An apprentice working on a new housing estate in the county spent 10 days in Malawi for a charity house building initiative.

Jaimie Chandler left his work at the Liberty Park development in Wainscott to build 50 homes in the African country.

He was among 13 employees at Crest Nicholson selected to represent the company on a Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip.

The firm celebrated its 50th year of business in 2013 and marked the occasion by raising nearly £66,000 for the project, enought to fund more than 50 homes.

The visit saw Jaimie working alongside local families to build new homes for communities fighting against poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis.

He said: “The trip to Malawi was an amazing experience.

“It was really inspiring and opened my eyes to the struggles families in Malawi face in their everyday lives.

“It was humbling to work alongside the villagers and the community spirit was truly amazing – everyone from children to the village chief wanted to be involved in the work.

“It was extremely tiring under the blazing sun but it was so rewarding and it was great to be able to put my skills to use as part of such an important scheme.”

Crest Nicholson chief executive Stephen Stone said: “2013 was a milestone year for Crest Nicholson and we wanted to do something special to mark our 50th anniversary.

“It seemed fitting to work with Habitat for Humanity to raise money to enable the charity to carry out the vital role it plays in building homes for communities across the world.”

A tenth of Crest Nicholson’s employees are apprentices.

Mr Stone added: “We place great importance on ensuring our apprenticeships equip people with lifelong skills and development, rather than just offering a straight-forward course in brick-laying or carpentry.

“The trip was an experience that was particularly valued by the four apprentices who were part of the team. The trip to Malawi will be a lifelong memory and source of pride for them.”

If your business is interested in taking on an apprentice, inquire about becoming a part of the KM Group’s Kick Start Kent campaign.

It aims to get 50 businesses to take on an apprentice by highlighting the benefits of doing so.

For details, email kickstartkent@thekmgroup.co.uk