivering such an informative and impactful presentation which has contributed to the safety education of our students."

For more information on Stay Safe, Stay Away, visit https://www.cala.co.uk/sustainability/people-and-communities/community-pledge/stay-safe-stay-away/