Wellington Gate developer attend Wantage career day
10 February 2024
The developer behind the major Wellington Gate development in Grove marked Apprenticeship Week with a visit to a career fair in Wantage.
Pupils from years nine, ten, and eleven from King Alfred’s Academy in the town were treated to a hall full of local businesses at The Beacon, including Persimmon Homes Wessex.
In attendance for the five-star developer was site manager Andrew Marriott, trainee sales advisor Lili Fletcher, and senior assistant accountant Laura Wilkey, who told aspiring students about the different career routes in the construction firm and the company’s proud tradition of hiring apprentices.
Persimmon’s Wellington Gate site, situated on the old airfield between Wantage and Grove, will see 2,500 high-quality homes constructed for local people once complete. Currently available for purchase are three and four-bed properties from £334,995.
The five-star builder will also be delivering two primary schools, a secondary school, community hub, sports facilities, play pitches, play areas, an ecological park, a community park, allotments, and orchards as part of the new sustainable community.
The Masterplan for Wellington Gate is based on a Green Infrastructure Strategy, developed to create a connected, multi-functional network of green spaces and corridors. Persimmon Wessex’s Community Champions fund, which donates £24,000 to good causes in the area each year, has recently supported Sustainable Wantage and the Wantage Literary Festival.
Commenting, Persimmon Homes Wessex Managing Director Julian Roper said “As we celebrate Apprenticeship Week, Persimmon Homes Wessex was pleased to reaffirm its commitment to fostering local talent and leaving positive legacies in the communities in which we build by attending King Alfred’s career day.
From our involvement in fairs like these to our investment in apprenticeships and increasingly sustainable and affordable homes, we are not just constructing homes but laying the foundation for future generations. Wellington Gate epitomises our dedication to quality, innovation, and community engagement, providing not just houses, but vibrant, interconnected neighbourhoods."
Sue Cronin – Careers and Work Experience Manager at King Alfred's Academy added “We want to pass on a huge thanks and appreciation to Persimmon and all the employers for the amazing stands they created to add interest and engagement for our students.
I know how demanding these events are on their valuable time and it is, therefore, even more overwhelming how generous they all were with the time they took to speak to so many of our students, across such a wide age range. I encountered so many positive and inspiring conversations throughout the day and know this event would have been such a highlight for so many of our students, for which King Alfred's is so grateful.”