Kirk Ella and West Ella annual Christmas light switch-on

The event took place on Saturday 29 November, staff from GRAHAM dressed up as festive characters and donated gifts to be given out by Santa.

The scheme also provided traffic management, including road closures and guided visitors safely to the event.

This activity has been supported or funded by the scheme's YOR4GOOD social value commitment.

Cherry Burton Bulls sponsorship

The scheme's contractor, GRAHAM, has sponsored the Cherry Burton Bulls FC Under-11s team. This sponsorship has enabled the club to enhance its facilities and equipment.

This activity has been supported or funded by the scheme's YOR4GOOD social value commitment.

Bike Lights Donation

The community centre plays a vital role in supporting families with food from their food bank pantry, offering citizens advice and run a youth club, including their twilight football evenings, which ensure children from struggling families have food and a safe environment on an evening.

The football evenings are held at the Beverley Leisure Centre on their outdoor pitches, with representatives from various community groups, Humberside Police and East Riding of Yorkshire Council in attendance.

Jo Ramsey from the community centre contacted the team to ask if we could donate bike lights as many young people cycle to the youth club evenings, but due to low family budgets are unable to purchase lights and are not visible to other road users, raising safety concerns from the organisers and Police.

Dan Cawthra, Head of Stakeholder and Community Engagement attended their Friday Twilight football Evening to hand out and fit sets of rechargeable bike lights to all children and young people cycling without lights. A supply of lights has also been left at the community centre to be handed out at future events.

Jo Ramsey, Beverley Cherry Community Centre, said: "A huge thank you to GRAHAM for their generous donation of bike lights for our young people at Twilight."

Defibrillators donated

By placing defibrillators in the local area, we’re helping ensure that residents and visitors have faster access to emergency care when it matters most.

Driffield Male Voice Choir donation

The choir visit various care homes and community centres across the East Riding of Yorkshire and sing to residents, with many not been able to get out as much as they would like due to ill health. The choir also sing in many local churches, including Beverley Minster, with donations key to enable them to put on the performances.

Dan Cawthra, Head of Stakeholder and Community Engagement was pleased to meet with the choir for one of their rehearsals and confirm GRAHAM’s support for this worthy cause. Ken Kirkwood, Chairman, Driffield Male Voice Choir, said: “The choir is truly grateful for the very generous donation from Graham Construction. This will ensure that we can continue our Choir Supporting the community initiative with performances in care homes and day care centres up to, and possibly beyond our summer break.

"It was a pleasure to meet Dan Cawthra at a recent rehearsal evening where he embraced our ethos, appreciated our commitment and clearly understood what we are hoping to achieve within our elderly and vulnerable local community.”

Supporting the local community centre this festive period

Staff from across the project have been collecting and donating items to the centres Christmas toy appeal including gifts and vouchers for all age groups, food products, toiletries, and other essential items.

A member of GRAHAM's staff personally donated a fridge and freezer to the centre. The fridge has since been donated to a very grateful family whose own fridge recently broke and were struggling to replace it. The freezer is up and running in the centres food bank pantry and is enabling them to stock more freezer products, which are donated by local supermarkets.

St Mary's Graveyard clearance

Green fingered volunteers from the A164 and Jock's Lodge project, equipped with rakes, wheelbarrows and plenty of enthusiasm, made the short journey to join over 30 volunteers from various community groups, including the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

By carrying out the clearance of vegetation and arisings, the wildlife group hopes to promote the growth of wildflowers and other biodiversity rich species to help support wildlife in the future.

Praising the volunteer’s efforts, Karyn Murby, Molescroft Wildlife Network said: “Graham Construction played a crucial role in the planning and implementation of the Molescroft Graveyard volunteer working party in August."

"The event was a huge success, a dozen organisations took part, over 30 volunteers came and collected 2 trailer-loads of arisings. It was hard work and great fun and a team quickly evolved. This was due, in no small part, to Dan, Richard, Adam and Micha."

"They provided practical help with wheelbarrows and other equipment and worked very hard in the sweltering heat. But, more than that, we felt we were in a safe pair of hands. Their can-do attitude gave us confidence and the sense of camaraderie was a pleasure to be part of. It was a real joy to be working with them, they are a great team. Dan’s help with the planning and organising was invaluable, we couldn't have done it without them. Thank you!”