We are incredibly proud to announce that we have extended our partnership with Southampton Football Club for the 2025/26 season. The enhanced partnership will see Bargate become Official New Homes Partner across the club, as well as the Official Back of Shorts Partner for the club’s Women’s First Team. We will also continue to support Saints Foundation as a Corporate Patron.

This announcement follows two successful years working together with Southampton FC, in which we have backed key local initiatives, such as funding 100 free places at SFC Soccer Schools for Pupil Premium children and redeveloping The Bargate Sensory Room at St Mary’s Stadium. These campaigns saw both our organisations recognised at the UK Sponsorship Awards, shortlisted in the category for “Social Purpose – Community Engagement”.

We recently unveiled a major rebrand that puts thoughtful design, craftsmanship, community, place and purpose at its heart, a move that mirrors our commitment to building locally with meaning. Rooted in Hampshire, we are dedicated to creating communities where people feel connected, much like our ongoing collaboration with Southampton FC and Saints Foundation. The new visual identity will be rolled out alongside Southampton FC this season, featured pitch-side at St Mary’s Stadium and proudly displayed on the back of the Women’s First Team’s shorts.

Mark White, Managing Director, said: “As a Hampshire-based housebuilder, we take huge pride in supporting our communities, and our partnership with Southampton Football Club is an extension of that. Whether it’s backing grassroots football, creating safe spaces for fans with autism or disabilities, or promoting sport and health to young and elderly people through the Saints Foundation, our values are perfectly aligned. Sponsoring the Women’s First Team is a meaningful next step that reflects our shared belief in equal opportunity and visibility across all areas of the game.”

Greg Baker, Chief Revenue Officer of Southampton Football Club, said: “We’re thrilled to be growing our partnership with Bargate. They have been fantastic supporters of the club and the local community throughout the last two years.

“Our organisations share an ambition to support the local community, which has been highlighted perfectly by some of the key projects that we’ve been able to deliver together already, such as The Bargate Sensory Room and the free places on our Soccer Schools for Pupil Premium eligible children.

“We’re excited to see the new Bargate brand pitch-side at St Mary’s Stadium and on the back of our women’s first team shorts, as well as continuing to collaborate on impactful campaigns off-the-pitch.”

Bargate has proudly welcomed three promising graduates from the local area into key roles across our design, development and planning departments at our Hampshire head office. The latest investment in graduate recruits signals our long-term commitment to addressing the construction sector’s escalating skills shortage. 

Felicity Jenkinson‑Hutchison from Hedge End and Jenni Hardy from Salisbury have joined the business as Design & Development Graduates, while Elise Hutton from Petersfield has joined the Land & Planning team as a Graduate Planner. Each brings fresh perspectives, creativity, and determination to help deliver the homes local communities need.

Mark White, Bargate’s Managing Director, said: “The construction industry continues to face a skills shortage, while the government’s target is to build 1.5 million new homes in England. There is much work to be done to encourage new talent to increase the workflow of these new homes. We are proud that our talented graduates are actively responding to the government’s call for new homes, working right across the pre-construction complexities of residential development.”

Felicity Jenkinson‑Hutchison, a University of Portsmouth graduate in Property Development BSc, has recently started working on the upcoming Southleigh Park site. Having previously worked at a national housebuilder, she brings experience and a fresh perspective. Felicity said, “I’ve already learnt so much – the role here has opened my eyes to the full complexity of pre-construction. It’s exciting to be growing alongside Bargate as the business itself evolves.”

Jenni Hardy, who studied Interior Architecture & Design at the University for Creative Arts in Farnham, joined Bargate in May and is already contributing to a range of active projects, including its new development in Pagham, Marlow Walk in Warsash, and Heritage Place, North Stoneham Park. Jenni said, “This has been a steep and exciting learning curve – everything is new, and I’m gaining hands-on experience from day one.”

Elise Hutton graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Geography and joined Bargate in March. She is now working closely with the Land and Planning team, supporting new sites including Whiteparish and Medstead. Elise said, “Planning was a leap into the unknown for me, but I’ve found an incredibly supportive team and a role that’s both challenging and rewarding.”

As part of its wider talent strategy, Bargate is committed to creating a sustainable, skilled workforce. The company works closely with suppliers to ensure they have the business visibility to train apprentices, and it actively engages with schools to raise awareness of the broad range of careers available in the construction sector.

Mark White, added: “It is immensely rewarding to see young people from the local community working on our live developments, but the whole industry needs a better, more reliable workflow to make construction a more attractive proposition for career choices.”

For further information about our Bargate family, values, and championing local talent, click here.