New Wear Footbridge team kickstart 2025 with lots of local engagement
Our New Wear Footbridge team has kicked off 2025 with a month full of local engagement! The team has been busy visiting local schools, attending careers fairs and even hosting American photographer, Judah Passow, onsite.
Trainee Quantity Surveyor Amelia McVay and Apprentice Engineer Adam Tattersall recently visited Usworth Colliery, where they delivered a careers presentation and led an interactive build challenge. Using KNEX sets, students worked in teams to design and construct their own bridges, putting their creativity to the test.
In December, Adam also visited Seaburn Dene, where he hosted a bridge design competition. The students visited site in January to present their ideas to the project team, a winner was selected and received a bag of goodies! The children were then taken out onsite, where they were given the opportunity to see how a bridge design comes to life.
At Silksworth Community Primary, Senior Engineer Lee Andersen gave a presentation to students, showcasing the work the team are doing in Sunderland. The session included a bridge design challenge, two winners were chosen and a runner-up recognised for their creative design.
As well as school visits, our team has also attended the Sunderland Construction Festival at Sunderland College, in collaboration with Education Partnership North East. This event provided a fantastic opportunity to engage with students studying construction related subjects, offering insights into potential career pathways and opportunities within the industry.
The team were also excited to welcome American photographer, Judah Passow, to site. Judah is working on a project based around ‘Reimagining Sunderland’, his project explores the city’s historical industries and what is now happening in Sunderland to revitalise the city. During his visit, he captured some incredible shots of our site and team.
The team has lots of exciting things planned for the coming weeks. They will be visiting Sandhill View Academy, to deliver a project and careers presentation. They are also preparing to welcome three apprentices, during National Apprenticeship Week, the apprentices will be given a site tour and project presentation before they head to an Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) event in Newcastle.
It’s been a fantastic month of outreach in Sunderland, and the team look forward to continuing to connect with the local community throughout 2025.
