We’re proud to announce that our Senior Construction Manager, Carianne McIntosh, has won the Bronze Award for the Women in Construction award at this year’s National Building & Construction Awards.

As Senior Project Manager, Carianne has many different responsibilities across the site, including:

• Planning and managing each stage of the project
• Ensuring works are completed safely, to a good quality, within budget and on time
• Organising the sequence of works and the workforce
• Overseeing the delivery of the project
• Coordinating with the commercial team
• Evaluating each stage of the project to adapt the approach in real time to achieve better outcomes
• Finding sustainable alternatives to everyday activities, reducing carbon production, traffic movements and more

In addition to her work as a Project Manager, Carianne is always working hard to look after the physical and mental wellbeing of our workforce, and she takes extra care to ensure the team are happy and healthy at work.

As a woman in construction, Carianne recognises the difficulties minority groups may face when entering the industry, and works hard to support those who have been deterred from entering the industry due to factors such as gender, disability, or neurodiversity. Following her own ADHD diagnosis, Carianne has also gone the extra mile to educate the wider team on good mental health including toolbox talks around topics such as stress, anxiety, suicide awareness and coping mechanisms. She also meets with other colleagues with similar struggles to share advice, support their personal development, and mentor them through their own mental health challenges.

We’re delighted to see Carianne’s hard work recognised!

If you enjoy walking, then why not take part in the Mindenhurst Step Count Challenge! 

The Step Count Challenge takes place every year in Britain, and this year at Mindenhurst we are taking part between 23 October and 29 October. 

To participate in the challenge, sign up to Strava and track your progress against your fellow residents. Strava is an app and website which allows runners, cyclists, hikers, and walkers to track their exercise and connect with others. 

We will be announcing the winner of the challenge at the end of the week to the participant who walked the longest distance across the entire week. A second winner will be chosen at random.  

Sign up below to be in for a chance of winning! 

strava.com/clubs/MindenhurstWalkingGroup 

If you have any questions, contact us at hello@mindenhurst.co.uk.  

Good luck! 

The Mindenhurst team spent a week supporting the newest members of the Mindenhurst community, Lakeside School. The team hosted a full week of activities for pupils to enjoy as part of Healthy Surrey’s Feeling Good Week.

This year’s Feeling Good Week took place between 9 October and 13 October 2023, it is an annual event which supports Surrey’s Healthy Schools Approach to wellbeing, health, and achievement, focused on prioritising our own and other people’s physical, mental, and emotional health.

This year’s theme was ‘I can… We can…’ and was centred on the value of collaboration. The Mindenhurst team delivered a series of construction-themed activities which revolved around working together to achieve more and taking care of one another.

The week kicked off with an assembly, linking the values of Feeling Good Week to construction safety. The assembly encouraged students to look out for others, and to speak up if they are worried about someone or if they spot a hazard.

The Mindenhurst team led a building exercise for years 1-6 which highlighted the benefits of both working together and making sure everyone is included. This was followed by a bug hunt for reception children, delivered in partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust, to highlight the importance of being kind to others and the world around them.

Niki Dufour, Community Relations Manager at Mindenhurst, said: “It was brilliant to see the students working together, and learning the importance of looking out for each other all whilst having fun. We really enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with Lakeside School so thank you for having us!”

Stacey Wilkinson, Year 1 Teacher, and Mental Health Lead said: “It was so nice to see all the children working collaboratively and sharing resources to make some amazing creations. It was a great opportunity for them to listen to each other’s views and develop their understanding of ways to support each other with a fantastic open-ended task. Thank you so much!”

Lakeside School is a brand-new facility in the heart of Mindenhurst, boasting 14 classrooms all with adjoining bathrooms and a range of facilities to support pupils and staff, including: two halls, a music room, modern kitchen, student cookery room, library, medical bay, and staff room.

We are excited to announce that we will soon begin archaeological investigations at two sites in Mindenhurst.

We will have a specialist team of archaeologists on site examining these areas, looking for items of archaeological and historical interest. It is essential to carry out this work before development takes place to ensure that we preserve and protect our cultural heritage.

It will be fascinating to see what they uncover since it will contribute to our collective understanding of the past and evidence how the area has changed over time.

Where will this take place?

Back in 2015, Cotswold Archaeology carried out a site wide archaeological survey, looking into the history of Deepcut and highlighting particular sites of interest. Based on their findings a programme of archaeological work was agreed and approved by the Surrey Heath Borough Council.
In their initial survey the archaeologists excavated test pits which helped identify areas that have archaeological potential and it is these areas that will be the focus of this archaeological investigation.
The plan below shows the two areas where these investigations will take place. Both areas are sites of future residential housing within the Mindenhurst Development and we are required to undertake this programme of work before the land is developed.
As you can see from the plan below, the archaeologists will carry out an extensive investigation by excavating trenches across the entirety of both sites. In preparation for this work, we therefore need to clear the site and remove trees. This will be done in line with our planning permission and we will be working with experienced ecologists from Surrey Wildlife Trust to ensure that all necessary measures have been taken to protect local wildlife.

