Caunton’s apprentices have refurbished an old colliery wheel which, erected by Caunton’s erection department, acts as a focal point for activities at a local beauty spot called Colliers Wood.

The background to this goes back a long way. When Caunton Engineering outgrew its Kirkby-in-Ashfield works by the end of the 1980’s the company relocated and invested into the Maintenance Workshops of the National Coal Board in Moorgreen in 1990. The Moorgreen Colliery itself had been demolished in 1986 - a colliery that at one time produced one million tonnes of coal per annum, currently Caunton fabricate and install circa thirty thousand tonnes of structural steelwork from these premises. Over a number of years the shareholders have invested to regenerate the whole former colliery area. Today a new thriving trading estate surrounds the ever expanding Caunton facilities and the surrounding area has been reconstituted into attractive farmland and countryside. One particular area within this is Colliers Wood. The Friends of Colliers Wood, are creating a new activity area within the woodland scene. Part of this area interestingly will feature most appropriately a colliery wheel which had been rescued from the local Calverton colliery.

The colliery wheel however needed substantial repair and refurbishment, and this was a task attacked enthusiastically and skilfully by Caunton apprentices employed in the company training academy, once used to maintain and repair colliery plant and equipment. The photograph shows work being carried out by two of Caunton’s apprentices.

The Friends of Colliers Wood will be running training and learning courses for all ages as part of their “Fun with Learning program”. The colliery wheel steelwork will be supporting 'easels' to display information regarding these programs and events. It will also enable a screen to be erected (part of Caunton's work included additional steelwork fixings for this facility). It can be said that the reuse of the wheel is a recycling achievement , and not merely an artefact from the past.

Caunton take their corporate social responsibility very seriously. The company is pleased therefore to have been able to contribute to the improvement and enhancement of the local area to the benefit of local residents in particular.