Combined efforts of King’s Lynn businesses help to secure future skills

Surplus traditional Norfolk stone has been donated to help college students with their brickwork skills.

West Norfolk Council has helped the College of West Anglia to support the next generation of skilled tradespeople by donating a significant amount of locally sourced carrstone.

The carrstone, which is synonymous with Norfolk’s architectural heritage, was left over from a council site project.

Rather than going to waste, it is now being put to good use, providing students with hands-on experience in working with traditional materials.

Alistair Beales, borough council leader, said: “I was delighted to hear about this initiative.

“It’s a great example of the benefits of the strong partnership between the borough council, our development partner Lovell, and the College of West Anglia.

“As important as new homes are, this collaboration is delivering so much more.

“It adds social value, reinforces our shared commitment to minimising construction waste, and, in this case, is developing vital construction and conservation skills in the local workforce.

“We are committed to nurturing young talent through a range of initiatives, and facilitating this donation will mean college apprentices can gain valuable hands-on experience, significantly enhancing their future employability.”

At the council’s Southend Road development, 120 pallets of carrstone were ordered, and two were left over and it is this material which has been donated, giving bricklaying apprentices the opportunity to train with a material they may encounter in their future careers.

Jane Burton, college programme manager for construction, said: “Using a material that has a long history locally supports us in our increasing focus on Built Heritage, with the college developing a new online programme that will provide an introduction to historic buildings, their styles, materials, and preservation.”

Lecturer Tony Smith added: “Working with the borough council, we were able to provide our brickwork students with the experience of working with carrstone in our workshops.

“This is a material that has a long history in this area but is still used today, being quarried locally.

“New building projects often combine brick and carrstone, and this was a chance for the students to work with an unfamiliar material that they may well encounter in the future.”

The college added the donated material will help to ensure Norfolk’s traditional construction techniques continue to thrive.