Barnes Construction

Tomorrow, Thursday 27th March, 4pm-6pm is the first public drop-in session with our Lowestoft Town Hall project team.   Taking place at 91 High Street, Lowestoft, this offers you a chance to find out more about the project and ask any questions you may have.   All are welcome to attend. Lowestoft Town Council East Suffolk Council The National Lottery Heritage Fund Think Lowestoft

🚨Applications for our Trainee Scheme are now open!   Choose from three exciting routes:   Management Trainee – Gain experience across all departments, from project management to design and estimating.   Trainee Site Manager – Work on-site under the guidance of experienced Site Managers.   Trainee Buyer – Work alongside our buying department to procure materials to meet design specs and budgets.   We're looking for ambitious individuals with strong GCSEs and solid A-levels (or equivalent vocational qualifications).   Visit our website for more information and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/ef2Wfsf7 Applications close 22nd April 2025.

The regeneration of Lowestoft Town Hall is officially underway. Appointed by Lowestoft Town Council, we are excited to lead this transformation, which will create a compelling and innovative heritage exhibition, gallery space, wedding venue, co-working space, a café and additional community event space. It will also become the home for Lowestoft Town Council, hosting the Council meetings and staff offices, and Suffolk Registrars. Throughout construction, the project will be a major local employer and will offer valuable work placement opportunities, including opportunities for six people to learn about heritage building techniques. We are delighted to also be delivering the refurbishment of the former Post Office in Lowestoft. This is an exciting chapter for the future landscape of the town, and we are incredibly pleased to be a part of it. HAT Projects Richard Griffiths Architects Momentum Structural Engineers Max Fordham LLP

Today, we handed over our donations to Home-Start in Suffolk for their upcoming Baby & Toddler Nearly New Sale. Our staff have generously donated a variety of clothes, books, toys and equipment for the event, which takes place this Saturday 22nd March at Moreton Hall Community Centre in Bury St Edmunds from 10:00am to 1:30pm. We are glad to be supporting Home-Start once again, with all proceeds from the event going directly towards supporting families in Suffolk.

Last week, we attended the Norfolk Constructing Excellence Economic Update presented by Kieran Dent of the Bank of England. Tim Boucher and Emily Purchase presented the findings of the recent contractor and consultant questionnaire, which highlighted some common themes particularly around skills shortages within the construction industry, cost increases and sustainability. We came away thinking about the short term economic uncertain picture but with some optimism for future stability and confidence on the horizon.

We were recently contacted by the Baby Bereavement Group at Ipswich Hospital to help restore the steps and bridge leading to their memorial tree in Holywells Park. We surveyed the site to develop a schedule of work and fully funded the restoration. With the help of our aftercare team, we have now restored the steps, walkway, fencing and seating platform, ensuring the safety and long-term preservation of this special place. Thanks to Ipswich Borough Council’s Park division for their assistance in moving materials. 

We are incredibly proud to have been named Contractor of the Year for the second year running at Wednesday's Greater Cambridge Design & Construction Awards. Hosted by Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry (CFCI), the event was a celebration of industry excellence, and we were honoured to be recognised for our work on the King’s College Chapel Roof Replacement and Spalding Hostel Refurbishment. Our team also picked up the David Mackay Award for Engineering & Sustainability for the Chapel Roof Replacement, along with commendations for the Craftmanship Award and Best Conservation, Alteration or Extension over £3m. Congratulations to Kings College, our project team and all the evenings winners, as well as Tony Garnham, Paul Darrington, Phil Browne, Dan Tree and Katie Smith for representing us on the night. King's College, Cambridge, Caroe Architecture, Max Fordham LLP, Bidwells, AtkinsRéalis & JM Structures

A huge well done to our Barnes Construction team—Alex, Josh, Luke S and Luke R—for taking part in the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon on Sunday. With great weather on their side, everyone had a strong run and enjoyed the race, with three of them achieving new PBs!

Some of our team recently attended an insightful CPD session on AI. Used wisely, AI potentially changes the landscape of our industry, from health and safety innovations to quality assurance, design co-ordination and pre-construction support. The seminar was highly engaging for our staff, with lessons on both AI’s great possibilities and risks going forward. Thanks to Sue Wilcock for co-ordinating and delivering for us. 

It has been a fantastic National Careers Week. We started the week with a brilliant business breakfast at Chantry High School, while our Social Value Coordinator, Sarah Gouges, attended an Online Careers Assembly with over 1,000 students at Ipswich Academy. On Wednesday, we took part in a Mock Interview Day for Year 12 students at St Albans School and met lots of enthusiastic young people at the Sybil Andrews Academy Careers Fair. Yesterday, we were at Northgate High School, and later on attended a Networking Evening with Year 13 students from The Royal Hospital School. It has been a pleasure to engage with so many students throughout the week and we hope that we’ve inspired some to explore the exciting opportunities available in the construction industry.