A new multi-million-pound Student Village began construction at the University’s Leek Road site this summer.
Taking place over the next two years, Willmott Dixon Construction is engaging in a range of community activities throughout the project.
As part of this, the company is involving children at Woodlands Day Nursery with the development on their doorstep through a range of fun and educational activities.
This month, they created ‘a children’s construction site’ featuring toy diggers and hands-on learning activities to help children understand the nuts and bolts of construction. The company has also donated a variety of construction related books for the babies and toddlers.
The children also donned hard hats and hi vis jackets to learn about diggers from one of the on-site builders, with some getting chance to sit in the cab of the excavator.
Amanda Sherratt, Head of Childcare & Family Services at University of Staffordshire, said: “A partnership like this brings incredible value to our children and the wider community. By engaging young minds with the ongoing construction project, we're not only sparking early interest in careers like construction and engineering but also creating fun, hands-on experiences that enhance learning.
“The children have loved exploring the construction-themed activities and seeing real machinery in action. It’s heartwarming to see how the Student Village project is being brought to life for our little ones, and we’re grateful for Willmott Dixon’s commitment to making a lasting impact in such meaningful ways.”
Jess Greig, Information Controller at Wilmott Dixon, recently joined the children as a mystery reader, reading one of the construction themed books ‘Big Yellow Digger’.
“Through event days such as digger displays, donations of Construction related materials, and engaging with our supply chain to help create new areas such as a fruit orchard and an allotment for the children, we aim to cultivate a lasting interest in construction and the possibilities it might hold for their future, and promote sustainable practices from an early age, whilst having a lot of fun along the way!”
Willmott Dixon plans to continue collaborating with Woodlands Day Nursery throughout the Student Village project.
The project is a collaboration between the University and Staffordshire Campus Living: a partnership created by Hochtief PPP Solutions UK and Ireland and Plenary, supported by Pinnacle Group, Wilmott Dixon Construction, and Corstorphine and Wright.