Topic Projects
Date 07 Oct 2026
Galliford Try joined Year 5 and Year 6 students from Hermitage Primary School to celebrate a time capsule ceremony beneath the new Big Yellow Self Storage (BYSS) development in Wapping, East London.
The ceremony brought together pupils, project partners and local representatives to celebrate the area's past, present and future. Students carefully selected a range of items to represent life in 2026, which included a newspaper, friendship bracelets, slime and information about the teams delivering the landmark BYSS development.
Councillor Faysal Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Life Chances, had the honour of lowering the time capsule into the ground, and was joined by Nigel Hartley, Construction Director for Big Yellow Group, and representatives from Galliford Try for the event.
Following the ceremony, students were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the new 133,000 net sq ft Maximum Lettable Area Big Yellow facility and also explored a collection of artefacts uncovered by Pre-Construct Archaeology, including pottery fragments, tile pieces, and bone tobacco pipes dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Matthew Pool, Managing Director for Galliford Try Building London and South East Commercial, said: "We were delighted to welcome pupils from Hermitage Primary School to our BYSS Wapping development, giving them a unique chance to play a part in its legacy. By connecting young people with the site's past and future, the event reflected our commitment to creating a development that will benefit the community for generations to come."
Nigel Hartley, Construction Director at Big Yellow Group, commented: “Galliford Try went to great lengths to ensure the day was well organised and filled with activities related to the history of the site and the ongoing construction works. It was lovely to see so many smiling faces. The construction sector should follow the fine example set by Galliford Try. If we are to fill the skills gap, the industry needs more events like this to encourage young minds and point them in the direction of construction as a potential future career.”