At A.W. Hardy, our desire to leave a lasting impact runs through everything we do.
From sourcing quality (and often eco-friendly) materials to managing and delivering purpose-led building projects with care, we’re committed to ensuring our work has a positive influence on our clients and adds value for their end users.
Our staff also strive to support their local community in a range of ways. Here’s what our team has been up to in the last few months to raise money for important causes and brighten up the lives of those around us.
Paddy’s running challenge raised nearly £800 for an organisation close to his heart
On Saturday 30th March, our Site Agent Paddy and his running partner Jade completed the Kew Gardens 10K in London to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society.
As recently as Christmas 2023, neither of them would have called themselves ‘runners’. But on Boxing Day, they decided to set themselves a new goal for 2024; something that was completely out of their comfort zone. Fast forward a few months, and Paddy and Jade completed the course to and from the Botanic Gardens in 65 minutes and 70 minutes respectively, raising £775 in sponsorship money in the process. What a fantastic and inspiring effort – well done!
Dave’s 13-mile charity walk
Back in September 2023, our Contracts Director Dave completed a 13-mile hike around one of England’s most recognisable landmarks to raise funds for the same charity, Alzheimer’s Society.
Together with his partner Debbie, he trained hard for the shorter leg of the Trek26 Stonehenge challenge in the months leading up to the event. The two of them eventually raised more than £4,000 for their chosen charity. Thank you to everyone who donated and congratulations to Dave and Debbie for completing the trek.
Sponsoring a STEM challenge for local high school students
A.W. Hardy sponsored St Bernard’s High School in Westcliff-on-Sea to support its students’ participation in the Race to the Line 2.0 Bio Rocket Car Challenge, which is facilitated by The Learning Partnership.
The £200 we provided enabled Year 7 students and their teachers to purchase the kit they needed to build their vehicle and take part in the race day.
Our Managing Director Mark attended the competition in the same school hall facility that we built for St Bernard’s more than 20 years ago. He was particularly impressed with Phase 2’s winning car, Landy, which hit 59 kph!
Replacing gardening tools at a nearby school
In early December 2023, Dave arranged for a range of children’s gardening tools to be donated to Greensted School in Basildon. Our team had recently completed the latest facilities at the site; a couple of months beforehand, in September, we handed over two new classrooms, plus toilet facilities and an infants’ soft play area. However, we were very aware that a few items were lost during the build phase, and we wanted to replace them to make sure the kids didn’t miss out.
Dave headed down to the school to officially hand over the tools and to catch up with Greensted’s headmaster Shiv Chetty, along with Steve Martin from Munday Cramer Architects, who we partnered with on the project.
What’s around the corner?
We’re always looking out for new ways to support our clients and the wider community. Next on the agenda is a 9-a-side charity football tournament that we’ll be hosting in partnership with our sister company, W&H Roads, on Saturday 25th May at 5pm.
The competition will take place at the Len Forge Centre in Eastwood and all proceeds will be donated to Trust Links, which runs various mental health support initiatives throughout Essex.
If you’d like to get involved, contact us with your details and we’ll add you to the schedule. The cost is just £100 per team.