14 OCTOBER 2021

What began as a pilot project in a building site in Borough Yards, is about to become a national initiative to provide books for children and bridge the development gap between rich and poor.

23 JUNE 2021

A new road safety video is being shown in Barking schools as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of crossing the road near heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and the importance of not playing near building sites.

01 JUNE 2021

The new pocket park is a result of a grass roots project involving Gascoigne Residents’ Forum, Be First, engagement specialist Urban Symbiotics, landscape architects Fabrik, and construction firm Wates Residential.

03 JUNE 2021

Havering’s first community hub, in Harold Hill, will be opening for residents on 8 June. This is thanks to a team of volunteers from Wates Residential who have turned the site around at the old Housing Office in Chippenham Road.

21 MAY 2021

Wates Residential has launched a set of ‘Top Trumps’ style playing cards to help explain the wide variety of roles available in construction and to encourage more young people into the industry.

BLOG

Wates Residential hosted its first online ‘meet the buyer’ event, organised through the social procurement organisation, ‘Supply Change’.

CASE STUDY

“My job has given me the opportunity to earn an honest wage and start on a career journey within the construction industry.” – Jamal Hoist Operator, Wates Residential

24 FEBRUARY 2021

Wates Group has received a prestigious award at the 2021 National Social Value Awards winning the ‘Private Sector Leadership’ category.

BLOG

Su Pickerill, Group Community Investment Manager – Creating a Social Value showcase on each and every project.

1 DECEMBER 2020

Primary school pupils in Harrow are among the first to receive a unique new children’s book designed to inspire them to work in the construction industry.

BLOG

Has social value lost its force amidst the global pandemic? Wates Group’s Community Investment Manager, Su Pickerill, explains why creating opportunities has never been more important…

12 NOVEMBER 2020

The Wates Group has signalled its continued commitment to social value announcing that every one of its business units will achieve Living Wage Recognised Service Provider (RSP) status within five years.

VIDEO

We are committed to raising awareness about the built environment sector and to encouraging young people, career changers and those who face barriers to employment to take a closer look at the roles required to create the places of tomorrow.

These virtual tours provide an insight to some of our projects and the people that make them happen.

EVENT

We held our first Virtual Insight Day on the 5 November for people to find out more about careers in the construction industry.

28 September 2020

Wates Residential has joined with PSR Solutions to donate £500 and a package of employment support sessions to the Adur Community Café.

BLOG

“No matter your role in the Armed Forces, whether you were a medic, a chef or a Lieutenant Colonel, you honed very specialist expertise in a high-pressure environment. You have skills that set you apart and those skills are more than welcome in the construction industry.”

26 JUNE 2020

Armed Forces Week is not only an opportunity to celebrate the role of the serving men and women of the military, but also a time to recognise the work which our people – many of them ex-service personnel themselves – are doing to support veterans.

08 JUNE 2020

Wates Residential helps secure funding for vital community foodbank service as demand increases due to Covid-19

BLOG

“We believe in ‘giving something back’ to those brave and exceptional military personnel who have the potential to be future industry staff. People of this calibre can only benefit our industry.”

17 MARCH 2020

32 unemployed adults from Bexley and the surrounding areas have graduated from a free, two week Construct a Career training course that targets individuals that are not currently in employment.

10 MARCH 2020

Armed Forces personnel have been given a kick-start in careers with the construction industry as part of the Wates Groups pledge to support veterans and ex-service leavers in partnership with Buildforce.

18 FEBRUARY 2020

The Wates Group has strengthened its support for the military by signing BuildForces Veteran Alliance Charter, designed to support ex-service personnel into sustainable employment in the construction industry.

30 JANUARY 2020

Havering Volunteer Centres Stepping Stones Lunch and Learn programme has celebrated a hugely successful year, with over half of its attendees now in full-time employment.

During National Apprenticeship Week (3-9 February), we want to highlight the wide range of job opportunities available in the built environment.  Hear from some of our apprentices and trainees who are helping to break down the common myths about apprenticeships in construction.

24 JANUARY 2020

Havering Council and Wates Residential call for local businesses to be part of their ambitious programme to deliver 3,500 high quality homes for local people over the next 12 to 15 years.

24 JANUARY 2020

A ground-breaking new scheme which offers prisoners paid work on construction sites is helping individuals return to the community and reduce reoffending.

23 DECEMBER 2019

Christmas is a time for families to come together and celebrate, but it is important to remember those who are less fortunate. The Havering Council and Wates Residential joint venture has set out to bring seasonal cheer to the most vulnerable residents in the borough, through a series of festive events and activities.

30 DECEMBER 2019

Young unemployed adults in Havering have been given specialist training to help boost their employment prospects through the boroughs biggest regeneration project.

13 DECEMBER 2019

Staff from national developer, Wates Residential have donated over £200 worth of Christmas goodies to the Shoreham Foodbank this festive season as it braces for the busiest December yet.

12 DECEMBER 2019

An incredible £500 has been donated to support Hostel 101 by national developer Wates Residential and its partners at the nearby Daedalus Village housing development, Rund and MD Developments. This will be used to purchase essential items for homeless people in Gosport this winter including water bottles, hygiene products, hats and gloves.

06 DECEMBER 2019

Wates has announced it has surpassed its target of spending £20m through SEs in its supply chain, a goal set four years ago.

04 DECEMBER 2019

New Social Enterprise helps in battle to cut carbon emissions. Wates is the first in the built environment sector to appoint an independent Social Enterprise – Planet First Energy (PFE) – to help it reduce CO2 emissions and meet long-term sustainability goals.

WATES IN THE NEWS

Nikunj Upadhyay, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, was interviewed about how company culture, flexible working and the right environment can be a catalyst for change.

In this blog, John Dunne, Group Safety Health Environment and Quality Director at Wates, outlines why he believes the rise in reported absenteeism due to poor mental health is a positive thing.

A new film celebrating a feat of engineering which turned the tide of World War II has been released by Wates on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Read our response to Inquiry by All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment

Wates volunteers spruce up community spaces across Brent for it’s Community and Conservation Week.

More than 80 Havering residents took park in a free training course, providing participants with the support and tools to start a business of their own.

Havering Council is working in partnership with Wates Residential to deliver one of the capitals biggest regeneration projects over the next 12-15 years.

CAMPAIGN

Community and Conservation Week is an annual event providing opportunities for our people to access paid volunteering leave of up to 16 hours per year to support local projects across the country.

Pensioners and people with support needs who want to volunteer in Gosport are set to benefit from significant investment in the borough following the award of thousands of pounds worth of charitable grants.

Rotherham Council’s partnership with Wates Residential North to build 217 homes has resulted in employment opportunities for people in the borough.

Young unemployed adults in Gosport have been given specialist training by Wates Residential to help boost their employment prospects.