What are they looking for?

It is hard to anticipate what might be found during investigations, however by understanding how Deepcut has evolved over time, this will provide us with a better idea.
The earliest recorded history dates back to the Roman era, when the area was part of the extensive road network connecting London to the south coast. However, there is no firm evidence that people lived in the area until post-medieval times (AD1500-1900).
In the 19th century the area was characterised by extensive open heathland and woods, with small clusters of housing and sporadic farmland. The British Army began to use the area of heathland around Chobham Common for training and exercises, however it wasn’t until 1900 when a semi-permanent camp of demountable buildings was built.
The extension of the Bisley Branch Railway Line through Deepcut to Blackdown in 1915 encouraged further expansion of the camp. During the two World Wars, Deepcut played a significant role and became a vital centre for military operations, housing allied forces from all over the world, and leaving a lasting impact on its landscape and community.
The historic interest of the site rests principally with its military history, so the archaeologists will be investigating these areas to see if any military training features might have survived in these areas.

How will they carry out their investigation?

A specialist archaeological contractor will carry out trail trenching at the locations shown on the previous plan. These trenches will be 30 metres in length and 1.8 metres wide and look similar to the example above. Initially the trenches will be excavated by a mechanical excavator, equipped with a toothless grading bucket, however work will continue by hand if they reveal archaeological features.

What will happen to their finds?

Hopefully some interesting finds will be unearthed during their investigation. If so, these artefacts will be assessed, photographed, and conserved in accordance with the appropriate museum guidelines. Arrangements will be made with the appropriate museum for the deposition of the site archive and the artefact collection.
We will be working closely with the archaeologists throughout their investigations and will share information as soon as we have it, via our Facebook page, website, and monthly newsletter.

From Monday 21 to Friday 25 August the Mindenhurst team will be hosting our annual Wild Week.

Throughout the week we will be celebrating the natural world around us through a range of nature themed activities across Mindenhurst. We have a full week of free events and activities for the whole community to enjoy. Keep reading for our Wild Week schedule in full. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Mindenhurst team received an outstanding rating for the second year in a row, following the latest inspection carried out by assessors from nationally recognised Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS).  

Assessors reviewed the project in three key areas: respect for the community, care for the environment and valuing the site’s workforce. Across all three categories the project received the maximum score of 15, achieving a total score of 45 out of 45, the maximum possible score for the assessment.  

Three extra points were awarded for the project’s neurodiversity mentoring, a new initiative which protects local watercourses, and delivery of a sizeable, sustainable Bat Barn. This resulted in an overall score of 48 out of the maximum possible award of 50 points and the team achieving an ‘outstanding’ rating for the second year running.  

The report commended the project’s commitment to maintaining the natural environment, highlighting an impressive 120 new bat boxes which have been installed this year for habitat creation, and No Mow May which allowed wildflowers and grasses to bloom in support of pollinating insects. 

Mindenhurst has steadily improved its scoring and recognition awarded over recent years, from a very good rating in 2017 and 2018, excellent between 2019 and 2021, and outstanding in 2022. The achievement of the outstanding score again this year reflects the project’s longstanding commitment to placing the community at the heart of the project and valuing its hardworking site staff.  

The recent assessment report stated: “The development continues to leave an excellent impression of the industry and aims of the scheme. The company is to be commended on their net zero commitment on carbon and the project team have clearly involved the local community and encourage them to contribute and help enrich their natural environment”.  

The report commended the team’s commitment to supporting neurodiverse colleagues in the workplace. As part of Mindenhurst’s commitment to the wellbeing of its workforce and diversity, inclusion and belonging, Senior Construction Manager Carianne McIntosh provides individual support and guidance to individuals with neurodiversity’s such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia. She also gives regular presentations to the project team and the wider business on the subjects of stress, mental health, and Neurodiversity. The presentations highlight to managers the adjustments that can be made in the workplace and the importance of on-site training and instruction to raise awareness of sensitive issues.  

Responding to the report, Leisliane Garcia, Development Director at Mindenhurst, said: “We are delighted to receive recognition from the Considerate Constructors Scheme. We are committed to protecting the local natural environment, engaging with the local community and to supporting our hardworking project team and are pleased that our continued work and commitments are being recognised.” 

Mindenhurst is a ten-year development project which will transform the former Ministry of Defence Deepcut site to deliver 1,200 homes surrounded by substantial open space and accessible woodland as well as a new village green, formal park and sports pitches.