A worker from the construction industry has continued a remarkable transformation journey this month, being named runner-up at the 2 BROS PRO Amplified Classic bodybuilding competition. Mitchell Clarke, Mobile Mini Key Account Manager, has worked for the company for nearly 4 years, initially joining as an Internal Sales Representative and
National Allotment Week (7th – 13th August 2023) does much to remind us of the value of working the land but gaining access to an allotment – particularly in London – isn’t always easy. The Association for Public Service Excellence reports that nearly 87% of local authorities are experiencing an
The Independent Builders Merchant Group, owner of 21 local brands of builders’ merchants across the South of England, is supporting an intrepid team for this year’s Pavestone Rally. The charity rally, that sets off in September, aims to raise money for four charities and awards competitors with points for various
INTERNATIONAL M&E and sustainability consultancy CPW has given its team two dedicated working days for charitable work – totalling more than 653 hours volunteering and raising £3,700 on the first charity day. Its teams in Birmingham, Solihull, Bristol, Derby, Huntingdon, Leeds, Leicester, London and Nottingham focused their time on a range of fundraising and volunteering activities
LEADING housebuilder Lovell has furthered its commitment to support left behind people and communities across the West Midlands by working with Standing Tall – a charity that gives power to people experiencing homelessness by providing employment opportunities. The charity, which was established to help people move away from the streets for good, is currently
The game-for-a-laugh ACS Stainless Steel team has gone back to the 80s with their new marketing campaign – a light-hearted video that’s a change of direction for the manufacturing industry – and sure to make any 80’s TV fan laugh out loud. Colleagues from the Leeds-based business star in their
The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity is one step closer to fulfilling the dreams of children cared for at Rotherham Hospital thanks to a £5,000 donation from Keepmoat. The generous donation is a major boost for the charity’s Christmas fundraising appeal, which this year aimed to fund the redevelopment of the
The managing director of building services and engineering consultants FHP is getting on his bike to raise much needed funds for a charity that supports underprivileged youngsters. Tony Hewitt will be collaborating with former Chelsea FC, West Ham FC and England international footballer Joe Cole and his wife Carly’s 11
A worker from the construction industry has continued a remarkable transformation journey this month, being named runner-up at the 2 BROS PRO Amplified Classic bodybuilding competition. Mitchell Clarke, Mobile Mini Key Account Manager, has worked for the company for nearly 4 years, initially joining as an Internal Sales Representative and being promoted to Strategic Account Representative. He has been interested in health since he was 16 years old but admits he didn’t take the dieting side of bodybuilding seriously until around 2 years ago. “I didn’t know how to structure things properly until I hired my coaches, Sam and Jack from Tathams Powerhouse Gym and Fitness in Stapleford,” said Mitchell. “Last year, Sam won a bodybuilding show and afterwards, he said he thought I had the potential to do so too if I was dedicated enough. That was all the motivation I needed to take the next step.” Mitchell followed a gruelling regime including 18 weeks of competition preparation, slowly dieting down and increasing the intensity of his cardio and weight training to at least five days per week, on top of squeezing in at least 10-15k of steps per day. “It is an exhausting challenge, especially the last 3-4 weeks when energy is low. I am so grateful for the support from everybody at work, they have never been anything but supportive and encouraging. It is so important if you have a passion or hobby, to not let this impact your working commitments, as this is a personal lifestyle choice. “Whilst I am always conscious of managing my calendar with my food and water intake, this never affects my ability to give my all to customers or colleagues. The team from Mobile Mini West Yorkshire (Wakefield) have always been accommodating, showing interest in my progress and putting up with me cooking salmon in the office! They are really mindful and flexible and it would not be possible for me to achieve these ambitions without their support and understanding.” Mobile Mini UK is one of the leading worldwide providers of portable accommodation and secure storage containers. Headquartered in Stockton-on-Tees, the company has a national network of 16 sites and over 40,000 portable units. Typical customers include construction companies, retailers, manufacturers, hospitals, schools, utility companies, distributors, local and national government, hotels, restaurants, entertainment complexes and individual households. Steve Dickinson, Mobile Mini UK Managing Director, said “Mobile Mini UK considers its people to be its number one asset and we are incredibly proud of the achievements of our employees both at work and in their personal lives. Mitchell has shown the same level of dedication, graft and commitment in his bodybuilding as he does regularly for our customers and we could not be prouder of the fantastic example he is setting to achieve dreams and promote health, fitness and wellbeing.” The 2 BROS PRO Amplified Classic competition was held at Braywick Leisure Centre in Maidenhead in July 2023. Mitchell achieved second place in the first-timers division but is keen to keep progressing and strive to become a champion, “I was a little disappointed not to have won after all the hard work and effort, but on reflection, I am proud of how far I have come and I have the confidence and drive now for the next show and to go on and win.” For now, Mitchell will be continuing to build on his successful career in construction as well as other aspects of his life, “It takes a long time to build muscle, so might be a little while before I am ready to enter the next competition at the level I want to reach. In the meantime, I am hoping to buy a house soon and I am enjoying making good progress at work. I have a really good work-life balance at Mobile Mini and I am excited about what’s to come, both at the company and on my bodybuilding journey.”
