McLaughlin & Harvey (McLH) has welcomed the news that their Harwick Flood Protection Scheme site has been awarded an 'outstanding score' of 48 and had three initiatives added to the CCS Best Practice Hub.

Working with DYW Borders, McLH introduced the What-IF programme to four neuro-diverse S4 pupils from a local high school; none of whom have attended a full day of school in the past year.

The What-IF programme aims to help young people learn how to effectively listen and accomplish confident communication, allowing them to achieve the results they truly want to become the best version of themselves.

The programme was tailored to suit the specific needs of the individuals participating. All four pupils attended every day of the intensive one-week programme, and have now entered into continuous mentoring with an offer of further work experience/placement on-site.

Neurodiversity is a superpower that the construction industry needs to harness. DYW Borders and the school have already booked in for the next cohort of pupils.

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Fallen trees can cause major issues for the ecological and environmental balance of rivers when stuck.

When a member of the River Tweed Commission noted issues with a particular tree upstream of our Hawick Flood Protection Scheme works, the project team offered help to remove it. Under the supervision of the Commissioner, and with guidance of the Project Ecologist, the tree was removed from the river using an 8T Excavator.

The tree was then donated to a local community group so the material could be used for upcycling into bird boxes, planters, and carved bowls.

Artbeat Studios is a charity and community art space open for everyone interested in any form of art and craft. They promote inclusion for all, a non-judgemental space, equal opportunities, tuition and accessibility to arts and materials.

As part of the studios inclusion efforts, they reached out to McLH to discuss a possible solution to their accessibility issue. We were delighted to deliver a bespoke ramp and patio area which was fully accessible.

McLH also installed a refurbished 'with love' wooden bench to provide those with mobility issues a rest when they need it.

Yvonne Gilfillan, McLaughlin & Harvey Community Liaison at our Hawick FPS site, commented: "It is a great pleasure to proactively deliver initiatives that make a positive impact to the environment and local communities within which McLaughlin & Harvey are working. Collaboration is key to construction and community success. It takes a team to deliver projects and support community initiatives. My grateful thanks go to the outstanding Hawick Flood Protection Scheme team (Client, Contractor and Subcontractors); CCS for their kind recognition of the best practice demonstrated; and of course to the people of Hawick who engage and work with us each and every day."