Schools and education
Every year thousands of pupils enjoy learning about what we do and why we do it. Most of our sites have close relationships with schools, holding open days at our sites so that children can learn about quarrying and building materials. Our site managers are often going back to the classroom to talk about our industry and help give careers advice. In some areas employees also volunteer to help out at schools coaching the football team or helping with reading lessons.
We have developed a dedicated education website for Key Stages 2 and 3 called Quarryville, which brings Tarmac's operations to life.
To access Quarryville: www.tarmac.co.uk/quarryville (new window)
Open days and visits
We work to build mutual awareness by helping people understand more about what we do and the positive contributions we make. We do this through, for example, liaison groups, site visits, open days, newsletters and supporting schools.
If you would like to visit a Tarmac quarry, please contact your nearest site. See our Location Finder for the Tarmac quarry or plant closest to you (see LocationFinder for your nearest plant, opens in new window).
Where possible, we forge links with local schools and other groups, for example, our quarries at Ballidon, Swinden and Tunstead receive hundreds of children every year on organised visits. At many sites we take part in outreach programmes to provide career information and mentoring, or lend a hand with school activities such as creating a garden or reading practice.
Promoting safety at Tarmac’s quarries
While we welcome supervised groups to our sites, trespassing in quarries is a big issue for our industry and can be very dangerous for people who enter sites illegally. Tarmac works actively at a local level and with the Mineral Products Association (MPA) to campaign and raise awareness among people about the dangers of entering quarries uninvited and unsupervised.
MPA’s Stay Safe campaign
The MPA's annual 'Stay Safe' campaign sees the industry working closely with local communities, emergency services, the media and other stakeholders to communicate our messages. Tarmac is a strong supporter of the campaign. The goal is simple – to discourage people from entering quarries uninvited and potentially putting their lives at risk.
Our industry takes this issue very seriously. We work hard to deter trespassers, and use fencing, warning signs and security patrols as appropriate, and work with local Police Community Support Officers and other emergency services to try to get the message across that we want people to 'Stay Safe'. Still too many people have been seriously injured or killed after accessing quarries uninvited. Sadly, it is often adults who break down fencing, which not only encourages younger people to follow their example but also creates easy access points for younger children who are less aware of the potential dangers. These range from deep, cold lakes with hidden currents to stockpiles of sand, steep quarry faces and large machinery.
As responsible operators, we already ensure our fences are intact and have warning signs predominantly displayed around our sites. However, experience shows that sometimes this is not enough to deter those who see a quarry as a place for adventure and excitement, which is why we are keen to take the Stay Safe message into the local community.