National Allotment Week (7th – 13th August 2023) does much to remind us of the value of working the land but gaining access to an allotment – particularly in London – isn’t always easy. The Association for Public Service Excellence reports that nearly 87% of local authorities are experiencing an increase in demand for allotments. Demand in the London Borough of Brent, for example, is so intense that there is an expected waiting time of up to two years for plots, with the waiting list closed to new applicants. In Wembley Park in the heart of Brent though, residents at Quintain Living’s Canada Gardens have found a way to beat the wait. Canada Gardens is a family-focused development of 743 apartments to rent, ranging from studios to four-bedrooms homes. In addition to extensive grounds dotted with BBQ areas, designer work-from-home sheds, a pirate ship playpark and even its own clubhouse, the development features 18 hireable raised growing beds. The Canada Gardens growing beds were conceived during the design phase of the site, way back in 2016. The London National Park City campaign, with which Quintain’s Head of Masterplanning & Design, Julian Tollast, was heavily involved, was influential in the thinking behind the resident amenities. Tollast and the Quintain Living team drew upon the campaign and their own passion for allotments by providing the raised beds and a greenhouse as part of the overall podium garden design for Canada Gardens. Since the development opened its doors in 2021, residents have grown a range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs on-site. In addition to the raised beds, residents have use of a greenhouse and tool shed, while Quintain Living – award-winning management company which oversees the rental of more than 3,650 apartments in Wembley Park including those within Canada Gardens – also provides information on seasonal planting and growing tips. A new composter has recently been added to convert green waste from the 85-acre Wembley Park estate into nutrient-rich compost and liquid fertiliser (leachate). Demand for the raised growing beds at Canada Gardens is strong and sustained. All 18 beds are currently in use, with a variety of salad crops and vegetables enjoying this summer’s signature combination of interspersed sunbursts and rain showers. Younger residents have been racing each other growing sunflowers and delighting in munching on bright, super-sweet strawberries. Fragrant herbs scent the air while cucumber vines are climbing up canes. In the greenhouse, the summer’s first tomatoes are just ripening, poised to provide the residents growing them with a sudden glut – perfect for sharing with fellow gardeners. Indeed, not only do residents enjoy the opportunity to grow their own food – a win in sustainability terms by cutting out both food-to-table miles and packaging – but many are taking advantage of the social connections that growing food on-site provides. Residents Shamir and Reschma Jetha have enjoyed using both the Quintain Living Resident App and resident events such as gardening workshops to connect with their neighbours. Mother-of-two Reschma comments: “Quintain Living arranged for a local community garden manager, Jim (or ‘Jim the Farmer’ as the kids call him) to teach us how plant everything properly. We planted lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, herbs and many more plants that day. It was really nice, we were all doing it together, everyone was so kind, so dedicated. ‘Jim the Farmer’ taught us so much about plants, when to sow them and how to care for them.” Having never gardened before, Reschma was nervous that it would be complicated in an apartment, but the Quintain Living experience has shown her how easy it can be – and what a great social experience. She continues: “It’s so easy and really gives us peace of mind to care about nature. Since we started gardening in the allotments, we’ve joined a Quintain Living residents allotment WhatsApp group. We let other members of the group know when we are coming down to the allotments in case they might like to join, and we can help each other take care of the plants.” National Allotments Week 2023 is focused not just on growing produce but also on the importance of understanding the role of soil health in increasing yields and supporting biodiversity. Tending raised growing beds such as those at Canada Gardens is one way that families can pass this hugely important knowledge down to the next generation. The Royal Horticultural Society provides plentiful advice when it comes to caring for soil. Its three top tips for working allotment plot soil include carrying out a soil pH test to understand whether any nutrients are lacking, adding organic matter by digging and rotovating and using a crop rotation plan. As part of such a plan, there is still plenty of planting to be done in August, from spring onions, radishes, lettuce and rocket to winter salad leaves such as mizuna and mibuna. “Growing your own food is a fantastic way to enjoy fresh produce at its best while reducing your carbon footprint. Little tastes better than food you’ve grown yourself and picked just minutes before eating. There’s also plenty of fun to be had pickling and preserving the fruits of your own labour as well as getting to know your neighbours better by gifting them some of your homegrown produce.” Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living
