Thursday, April 10, 2008

Barratt at home with Watford Football Club

BARRATT North London established its head office in Watford ten years ago and to mark a decade dedicated to Watford and the surrounding boroughs, the housebuilder has sponsored Watford Football Club’s On-Side project, run by the club’s Community Sports & Education Trust. Gary Ennis, managing director of Barratt Southern Region, presented Julian Winter, director of the Trust, with a cheque for £20,000 - the first of three payments over three years totalling £60,000 - at the Watford verses Barnsley match on 9th April.On-Side is an innovative, community-based, social inclusion project for young people, boys and girls, aged 8-19 years. The idea is to engage with youngsters through the use of local facilities, thereby offering them safe and stimulating areas in which to have fun.The scheme will be delivered in the districts of Dacorum, St Albans, Three Rivers and Watford and will provide young people with a diverse range of activities including evening football, sports and arts sessions, inter-estate matches, match day activities and opportunities to gain coaching qualifications.On-Side will run for three years and will take a co-ordinated approach, through sports/leisure related activities, to working with young people, including those who are traditionally more difficult to engage, with the aim of reducing levels of anti-social behaviour. These activities will help to raise young people’s self-esteem, confidence and a much-needed sense of identity, and will encourage their respect for their own communities.Gary Ennis said: "We have built new homes in all four boroughs where On-Side is being offered and it is great to have the opportunity to support youngsters within these communities in this worthwhile initiative. During the last ten years we have been involved with individual charities in the areas we work in and will continue to support special projects wherever we can. Sponsorship of On-Side has given us a chance to consolidate what we put back into the community and is a great way to celebrate our tenth birthday in Watford."Barratt celebrates a decade dedicated to Watford with £60,000 sponsorship of Watford Football Club’s project for youngsters.Julian Winter said: "On-Side will have a positive impact for young people at a local level as it will promote active participation in healthy activities, encourage community cohesion and provide positive opportunities and experiences for those taking part. On behalf of the Trust, I would like to thank Barratt North London for its generous sponsorship for the next three years."Barratt North London employs 80 staff at its head office and a further 89 site staff. The division also has three graduates currently on training programmes and nine apprentices who work at the various housing developments. During the last ten years, Barratt North London has built around 5434 houses, with a third of these affordable homes for key workers, rent and shared ownership.More than 400 apartments and houses are currently being built in Watford at Queensgate in Derby Road; West Gate Mews in Whippendell Road; Willow Grange in Church Road and The Xchange in Exchange Road. Also planned for Watford is a development of 223 homes in Cow Lane and another 56 homes in The High Street; 157 homes are also planned for Croxley Green. Barratt North London is also building in Harlow, Harrow, Harpenden and Frogmore; future developments are planned for Baldock, Hemel Hempstead and High Wycombe.Barratt North London has been involved in many community projects and with various charities over the decade and is particularly keen to support young people. Last year, the division commissioned students at Barnet College to design and build two sculptures for its Osidge Park development in Barnet, and this year it is sponsoring students at Harlow College to produce a sculpture for its Fifth Avenue development in the town.The division’s current adopted charity is The Watford New Hope Trust, where fundraising activities have included staff abseiling down the side of the Harlequin Centre; an old-fashioned sports day is planned for May. Staff also recently raised £34,475 for the Liverpool Women’s Hospital Special Baby Care Unit following the excellent care it provided to a Hertfordshire couple and their premature twins.Barratt North London works closely with primary schools, hosting site visits for the children and sponsoring various school activities. The division also sponsored this year’s Youth Homeless Conference in Barnet and will be the major sponsor of the Harlow Show this year for the third consecutive year.Gary Ennis said: "We have enjoyed an excellent decade, both on the building front and in our involvement with the communities where we build. We are looking forward to another ten years and are delighted to be making such a good start with Watford Football Club’s On-Side; we wish the project every success."Barratt celebrates a decade dedicated to Watford with £60,000 sponsorship of Watford Football Club’s project for youngsters.Not only is Barratt North London located in Watford, the housebuilder also chose the town as the ideal location for the Southern Regional Office.

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