Melin Homes and Candleston: Creating jobs through building communities
Building new communities is about more than just bricks and mortar. We are thrilled to see the early impact our new development at Elderwood Parc, situation on Crick Road, Monmouthshire is having on the local community through job creation.
Written by Will
—24 May, 2023
Elderwood Parc, which is being developed in partnership with Lovell and Monmouthshire County Council, will consist of 269 new homes and a 32-bedroom care home. It has required a great deal of planning and logistical effort to get the site up and running and it now employs hundreds of workers in a range of professions, both directly and indirectly.
Many of these jobs are employing local people and we are thrilled to showcase some of them here.
Gareth Reid joined the team as a Construction Labourer, Lorraine Price joined as a Cleaner and Hafizullah Ashratee as a Gatesman. Gareth, Lorraine and Hafizullah all live near Elderwood Parc, highlighting how our new development is benefiting the wider community.
Gareth discovered the role at Elderwood Parc after talking to one of the managers on site. He previously worked as a Labourer at Beacons Business Interiors, so had exactly the experience needed to excel in the role.
Gareth said: “I applied for the role because the idea of being part of a great company appealed to me. My day-to-day involves helping to keep the site safe, clean and organised by doing everything from picking up rubbish and debris, to organising materials on site.
I have found Lovell to be respectful, caring and helpful as an employer and I enjoy that I get to help people whilst learning at the same time.
Lorraine found her new role when she saw it advertised on a board outside the site. The role was a perfect match, as she was on the hunt for a new cleaning job and the site is just five minutes down the road from her home. She had previously taken on cleaning roles at a doctor’s surgery, a hospital mortuary and a previous housebuilding site.
Lorraine commented: “I really enjoy meeting new people and seeing how their day is going. It’s a joy to speak to people and learn the different roles people play in running a good site and to see the development start to take shape over time.
“Everyone is very polite, I always have the supplies I need and I’m truly treated as part of the team. I’ve had previous roles where I wasn’t as included because I was a Cleaner, but Lovell is a joy to work for.”
Hafizullah, who we have featured in our news before, has been working at the site for over a year and it has been instrumental to his new life in Wales after he fled the collapse of the Western-backed government in Afghanistan.
Hafizullah said: “The role appealed to me as it was close to my home and the job is interesting. My typical day involves signing everyone in and out when they visit the site and collecting the tickets for all deliveries.
“I am really enjoying my role and get to meet lots of friendly people every day. Lovell as an employer is great and they want their employees to progress in their role through training. In the future, I want to improve to be among the successful staff of Lovell.”
Scott Rooks, Melin Homes and Candleston Commercial Director, was pleased to see the positive impact the development was having on local people. He said: “The development of Elderwood Parc is a real team effort and it is fantastic to see so many local people finding employment with Lovell and other contractors on the site. Gareth, Lorraine and Hafizullah’s stories show just what a difference high quality employment opportunities can make to the communities in which we operate.
He added: “In time, Elderwood Parc will grow into a thriving neighbourhood of nearly 270 homes and help us to address the chronic shortage of housing in our region. We are proud to be playing a key role in tackling the housing crisis and giving members of the local community an opportunity to further their careers and make their mark.”