The Independent Builders Merchant Group, owner of 21 local brands of builders’ merchants across the South of England, is supporting an intrepid team for this year’s Pavestone Rally. The charity rally, that sets off in September, aims to raise money for four charities and awards competitors with points for various challenges along the 1,820 km route. Trevor, who is the MD of IBMG’s timber division, will drive a 19-year-old London taxi bought from Ebay for £460 to compete in the creatively challenging rally across Europe. This year’s co-driver is Peter Saunders who Trevor met in 1991 when they were accepted onto a building supplies graduate training program and have been firm friends ever since. Peter’s son, Jake is also joining the team. This is Trevor’s seventh time to take part – finishing in first place in 2016 and 2019, and second in 2017 and 2018 – the team also won Best Dressed Car and Best Dressed Team. Trevor said: “Our team is called ‘It’s Not About The Points’ because I have been accused of being prepared to do anything for points in previous rallies! Putting jokes aside, the entire rally is about raising money for four very worthy charities – and we’ll pull out all the stops to achieve some serious fund-raising for these excellent causes. “Big thanks already go to Arrowsmith & Roberts, the hauliers, that collected the car from the seller for us and has stored it while the starter motor was replaced, tyres fitted, and the missing front passenger seat welding in! Also thank you to the apprentices at Channel Commercials, Ashford for the amazing makeover.” The route runs from Ghent in Belgium, through France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and finishes in Monte Carlo on Sunday 11 September. You can sponsor the IBMG team by following this link: https://sponsorme.charitiestrust.org/event/816370e7-1d56-40f6-81c3-238537c9b201 The Pavestone Rally invites UK builder’s merchants to raise money for charity. The goal is to drive a car, worth less than £500, across Europe in four days, while in full fancy dress. The rally is hoping to raise £175,000 for its chosen charities: Rainy Day Trust, Crash, British Heart Foundation and Variety The Children’s Charity. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
INTERNATIONAL M&E and sustainability consultancy CPW has given its team two dedicated working days for charitable work – totalling more than 653 hours volunteering and raising £3,700 on the first charity day. Its teams in Birmingham, Solihull, Bristol, Derby, Huntingdon, Leeds, Leicester, London and Nottingham focused their time on a range of fundraising and volunteering activities for many local and charitable causes. This includes volunteering activities such as litter picking, ground maintenance, decorating, car washing and supporting at local food banks. Fundraising events were also planned such as a charity walk through London and a pool tournament for participants to show their competitive side. John Hauton, director and charity lead at CPW, said: “As a company with offices across the UK, we want to ensure we make a difference in all our locations and give back to the communities that have supported us to flourish in the different areas. We also felt it was important to give teams the opportunity to select a cause that matters to them. “We want to thank all our staff for making this such a success, it was inspiring to see the passion with which our teams tackled their activities and we loved discovering the personal connections many of our staff had to these charities and causes. “Closing all of our offices for two working days this year is a significant logistical undertaking, but seeing the results so far has already reaffirmed our decision to commit valuable time and make a difference.” CPW is planning to undertake its second charity day in Autumn, with staff encouraged to start thinking now about which local charities may benefit from its support next. Directors at CPW have also agreed to match all funds raised over the two days this year. With more than 300 staff based across 13 offices including international offices in Poland and India, CPW specialises in designing and integrating a full range of building services into new and existing buildings to deliver cutting edge sustainable solutions that are not only energy efficient but are both financially and environmentally sustainable for clients. For further information on CPW’s sustainability work visit www.cpwp.com or follow @CPWengineering on social media. