Future engineers shown behind the scenes at restoration project

A group of nursery school children who have become fascinated with the Madeira Terrace restoration project are among local young people to have been given a behind the scenes look at the work.

Bloomsbury on the Beach Nursery School is only a stone’s throw away from the ongoing work on Madeira Drive and many of its children have been enjoying watching the work progress and seeing the different specialist vehicles arrive on site.

Having heard about the interest, our main contractor, Mackley, invited a group of children and staff to don hard hats and hi-vis jackets and get a close-up look at the work.

"Children are natural engineers"

Mike Clegg, contracts manager at Mackley, said: “We heard that the children had been drawing pictures of the vehicles and the arches, so we invited them to meet us at the site.

“Children are natural engineers, and they had lots of brilliant questions about what we are doing and how we are doing it. Their enthusiasm was infectious.”

The trip was the latest in a number of community visits aimed at inspiring and engaging young people. During National Careers Week, construction students from Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) in Falmer visited the site to meet the team and find out more about what is involved in restoring a structure that’s more than 130 years old. They also spoke to 2 apprentices working on the project to learn about routes into the industry.

Making the process relatable and inspiring

Adam Broadbent, the teacher who accompanied the BACA students, said: “Hearing the apprentices’ personal experiences brought a human element to the construction, making the process relatable and inspiring.

“It was a valuable experience for our students and amazing to be able to observe the scale of the restoration firsthand.”

The Madeira Terrace restoration is one of the most ambitious projects we've ever undertaken. Work to restore the first 28 arches and build a new, fully accessible lift began in 2024 and we're keen not only to keep residents engaged and up to date, but also to celebrate the highly specialist nature of the work.

Inspiring future generations

Councillor Julie Cattell, lead councillor for Major Projects, said: “We know how important Madeira Terrace is to local people and how excited residents are to see the restoration work underway, but it is especially pleasing to see that this project has not only captured the imagination of the local community – young and old – but is inspiring future generations of engineers.”

Alessandro Fusco, manager at Bloomsbury on the Beach, added: “Our children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and finding out more about the restoration works. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making it happen.”