ISG Supports Liverpool Housing Charity

ISG recently brought together several of its delivery partners, working across the high-profile £66+ million Exhibition Centre Liverpool and four star hotel development, to make a real difference to housing need in the Granby-Toxteth district of Liverpool.

Working with local charity, Housing People Building Communities (HPBC), which is using volunteer labour to construct 32 low cost homes, ISG provided skills from its own team and also encouraged its delivery partners and supply chain to contribute with labour, materials and equipment. The initiative fosters social cohesion and builds confidence and skills for those in housing need by enabling individuals to exchange 500 hours’ work on site for a discount on one of the completed properties.

In addition to rallying support from its own team and delivery partners, ISG has provided HPBC with access to its in-house training and development facility - The Academy, and has also contributed to the charity’s fundraising efforts by organising a raffle amongst the site team and regional office staff.

The charity activity forms part of ISG’s wider commitment to creating a long-lasting employment and skills training legacy in Liverpool. The company recently launched its Social Investment Group with the signing of a project charter, with key regional organisations and supply chain partners making a formal commitment to help create new training and employment opportunities in the city.

A number of the companies that have signed up to ISG’s charter gave their time to assist with construction activities at the HPBC site, including representatives from ACC Liverpool, Fusion21 and The Chrysalis Fund. There were also volunteers from Exhibition Centre Liverpool architect, Denton Corker Marshall, AECOM, Briggs & Forrester, Heyrod Construction, Murraywood Construction, Billington and Booth King Partnership.

Approximately 40 people helped out over two days, including The Chrysalis Fund chairman, Jim Gill, who was instrumental in introducing ISG to HPBC and the charity’s chief executive, Liza Parry, along with her team, housing partners and trustees.

Liza Parry said: “This is the second time that ISG and its partners have provided assistance and this has proved invaluable to us for several reasons. Having a large workforce on site is helpful, but to have such an experienced team of people with so much relevant expertise is wonderful.

“ISG has given us so much additional support after the visits and introduced us to several other organisations that can help us as we move forward. We are extremely grateful.”

Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and a supporter of HPBC, said: “It was fantastic to see the new houses, which are absolutely luxurious. I am delighted with the co-operation between ISG and HPBC.”

Amongst those new contacts are a number of companies from ISG’s supply chain, many of which offered generous support to the project, including A-Plant, which provided free equipment hire, while British Gypsum donated plasterboard and Heyrod Construction contributed 10m3 of concrete and installation labour for the ground floor slabs.

Frank Joyce, ISG’s project director for the Exhibition Centre Liverpool scheme, added: “We are delighted to be involved with the HPBC project and put our team’s skills to good use for the local community here in Liverpool. We have seen an exceptional response from so many of our delivery partners and suppliers and I’d like to thank these organisations for this tremendous support, which will make such a key difference to families living in these homes in the future.”

Nick Hann; Tel: 07970 275251; Email: nick.hann@isgplc.com

ISG Plc is an international construction services company delivering Fit Out, Construction, Engineering Services and Specialist Solutions, operating in 28 countries worldwide. The company works with owners, developers and occupiers in the public and private sector for an extensive range of industries. ISG Plc was established in 1989 and has been quoted on AIM since 1998. Today the company has a turnover of around £1.3 billion.

For further information about ISG please visit our website www.isgplc.com