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING housebuilder Lovell has furthered its commitment to support left behind people and communities across the West Midlands by working with Standing Tall – a charity that gives power to people experiencing homelessness by providing employment opportunities. The charity, which was established to help people move away from the streets for good, is currently operating in London, Manchester and Birmingham. Individuals undertake a three-month trial with an employer, which is paid for by Standing Tall, with the potential to complete valuable training and be offered a full-time position at the end. In addition to this, Lovell will also finance Construction Skills Certificate Scheme cards for those on the scheme, which are a necessary qualification to work on UK construction sites. Stuart Penn, regional managing director at Lovell’s Midlands office, said: “The work Standing Tall does is as commendable as it is important, and has helped many people impacted by homelessness to move away from the streets and into real living wage jobs – changing their lives in the process. The people they help don’t just receive a handout, they’re given the chance to find a better place in society where they can use their skills and learn new ones to find long term employment. “We’re immensely proud to be working with Standing Tall and doing our bit to support its work in our region. We hope that by supporting Standing Tall, we can reach those who may otherwise not have the chance to learn a trade as well as encouraging different skills and a diverse range of people into the construction industry. We’re looking forward to sharing the great success stories that come from working together.” Christy Acton, founder and CEO of Standing tall said: “There’s a certain stigma around people experiencing homelessness, and a public perception that gets in the way of individuals realising their hidden potential. Our work is about breaking this stigma, discovering and bringing out the skills needed to improve their situations. “With Lovell’s support, we’ll be able to continue this mission and help more people in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. The experience gained from working on a Lovell site will be invaluable to the future of those supported by the scheme. “As long as homelessness continues, our work will be ongoing, and we’re delighted to have the backing of a responsible business such as Lovell that shares our values.” To learn more about the work Standing Tall does, visit the website here: https://www.standingtall.org.uk/ To learn more about Lovell, visit here: https://www.lovell.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The game-for-a-laugh ACS Stainless Steel team has gone back to the 80s with their new marketing campaign – a light-hearted video that’s a change of direction for the manufacturing industry – and sure to make any 80’s TV fan laugh out loud. Colleagues from the Leeds-based business star in their very own A-Team spoof, labelling themselves the ‘ACS Team’ as they champion safe and sustainable masonry products – whilst having lots of fun in the process! Gareth Twohey, Commercial Director at ACS, said: “We manufacture technical products and it’s sometimes hard to cut through with technical jargon, so this seemed an effective way to reach our audiences to get their attention and talk to them about some pretty serious subject matter. Plus, we all got to dress up as some of our favourite childhood TV characters and have a blast together in the process! “But, on a more serious note, we also wanted to raise much-needed funds for our industry’s mental health charity, Mates in Mind. Suicide is still the biggest killer of men under 40, with people working in the construction sector significantly more likely to take their own life. I’ve championed mental health issues for a number of years and encourage anyone watching our video to make a donation via the JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/page/acs-stainless-steel-fixings-ateam Thank you.” ACS is the market leader in A1 rated products for high-rise buildings – proudly at the forefront of innovation within this construction sector. The new ‘ACS-Team’ video has been released ahead of the company’s much-anticipated brand new product range launch – scheduled for 27th April in London and further venues in May. Limited availability launch tickets are now available direct from ACS – for more information please visit: https://acsstainless.co.uk/solving-cavity-congestion/ Find out more about ACS here: https://acsstainless.