Our people help deliver car park for their former primary school14th Nov 2017

Jones Bros has helped a community to cut original costings so it could afford to build a much-needed car park at a school where a number of our people are former pupils.

The village school in Betws Gwerfil Goch, Denbighshire, has provided primary education over many years to pupils who have become accountants, civil engineers, plant operatives, supervisors for Jones Bros. Many of these entered the company through the apprenticeship and graduate schemes.

The community of Betws GG completed the scheme, which is phase one of three to help secure the site, with the assistance of Jones Bros and some generous suppliers.

Initially, villagers approached Hefin Lloyd-Davies, a resident of Betws GG and Regional Manager at Jones Bros, to work with Denbighshire County Council to deliver the 22-space car park.

The facility has been funded by a town and area plan fund from the council and a community fund to ensure pedestrian safety at times of peak traffic. These funds were awarded to the Betws GG community.

Together with colleagues at Jones Bros and officials at the council, Hefin helped to redesign and re-specifiy a first draft of the scheme plan at a lower cost.

Jones Bros and some of its suppliers then agreed services and materials would be provided at below market rates or for free.

This ensured the community were able to achieve the number of car parking spaces needed within budget.

Here, Hefin explains how the project came to fruition:

“I was approached by Eryl Evans, Emyr Williams and Helen Hitchmough to assist in working through the design and planning phases, through to the construction of the car park.

“Jones Bros has had a very strong connection with Betws GG and Melin Y Wig since it was formed in the 1950’s with a long line of loyal employees come from this rural community.

“We have some very capable individuals currently representing the villages within our teams who have all hailed from the primary school. Jones Bros were more than happy to assist in any which way to enhance the facilities which are so important to life in rural Wales.

“We worked closely with the council and with Amy Selby and Eryl Williams of the Efenechtyd Ward. All the planning and design for the project was carried out internally by Denbighshire Design Services, which was a great help to the project.

“We then worked with Carwyn Edwards, the modernising education officer for the council, and his team to make sure that the scheme was completed to the requirements of planning documents and standards.

“We also worked closely with the school head, who at the time was Mrs Buddug Ellis, to ensure their requirements were met and minimal impact occurred from the work programme.

“Additional land was gifted to the project from the Williams family at Bodynlliw, without whose help and support the scheme would not have been possible.

“The whole scheme took two weeks to complete, with an additional two days for the surfacing. This was a testament to Gwyndaf Rees, Jones Bros Project Manager and his team.

“A number of our suppliers also reduced their rates or gifted their services for this community. For example, L&R Roadlines carried out all the road markings without charge as a gesture to support this community project.

“May I thank Buddug Ellis for her help with the project, and her 22 years’ service to the school. Everyone involved with the project has also now welcomed Dafydd Davies as the new Betws GG/Gwyddelwern head teacher.

“We’re hoping that the new car park not only creates a safer environment, but also opens a new door to further funding and a new community hall in time.”