THE DIRECTOR of a Solihull based construction recruitment business has just returned from volunteering on a school building project in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Jack Hurdley, joint founder and director of Buildout, spent five days working with the Footprints Foundation to help transform the school and improve educational opportunities for 40 disadvantaged children in the local township.
The Footprints Foundation aims to tackle the problems and issues facing disadvantaged and vulnerable young people through volunteering and hands on support. .
The new school is made up of four classrooms, a bathroom and kitchen facilities – a massive transformation from the previous building which was unfit for purpose.
Jack, from Dorridge said: “It was genuinely a humbling experience to see first-hand the challenges people in these less advantaged areas face and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to roll my sleeves up and make just a small difference, working alongside a brilliant team of volunteers and local workers.
“Having seen first-hand the importance of the building projects to these communities and the difference they make to people’s lives, I now understand the invaluable role played particularly by skilled volunteers in making it happen and would encourage anybody with trade skills to spend some time volunteering.”
“The Footprints Foundation make such an unbelievable and tangible difference to improving the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves and I really hope to have an opportunity to be involved in more projects and supporting this cause for many years to come.”