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity is one step closer to fulfilling the dreams of children cared for at Rotherham Hospital thanks to a £5,000 donation from Keepmoat. The generous donation is a major boost for the charity’s Christmas fundraising appeal, which this year aimed to fund the redevelopment of the Children’s Ward outdoor play area. The donation was celebrated at the launch of Keepmoat’s latest housing development at Moorgate Boulevard, off Moorgate Road, Rotherham, where representatives from Keepmoat were joined by the Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Tajamal Khan, and Dr Ted to explore its new showhomes which are now open to the public. Alongside the charity donation, Keepmoat is offering an exclusive £1,000 referral bonus*, for The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust staff when they successfully refer friends and family who go on to purchase a new home at the development. “We are so grateful and proud to receive such a significant donation from the team at Keepmoat. Their new showhomes at Moorgate Boulevard are a short walk from Rotherham Hospital so it showcases their commitment to enhancing the environment around them,” said Rachael Dawes, Head of Fundraising. “We have ambitious plans to revamp the rooftop space and hope to make it a special place for children and young people for generations to come. We’re one step closer to making that happen thanks to Keepmoat. I hope they have inspired other businesses, community groups and individuals to support us too.” Last year, colleagues at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, schools, community groups and individuals pooled their festive cheer to kick-start fundraising for the play area, raising a magnificent £6,500 by taking part in our Virtual Santa Jog, Santa’s Grotto and Christmas Jumper Day. More than £30,000 is needed to revamp the play area, so every penny raised will count. Our previous young patients, their families and Children’s Ward staff have already told us what their dream play area would look and feel like – now we need your support to make their dreams a reality. “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting another important institution in the community next to our new Moorgate Boulevard development. As homebuilders, we strive to build communities and transform lives, and I’m proud that we are able to support the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity through our donation. The donation is designed to enable children of all ages who may find themselves at Rotherham Hospital, to enjoy an improved children’s ward play area on its rooftop,” added Antony Rowe, Sales Manager for Keepmoat. “We were honoured that our three fabulous showhomes have been officially opened by the Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Tajamal Khan, and the charity’s mascot Dr Ted. Our new 170-home development is located opposite Rotherham Hospital, which is in ideal proximity for commuting staff – and our referral scheme is designed to support NHS employees get their foot onto the property ladder. We look forward to welcoming future visitors to our Moorgate Boulevard showhomes and we’re excited to create a thriving community that is dedicated to improving lives,” Antony concluded. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The managing director of building services and engineering consultants FHP is getting on his bike to raise much needed funds for a charity that supports underprivileged youngsters. Tony Hewitt will be collaborating with former Chelsea FC, West Ham FC and England international footballer Joe Cole and his wife Carly’s 11 Foundation this September, joining forces with industry colleagues to cycle almost 200 miles from central London to Amsterdam. He will be part of the Pristine London Construction Group and London AC Ltd cycling team, aiming to raise at £1,000 on the back of the challenging three-day ‘Construction Tour – London to Amsterdam’ cycle ride in aid of OnSide and Future Youth Zone in Barking and Dagenham. The charity, which is supported by the 11 Foundation, works with at risk youngsters in the east end of London, ensuring that they have a safe place to go where they will be treated equally and provided with vital education and empowerment opportunities. This helps to boost their self-confidence and equip them with essential life skills needed to help secure a better future for themselves. Joe Cole will be riding along with construction industry professionals as they look to push themselves hard along a course starting in Central London, traversing through the Hook of Holland, Rotterdam and The Hague, before finally arriving in Amsterdam on 18 September. Tony , who is again collaborating with 11 Foundation to support a charity that undertakes life-changing work, said: “The past few years have been extremely tough for everybody and the social and economic impacts of lockdown are only now being realised, particularly on the personal development and social mobility of the UK’s vulnerable young people. “Alongside my friends and construction industry colleagues, we want to highlight the criticality of a strong and effective youth service and raise money for initiatives to facilitate these improvements. We are aiming to raise as much as possible for this important cause so any donation, large or small, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.” To support Tony’s fundraising visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tony-hewitt5 More information about the 11 Foundation and its projects is available at www.11foundation.co.uk
