PPM And School Partnership Results in Colourful Boost To Our Van Fleet

Thursday, 06 May 2021

Written by PPM Ltd

A NEW addition to our PPM van fleet has been given a colourful makeover by budding young artist from Millom Infant School. 

Children at the school were asked to design new livery for our van that travels across the South Lakes area.

We joined forces with the school because of our close link with housing association Home Group, which owns many of the homes on the school’s surrounding estates.  The school is also a close neighbour of our PPM South Lakes office, the Bradbury Centre, in Millom.

PPM has been providing property maintenance services to Home Group for four years, as well as many other Cumbrian housing associations and disabled adaptation works for the local district councils.

Youngsters were asked to create a piece of artwork based on what their local community means to them. The winning design was created by Zack Holmes and can now be seen around South Lakeland on the bonnet of our brand-new PPM van.

Zack focused on the local beachfront and well known Hodbarrow Lighthouse at the old Millom Ironworks, now an RSPB Nature Reserve.

The entries were judged by PPM’s Managing Director, Gordon McGregor and Home Group’s, Design and Brand Manager, Andy Crawley. Gordon said: “The competition allows the pupils to be creative and feel involved with the community and it gets our vans noticed by people while they’re out and about, so it’s a win for everyone really.”  

“We are looking forward to building our relationship further with the school by talking to students about the range of career opportunities in construction and their local community.  We look to inspire the children at an early age and promote the industry to the girls as we have a serious lack of females taking up roles in construction”.   

Andy Crawley, Home Group Design and Brand Manager, was thrilled that students had made such an effort with their designs and said: “All the entries were brilliant, so it was really hard to make a decision. Everyone who entered should be very proud of what they did”.

Commenting on the winning design, Andy said “I loved all the designs with the lighthouse in them, but this was the best because it’s so bright and colourful and will make everyone smile when they see the van out and about.  The lighthouse is obviously a big part of the community.”

The school were delighted to take part in the competition, Headteacher, Mrs Wilson said “We are extremely proud of Zack’s design.  We are all looking forward to seeing Zack’s design in and around the local area.”

The grand unveiling of the winning design took place in the school playground at Millom Infant School on Wednesday 5th May.  Millom Mayor, Ruth Peter, was there as well as PPM Operation’s Supervisor for South Lakes and the Millom area, Antony Whitelock, and Home Group Surveyor, Matt Bradshaw.

The children were very excited to see the winning design and newly decorated van, especially Zack when he realised it was his drawing.  

The winner received shopping vouchers worth £30, and the runner-up received a £15 voucher.  All the children that took part got a hand-written thank you card, a PPM replica toy van and some sweet treats.