Countryside mascot Bill Ding recently visited a primary school near one of its developments to help children learn about staying safe around construction sites.
On Thursday the 5th of October, award-winning home builder Countryside arranged for their company mascot ‘Bill Ding’ to visit St Mary’s Island Primary School, near the site of its development. An assembly was held to educate pupils about staying safe in and around construction sites, as Countryside is in the process of completing the latest phase of homes at its Azure development on St Mary’s Island.
Phil Barratt, Development Manager, and George Thompson, Health and Safety Officer at Countryside spoke to the children about construction safety, possible hazards in and around the site, and why children should not play on or near building sites. They also learned the importance of protective clothing and were given hard hats and high visibility vests, while asking questions about building site safety.
George Thompson, Health and Safety Officer at Countryside, commented: “We felt that it was important to educate the new school pupils about the construction which is currently taking place at St Mary’s Island since the site is not too far from their school. We ran a similar scheme about two years ago, and the children really enjoyed meeting Bill Ding and learning about the new homes that were being built. We have a good relationship with St Mary’s Island Primary School, and feel that it is important to work closely with those who are in the surrounding community.”
Mrs C Easton, Head Teacher of St Mary’s Island Primary School, said: “We have fond memories of Bill Ding coming to visit a few years ago, so we were pleased that he returned along with the Countryside team to visit the new pupils. The session was fun and informative, and proved very popular with the children. They learned a lot about building site safety, as well as the importance of only going near a construction site with suitable supervision, and to always ensure that they were wearing protective clothing. The school is about to be expanded and will have its own construction site, so it is doubly important that the children are aware of the do’s of don’ts on site.”
