Barratt David Wilson Homes partners with Olympic athlete

Barratt is committed to inspiring children and young people to explore skills development and career opportunities. Now a partnership with James Peters, a successful motivational speaker and member of the Team GB sailing team, is set to inject new energy into its educational outreach programme.

Plain sailing this summer

RAs the nation gears up for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, no-one could be more excited than James Peters. Nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2008, progress looked likely to come quickly for the virtuoso sailor, who grew up on Hayling Island.

Instead, fluctuating fortunes and the sheer strength of British interests in the men’s skiff class meant that physics graduate and business strategist James had to wait 15 years to make his Olympic debut.

James joined the British Sailing Team in 2012 and was a training partner in the Rio 2016 cycle. He formed a successful partnership with Fynn Sterritt that led to World Cup gold on Olympic waters in 2018 and 2019, earning world No.1 status in the lead-up to the original dates for Tokyo 2020.

But James and his partner were beaten in the British selection races by Stu Bithell and Dylan Fletcher, who went on to win Tokyo Olympic gold.

At that point, James stepped away to pursue his career in business. However, he was tempted to team up with Fynn Sterritt again in late 2021 and the pair won European bronze in 2022, finishing sixth at the 2023 World Championships to qualify for Team GB for a Paris quota place in the 49er class.

Ideal partner

Barratt saw James Peters as the perfect partner, to help support its programme of activities with schools, colleges and youth groups that aims to give young people across the South the skills and insights they need as they prepare to enter or re-enter the workforce.

“After meeting James, it is clear to Barratt that he is an exceptional speaker and we’re confident that he will be a strong asset to our schools and career development plan,” said James Dunne, MD at Barratt David Wilson Southampton Division. ”It’s hoped the partnership will benefit all the group’s southern regions: Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight.

“Barratt works with a number of schools in the division, talking to students about the career options they might want to consider and discussing opportunities in the housing sector. So often when we talk to young people, we hear that they find it difficult to stay focused and motivated while studying, particularly when preparing for exams.”

When Barratt was looking for someone who could not just help them inspire young people but also be a relatable role model, James seemed absolutely ideal. “Not only is he a world-class athlete; he has also built a very successful career as a business strategy consultant,” continued James.

“We want young people to feel that their goals are achievable and that the path to achieving them can be fun. It’s also crucial for them to understand that setbacks happen and the way you deal with them is really important. James really is an inspiration when it comes to important life skills like resilience, tenacity and mental stamina.”

Seeing the bigger picture

Talking about being focused during training and how he balances this with the need to make sure he is enjoying what he’s doing, James sees that when you are training, you must have an understanding of what you need to achieve and how it fits into the bigger picture. You create the motivation you need by having an end goal and mapping out your training time to build towards that.

James believes there’s no doubt that his strategy consulting career has helped him as an Olympic athlete. Working in strategy, he was surrounded by people who were exceptional at ‘framing’ problems. Before considering any solutions, he first had to understand the problem.

He also believes his strategy work has helped him understand what is achievable in a small timeframe, and how planning and tracking progress helps with creating and managing deadlines – skills that are so important for young people entering higher education or embarking on their careers.

Nurturing the next generation

James’s journey from his early days in the British Sailing Team through to qualifying Team GB in the Paris 24 49er class, alongside his career in business and as an inspiring public speaker, will provide young people with excellent pointers in how to develop their skills, work as part of a team and keep their ultimate goal in mind when considering their future careers.

In teaming up with Barratt, James’s first activity took place on home turf in a pre-Olympics appearance at Hayling Island Sailing Club on 20th June. Although their partnership will focus on assisting Barratt with its motivational work in schools, he will also host events with Barratt’s head office team about teambuilding, working together and conquering adversity, as well as giving a talk on men’s mental health at an event for Barratt’s sub-contractors.

“Barratt takes its responsibility to its workforce very seriously, and that includes nurturing the next generation,” continued MD James Dunne. “We have tailored opportunities for apprentices, graduates, experienced professionals and ex-Armed Forces personnel to build the homes that Britain needs.”

Last year, the group provided jobs for almost 48,000 people through direct and indirect employment.

James Dunne added: “We believe that house building is a great career and we’ve partnered with the House Building Skills Partnership to promote careers in house building with a focus on attracting new entrants into the industry.

“Our work with James Peters will underpin this commitment, helping improve young people’s confidence, skills and career prospects as well as giving them an insight into our industry. Meanwhile, we’re all routing for James and Team GB in the Paris 24 Olympics!”

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To get in touch – barratthomes.co.uk and dwh.co.uk.