The Shakespeare Schools Festival charity is the largest youth drama festival in the UK. They aim to boost articulacy and confidence in young people through fun and active ways of learning, as well as teaching employability skills such as teamwork and self-discipline – all through the use of Shakespeare’s famous texts.
In 2012 SSF’s global arm, Shakespeare International, invited groups of students from schools in Russia, Serbia, Israel and Australia to perform alongside UK schools. Freyssinet Limited and subsidiary Reinforced Earth Company made a donation to Isidora Sekulic Highschool, in Novi Sad, Serbia, which made it possible for them to visit the UK and take part in the Festival.
The school is located in the hometown of Freyssinet’s Project Manager, Stamenko Kalinic, who was involved with making arrangements for the students’ trip to the UK. Freyssinet also donated t-shirts for the students to wear during their visit.
The students performed in ‘Hamlet’ at the Royal Welsh College of Drama and Music.
English teacher Bosiljka Trifunovic-Vernacki thanked Freyssinet and RECo for their donation, and Stamenko for his contribution saying, “We truly appreciate all the work and effort you have put in. It is going to be one of the most memorable experiences”.
FREYSSINET LIMITED LAUNCH SITE BASED APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME
Freyssinet Limited has identified the need to recruit young people into the construction industry and provide them with the skills to become the workforce of the future.
Following successful office based apprenticeships, during October 2011 Freyssinet Limited has recruited the Company’s first intake of site based apprentices. A large number of applicants responded to an advert placed on the National Apprenticeship website and from these a group of applicants were selected to attend a two day assessment centre.
During the two days applicants were subjected to a number of tests including safety, teamwork, literacy, individual dexterity and an interview. From this, seven young people between the age of 19 and 24 have been selected to start the Apprentice Scheme in November of this year.
Apprentices will initially follow an intensive three week course, giving them the basic skills and knowledge required to begin work safely on site. Once on site the Apprentices will undertake regular off the job training and will complete a Level 2 NVQ.
Further updates on the Apprentices’ progress will follow.
FREYSSINET LTD DONATION TO LOCAL SCHOOL
Freyssinet Ltd has kindly made a donation to a local school to enable them to purchase special equipment for their pupils.
The Bridge School in Telford provides education for pupils with the most complex learning needs in Telford and Wrekin area. Many pupils have additional needs such as physical difficulties, autism, sensory and medical needs. The school requires specialist equipment to enable their pupils to communicate and learn.
The donation that Freyssinet Ltd has made has enabled the Bridge School to purchase a Logan ProxTalker.
This device, which costs around £1,600, assists children with speech difficulties to communicate words and phrases by placing tags – known as Sound Tags – over the machine which then announces the word that the tag represents.
Heather Davies, Head Teacher at the Bridge School, thanked Freyssinet for their donation, saying that it “will have a direct impact on the lives of some of our pupils and their families.”