CONSTRUCTION students from Middlesbrough College have come to the aid of a community group by volunteering to rebuild a crumbling church wall.

With no funds available to fix the wall, a rallying call was sent by the Genesis Family Project to Middlesbrough College and local businesses asking for help and the response was overwhelming.

The wall at St Oswald’s Church Hall in Grove Hill was an accident risk for children and some youths in the area had started using the loose bricks as missiles, making life a misery for local residents.

Students on the construction course at the college jumped at the chance to complete the project as part of their training.

Marty Humphreys, construction department manager, said: “This was an ideal opportunity to put the students’ training to good use on a real construction project that is of benefit to the local community.”

“It’s just one of a string of projects the students have taken part in and we’re always looking for opportunities to widen their experience making them work ready.”

Thirteen, one of the North-East’s leading housing organisations, donated 1,000 bricks to help with the construction of the wall.

The wall is now complete and the Genesis Family Project is delighted with the result.

Kath Dean, youth group leader from the Genesis Family Project, said: “We are so grateful to the college and the companies for all they have done.

“The new wall has made it much safer for the children and it is also of great benefit to local residents.”