volunteers make “massive difference” to school

believe housing colleagues and contractors have upgraded a school fence to help make the grounds feel safer and look smarter. 

Staff from believe housing and Deerness Fencing and Landscaping teamed up to improve a boundary fence at Howletch Primary School in Peterlee, using materials donated by Deerness and Jewson. 

During the half-term break the volunteers covered a long, metal fence with wooden panels to shield it from a nearby public car park and shops. 

Headteacher Helen Beattie said: “The fence is absolutely amazing.  

“It has given us more privacy and security in terms of safeguarding, it is reducing litter that used to come in through the fence and has improved the aesthetics of the school. 

“We’ve been making a conscious effort to improve the grounds, but school budgets are limited, and we want our school budget to be used on the education and experiences of our children, ultimately impacting on their futures. 

“We have an amazing premises manager and caretaker but with so much maintenance to do on a 1960s building support from outside, like the work on the fence sorted by believe housing, makes a massive difference to us.” 

Simon Harris, Social Value Administrator at believe housing, said: “This was a great project to be involved in and shows the power of collaboration, with social value at the heart of it.  

“It is really important to believe housing that we maximise social value from our procurement, so our customers and communities feel the benefit.” 

And Jim Bates, Managing Director of Bowburn-based Deerness Fencing and Landscaping, which volunteered more than 100 hours of labour to the project, said: “We were very proud to be able to offer our professionalism and experience to support believe housing in this project. 

“We were pleased we could help the school to improve security and the appearance of the boundary. 

“It’s great the school can utilise its funds directly for the children, which is why the team in Deerness jumped at the chance to support these needs.”