Ibstock’s prized ‘Boris brick’, that was made and signed by the Mayor of London onsite at the UK’s largest brick maker’s flagship Chesterton factory last month, has been auctioned to raise money for a youth charity.
The brick raised £600 for the Construction Youth Trust when it was auctioned during this year’s Brick Development Association (BDA) Awards celebration. It made six times its reserve price for the charity, which helps young people develop careers in the construction industry.
As part of his recent visit to the Chesterton factory, Boris Johnson saw first-hand how more than £22million of investment has enabled the site to become the most energy efficient factory of its type in the world. He also took a hands-on approach to learn more about the UK’s building material of choice and its journey from kiln to house, whilst hearing about how Ibstock is meeting the increased demand for brick following the return of growth to the construction industry.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, commented: “The Construction Youth Trust is a very worthy cause, working to enable young people to realise successful careers in a booming industry. I’m so pleased that so much money was raised.”
Andrew Halstead-Smith, group marketing manager at Ibstock, adds: “We’re delighted with the success of the auction, and that our very own ‘Boris brick’ has raised money for this great charity. We were delighted to welcome Boris Johnson to our Chesterton site, so it’s great we’ve been able to put his handiwork to a good cause and we look forward to continuing our support of the Construction Youth Trust.”
The auction wasn’t the only highlight for Ibstock during this year’s BDA Awards. The brick maker built on its previous years of success with wins for eight projects which incorporated Ibstock bricks and three projects receiving a special commendation.
For more information, go to www.ibstock.com
