Lovell and Morgan Sindall sponsor Building Heroes Darlington Skills Academy
The construction firms have entered into a three-year partnership with the Building Heroes Education Foundation to support service leavers and veterans seeking careers in the construction industry.
Delivered in collaboration with Darlington College, the academy provides industry-focused training for former military personnel transitioning into construction, housebuilding, facilities management, and infrastructure roles.
The agreement reflects the organisations’ wider commitments to skills development, social mobility, and widening access to employment within the built environment.
Through the partnership, Building Heroes learners will gain access to employer engagement, industry insight and employment pathways across Lovell, Morgan Sindall Construction, and the wider Morgan Sindall Group, including its supply chain partners.
Darlington College will continue to deliver training at the academy. The college operates an employer-led model and provides facilities and teaching staff focused on preparing learners for sustainable employment in the construction sector.
The sponsorship is expected to support at least 80 learners per year at the Darlington academy and in addition, Lovell and Morgan Sindall Construction will engage with the wider Building Heroes network, which currently supports around 700 learners annually.
Since its establishment, Building Heroes has supported more than 4,200 military-connected learners to achieve civilian qualifications, CSCS cards, and health and safety certifications.
The partnership is intended to provide longer-term stability for the Darlington academy and support the planned development of an enhanced training offer, including expanded programmes and increased employer involvement.
Located close to Catterick Garrison, the Darlington Skills Academy serves a significant Armed Forces community and is positioned to support former Service personnel and their families to retrain and access employment opportunities within construction and infrastructure.
John Leary, who leads the Building Heroes initiative for Lovell, said: “It has been a privilege to help nurture our relationship with Building Heroes over the last three years or so, and I am particularly thrilled that just as our year of Gold Sponsorship has come to an end, we are able to now ensure our work with the charity can solidly mature to a wholly new level, through our planned development of an enhanced academy at Darlington College.
“Moreover, with our sister company Morgan Sindall Construction now alongside us, we have a much broader capability and skill-set with which to support the charity and seek to enhance the learners’ experience through an exciting programme of site exchanges and other interaction, all of which will clearly and soundly underpin our group’s pledges under the Armed Forces Covenant and, importantly, help create new opportunities for Service leavers and veterans in Darlington and across the wider North East.”
Andrew Waddington, head of design for Morgan Sindall Construction in London, who has championed the Group’s Armed Forces commitments having spent 19 years serving in the Royal Engineers himself commented: “Our partnerships with specialised armed forces organisations such as Building Heroes means that we can work in collaboration to deliver the specific requirements of Service leavers, veterans and the former military community.
“Our decentralised business model means that we are working in close partnership with our local communities and the defence sector via our social value teams and we’re looking forward to applying this approach to our Building Heroes partnership.”
Christopher Charles, chief executive of Building Heroes Education Foundation, said: “This support is a powerful statement of trust in Building Heroes and in the potential of Service leavers and veterans.
“Lovell and Morgan Sindall Construction are demonstrating what responsible industry leadership looks like, backing people, places and skills. In Darlington, close to the Catterick community, this partnership will expand opportunity and deliver real outcomes: recognised qualifications, site exposure and job-ready talent that helps address the sector’s skills shortage.
“We’re proud to stand together on this, and excited for the impact we’ll deliver over the next three years.”
