As featured in the April print edition of Professional Security Magazine, Securitas Technology has launched – the merging of Securitas Electronic Security and Stanley Security. The new firm offering integrated security systems is committing to a community sustainability initiative.
On April 12 and 13, some 25 employees from Securitas Technology will be tasked with planning and developing the outside space at The Walnuts School, in Milton Keynes, the UK base for Securitas, into a sensory playground. The project is between Securitas Technology, Fusion Initiatives and children’s charity, Wooden Spoon.
The school is for 180 children and young people aged four to 19, with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or a Social Communication difficulty, nine miles from Securitas’ UK head office in Wavendon. Head of School, Lisa Munro explains: “The children and young people at our Hazeley site will be overjoyed to have the playground developed. This has been raised by our young people in surveys and the school council, but our budget has not been in a position to do these works. For a school for young people with Autism, access to outdoor areas is vital. This will help young people regulate their emotions, learn to interact with each other and have fun, improving their educational experience. We’d like to thank all involved at Securitas Technology for making this happen and making a difference to our students’ learning experience.”
The project over two days will be overseen by Fusion Initiatives, which works with businesses, charities and academic institutions to provide leadership, coaching and team building with a focus on corporate social responsibility. Several at Fusion have military backgrounds. Securitas too have ex-military personnel within their workforce. They have also shown their support for the UK’s armed forces by signing the Armed Forces Covenant and recently fund-raising to give use of a vehicle to a homeless veteran.
Representatives from the charity sponsor, Wooden Spoon will be involved in the build, as a long-standing charity partner of Securitas in the UK. Wooden Spoon funds projects across the UK and Ireland to support vulnerable children and young people.
Securitas COO for Central Europe, Shaun Kennedy said: “There are so many positives to undertaking this project and they all centre around people, who are at the heart of what we do at work and in our wider communities. The end result will impact the lives of many children for years to come and in the process of its creation, those of the people taking part, who will get to experience something really quite special.”
CEO of Fusion Initiatives, James O’Malley said: “This will be an unforgettable experience for the Securitas Technology employees taking part. Firstly, they will meet the school and learn what the project will mean to them. Then, in teams, they will be tasked with planning and delivering the project from start to finish. We’re really looking forward to seeing how they work together to bring the playground to life.”
And Sarah Webb, Wooden Spoon CEO added: “We are hugely grateful to our corporate supporter Securitas Technology, whose donation has made it possible for Wooden Spoon to provide funding to build a sensory outdoor space for children with additional needs at The Walnuts School. This build is set to be a very rewarding and unique experience for the team at Securitas Technology as they bring the sensory outdoor space to life and can see first-hand the difference they are making to the lives of the children.”
