STARTING YOUNG! Léa Bebien on the HPBC site with the Construction Manager’s daughter
AS PART of HPBC’s ongoing partnership with ESTP, the leading higher education institution for civil engineering in France, we were pleased to welcome another student for a three-month placement this summer.
Student Léa Bebien, 23, from Paris, has written a report about her 13-week experience on the Kingsley Road site in Liverpool.
She worked with construction staff, volunteers and home partners on the latest phase of our affordable housing development from 9th July to 5th October 2018.
Léa explains why she chose to spend her placement in the UK, volunteering in the construction industry:
“I wanted to get the most from my experience in a foreign country and to further improve my English, my knowledge of building construction and to give my time to help a community.”
The report gives an overview of her experience of the charity, including staff from HPBC’s current construction partner, volunteers and home partners, the tasks she undertook, and background to the wider community in Liverpool. Léa also explains how she was a Team Leader for a number of Team Build days organised to enable Home Partners who work Monday to Friday to volunteer to gain Sweat Equity hours which count towards the deposit on the home they help to build.
In the acknowledgements of her report she writes:
“First of all, I would like to warmly thank HPBC’s chair and staff for letting me spend thirteen weeks working with their charity; especially Liza (HPBC’s CEO) for all she did for me. I would like to say many thanks to Ian, Gary, Joe and all the Hampton Developments staff for welcoming me every day and enabling me to learn so much. They made me feel like a member of their family, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you to all the Home Partners for all the lovely moments we spent together and all their good advice.”
ESTP trains the largest number of students for the construction industry in France, specialising in design, construction, planning and development, project and facilities management, sustainable buildings and infrastructures, rehabilitation, maintenance, new materials, and energy efficiency.
One of the main characteristics of the ESTP is its close relationship to industry; many renowned companies are its active partners, and HPBC is proud to be one of them!
Léa concluded her report with this encouragement for her fellow students:
“I am delighted with this placement and I have to say that I really felt welcomed as a family member by every single person I met there. If you are looking for a deeply rich and fulfilling experience do not hesitate to get involved in a volunteering placement with HPBC, you will return to France with a whole new set of skills and warming memories.”