Grantham art and design students create sculptures for housing provider's new show home

A leading housing provider has teamed up with local art and design students to produce a series of garden structures for a new show home near Grantham.

Longhurst Group, which owns and manages more than 23,000 homes across the Midlands and East of England, is delivering a 46-home development in Great Gonerby called The Spires.

The Group recently donated £100 to art and design students at Grantham College, while setting them the task of creating sculptures to feature in the gardens of the scheme's show home.

In total, 11 students took part in the work experience and Chris Parkinson, Head of Sales at Longhurst Group, said he was delighted with the outcome.

He added: "At Longhurst Group, we look to work with our communities and involve them in our developments and activities as much as possible.

"With that in mind, we're delighted we've been able to work with the students at Grantham College and give them the opportunity to have some practical work experience knowing their work would be in the public domain.

"This project has been a perfect example of our community-minded ethos and it's been great to see the students getting hands on and enjoying the task.

"We're really pleased with the final results and they look great in the garden of the show home."

Simon Morris, Course Leader of the Level 2 Art & Design course at Grantham College, said the project has given the students a new sense of confidence.

He added: "The students responded well to the challenge and were very enthusiastic about the task.

"You could tell as the week progressed when they were producing the pieces that they really enjoyed it - they enjoyed the freedom and creativity that came with the brief and were proud to be producing their own sculptures.

"That pride is very evident. Since this work experience finished, they've become more confident in their own work which has been a huge positive.

"The fact that the work is going to be in the public eye with their names displayed is fantastic and will really benefit our students.

"This is something people wouldn't expect from students this age, so it's been a great opportunity for them to gain some real-life work experience of working to a brief with an external company.

"We'd all like to say thank you to the team who supported us at Longhurst Group."