We’re proud to announce our new community support initiative aimed at helping individuals and families facing hardship in Ilkeston and in local communities surrounding our project sites.
What began as a simple idea from our Health & Safety Manager, Andy Parsons, has quickly grown into a structured, company-wide campaign to support local food banks and clothing support services.
SUPPORTING THE ARENA COMMUNITY FOODBANK – ILKESTON
Our first donation point was established at our Ilkeston headquarters, where staff have already shown exceptional generosity. The collection point – located in the Reception foyer – has been filling up regularly, with donations hand-delivered to Arena Community Foodbank, based at The Project, Bath Street, Ilkeston (the former Woolworths building).
Arena Community Foodbank has been serving Cotmanhay and Ilkeston since 2011, beginning with a single pallet of donated goods at church services.
Today, it operates from a full warehouse and continues to support a wide range of people including low-income workers, families with children, and individuals referred by external agencies such as schools, GP surgeries, social services, probation services, and community support organisations.
Their impact continues to grow:
- 22,000 people’s worth of food parcels distributed since 2011
- 2,026 parcels already provided in 2025, plus 1,361 additional top-ups
- Support provided beyond food, including toiletries, baby formula, nappies, pet food, and weekly bakery donations
- Strong partnerships with local housing charities, schools, and family support agencies
Staff donations typically include long-life essentials such as pasta, tinned produce, cereals, tea, coffee, rice, sauces and other durable goods. All items are delivered directly to The Project on Bath Street, ensuring they reach people who need them most.
A MESSAGE FROM ANDY PARSONS, HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGER
As the initiative gathered momentum, Andy reflected on how a simple idea has grown into something that’s making a real difference across our sites:
“This started as a simple conversation about how we could give back locally, but it has grown into something meaningful that every site and every team can participate in. Food insecurity is a daily reality for many, and if we can help take pressure off even a small number of families, then it’s absolutely worth doing.”
ROLLING OUT DONATION POINTS ACROSS OUR PROJECT SITES
Following the success of the Ilkeston initiative, we have now expanded the scheme to our client project sites – beginning with Shotton Mill in North Wales.
Each new project will include a simple, portable food bank collection point, allowing our teams to contribute to the wellbeing of the communities they work in. This ensures our commitment to community engagement isn’t limited to our headquarters but extends to every region where we operate.
INTRODUCING THE RAYDEN ENGINEERING CLOTHES BANK
In addition to the food bank, we have launched a Clothing Donation Point, also located in the Ilkeston Reception foyer. Staff are encouraged to donate clean, ironed clothing, including:
- Coats, jackets, hoodies
- Shirts, trousers, dresses, skirts
- Children’s and baby clothing
- Belts, scarves, gloves and accessories
Clothing donations are delivered to The Project, which opened in January 2017 after Arena Community took on the former Woolworths building in late 2014.
WHAT THE PROJECT OFFERS:
- Retail Area – featuring restored and upcycled furniture, pre-loved clothing and soft furnishings
- Coffee Shop – serving cakes, snacks and drinks at affordable prices
Items donated by us are directed into Arena Community’s support network. Most clothing is distributed through The Project’s retail and community operations, helping raise funds for local services.
A GROWING COMMITMENT TO GIVING BACK
Community engagement has always been important to us here at Rayden Engineering. This new initiative is a simple but meaningful way for our teams to support people facing hardship -whether that’s families in our hometown of Ilkeston or communities close to our project sites.
With plans to introduce donation points at every new site, the scheme is set to become a long-term part of how we give back locally and support the wellbeing of the communities around us.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you’re visiting our Ilkeston office or working on one of our project sites, we invite you to contribute a food item or piece of clothing. Every donation – big or small – makes a real difference.
Together, we can continue supporting the people and places that support us.
