Volunteers rally to Action4Youth’s cause

Staff at Action4Youth’s charity partner

NHBC - the UK’s leading provider of warranty and insurance for new homes - are pictured during a volunteer session redecorating the showers and bathrooms at the charity’s George Amey building at The Caldecotte Xperience.

Said Matthew Clay, chief digital and technology

On a summer’s day in July 1943, a USA B-25 Mitchell bomber left Tunisia in North Africa on a mission to attack the Sciacca Aerodrome in Sicily. On board was a crew of six including 27-year-old US Army Air Forces 2nd Lt Gilbert Haldeen Myers, the co-pilot.

But as the aircraft approached its target, the B-25 bomber was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in a field about 1.5 miles from the aerodrome.

One crew member bailed out of the B-25 before it crashed, witnesses reported, but Myers’ remains were never recovered and he was declared missing in action. There were no survivors nor any record of passengers being taken prisoner.

Around 72,000 American personnel are still unaccounted for from the Second World War, with around 39,000 deemed to be recoverable. For years, Mr Myers (pictured) was one of those individuals. In 1947, investigators conducted search and recovery operations near Sciacca but could not locate anything linking back to Mr Myers.

But last year, nearly 80 years on from the B-25 crash, that changed. Forensic experts from Cranfield University’s Recovery and officer: “Participating in initiatives like Caldecotte Experience is not just about giving back.

“It is about showing a demonstrable culture of compassion and social responsibility within our organisation. The positive ripple effect is immeasurable.”

NHBC’s head office is at Knowlhill.

Audit specialist Mazars has rallied to the cause at Action4Youth’s headquarters next to Caldecotte Lake in Milton Keynes. The company, one of the UK’s largest and with an office in Central Milton Keynes, has despatched a team of volunteers from its asset management department to help the revamp and redecoration of the charity’s George Amey building.

The building, part of the Caldecotte Xperience that delivers outdoor education programmes to more than 13,000 young people a year, is being renovated and refurbished to create modern space able to accommodate more young people.

Mazars partners Sarah Cooke and Lucy Sampson are passionate about the project. “We wanted to make a difference in our local area by supporting a local charity. We believe that every child deserves a safe and enjoyable place to visit, explore, and experience new things. Our partnership with Action4Youth allows us to fulfil this vision and positively impact the lives of young people.”

Mazars colleagues are pictured above painting some of the residential bedrooms at the site. They also redecorated the building’s canteen.