July 2010 – Little Learners May 2010
Children from Little Learners Day Nursery played host to our heroic friends from the emergency services in May.
A full week was dedicated to the men and women who serve and protect us with members of the fire, ambulance and police services visiting the nursery to talk to the children. The aim of the week, which also involved a tour of vehicles, was to give the children the opportunity to meet their real life heroes as well as raising awareness about important safety matters that can affect the children’s lives.
Little Learners Day Nursery has a long relationship with the combined emergency services working together in the development of educational talks - ensuring that key safety messages are communicated to the children and their parents.
June 2010 – York Can Cook
Sewell Group sponsored the very successful ‘York Can Cook' cookbook, produced by the pupils and staff at St Barnabas CE Primary School.
The book, which completely sold out of the 500 copies that were originally produced, was published in December 2009. Sewell Group made a formal presentation of its financial contribution to the book to ‘Save the Children', the schoolchildren's' chosen charity in June 2010.
June 2010 – Biz Ed Day
Rachel Corr, Sewell Group's Head of People, was one of 16 Hull business figures that took on the role of a mentor for a dragons' den style business week event, Business Education Day, advising young entrepreneurs. Business Education Day formed part of Humber Business Week.
Rachel mentored one of the 16 schools, at the event organised by Humber Economic Partnership and held at the Country Park Inn at Hessle on 09 June 2010, providing the pupils with guidance in their challenge to create a more advanced business idea from just a small tea light.
The school teams all participated enthusiastically in the event and were judged based on how well they had developed the product with the advice and guidance of their mentor. Rachel's team was the runner-up!
Rachel said: “Working with young people is definitely rewarding. Their natural curiosity, sense of wonder and enthusiasm for play and learning has a positive effect on business leaders who work with them. But equally young people need adults who can bring the same enthusiasm to these play and learning experiences. I feel that we really achieved this during Business Education Day.”
June 2010 – Race for Life Team Raises £1,000
A team of runners from Sewell Group and Citycare took part in the Race for Life on Sunday 4th June in Hull to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
The team was made up of Jo Barnes, Adele Whitehead, Sue Turner, Sasha Fox, Elaine Simmonds, Jude Leonard and Kate Sleight. To date, they have raised over £1,000 for Cancer Research UK, which is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research - the organisation's groundbreaking work has saved millions of lives.
Elaine Simmonds, said: “I had never really seen myself as a runner before starting our training, but before long I surprised myself with what is possible!”
Another of the runners, Kate Sleight, said that the team is planning to raise even more money for charity following their Race for Life adventure: “We had a great time raising money for such an important charity and we are so inspired that we are now thinking about our next challenge to raise more cash for good causes.”
To donate, please visit www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/teamsewell. Donations can be made up until 21 July 2010.
May 2010 – Local People, Serving Local People...
Sewell Group has operated in and around the Hull area for more than 135 years. The company employs more than 300 local people across its estates and retail divisions. The business' directors believe in developing and engaging people with strong and effective internal communications at all levels. In March 2010, having achieved an 'extraordinary' Three Star rating by workplace engagement specialists, Best Companies, Sewell Group was ranked the UK's 8th best company to work for in a list published by the Sunday Times newspaper.
The company has a 'buy local' policy which is underlined by recent Construction projects delivered. An example can be seen on a 2009 Construction scheme finished on time and in budget for Citycare, NHS Hull's delivery partner under the city's Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT). Responsible for constructing eight of Citycare's nine projects delivered to date, Sewell Construction recruited more than 90 per cent of its direct and subcontracted workforce from the local area on the £14m Orchard Centre project. This commitment has been extended to Citycare's 10th project now under construction in Hull's City Centre - the Wilberforce Centre. Sewell Group and Sewell Construction are aiming for similar levels of local supply chain engagement on this £16m assignment. Additionally, the company's apprenticeship programme has received high praise locally, regionally and nationally.
Also for the future, Sewell Group and Sewell Construction will be an important part of the multi-industry partnership known as Hull Esteem Consortium [alongside Morgan Sindall Investments and Robertsons Capital Investments], responsible for delivering £465m worth of new and redeveloped schools across Hull. Lessons learned from the company's experiences on Citycare will be rolled out on the projects it will be responsible for delivering - including an enormous recruitment drive for local people, active participation in the proposed apprenticeship scheme and buying materials and services from the local and regional supply chain. The projects are due for completion by the Autumn of 2014.
April 2010 – We really are considerate in all that we do…
In April, Sewell Group's construction team achieved a hat-trick of Considerate Constructors bronze awards for work undertaken on the £4.5m Bilton Grange Health Centre.
The team's latest award was presented at a prestigious ceremony at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester following the completion of the project in late 2009. The brand new health and community centre, the ninth that Sewell Group has delivered on behalf of Citycare, Hull's Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) organisation and NHS Hull, was handed over on time and within budget.
The scheme and its project management, constructed under the stewardship of Cavan Gray-Nicholson, construction manager alongside Dave Barley, assistant site manager, were described as ‘superb' by independent assessors who reviewed, first-hand, the team's work at the site during the construction period.
Everyone associated with the project is justifiably proud of this achievement which takes into consideration the needs of employees and contractors, work with the local community and how the company planned and delivered the project from a health and safety point of view.
In recent years, other Sewell Group projects at Park Health Centre, St Oswalds School in York and the Freedom Centre on Preston Road, Hull have also received Considerate Constructors awards.
Steve Gibson, Sewell Group director responsible for construction matters, said: “The Sewell Group way of doing business is based on delighting people. We always try to do the big things right and the little things very well. We have built some great facilities and relationships in the local community, and the construction team and I are very proud of what we have delivered and achieved so far. I would like to congratulate Cavan, Dave and their teams on this great achievement.”
April 2010 – Sharing our 'Story'
Sewell Construction is working in partnership with Hull College and Winifred Holtby School Technology College to support diploma students enrolled on a Construction and the Built Environment qualification. Students will visit the company's largest health centre scheme to date, the Wilberforce Centre, to learn about relevant aspects of the project and the roles of it's people in support of their studies.
Students from both Hull College and Winifred Holtby were the first to see the site at the demolition stage and the Wilberforce Centre project team was praised by college lecturer Brian Kerridge, who specialises in construction and the built environment, for, "an exceptionally well managed construction site."
Students will continue to visit the site throughout the academic year, and during its construction, enabling them to benefit from seeing a live project during demolition, through construction and eventually opened for operation. Sewell Construction's engagement with the local colleges has been nurtured through a developing relationship with Humber EBP, a service provider linking practical learning through work experience with local businesses across the Humber Sub Region, the East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston Upon Hull and North East Lincolnshire. For more information on Humber EBP please visit: www.humberebp.co.uk.
November 2009 – Sewell Estate's charity challenge
Sewell Group took part in its annual charity challenge in partnership with BAE systems recently. Several of the Group's Estates team, led by Project Manager Steve Owen, visited the Sue Ryder Care Home in Holme on Spalding Moor, to carry out a redecoration of corridors to Holme Hall which offers care to people with neurological conditions who are aged 18 and over. With plenty of preparation work required, the Sewell team took on the task of preparing the areas, organising access equipment and materials, while the rest of the team tackled the painting operation. Due to the planning, teamwork and over 80 volunteers from BAE Systems it took only three days to redecorate the home, with all the labour and resources being provided completely free of charge to the charity.
September 2009 – CAT.ZERO to hero
As a business partner in the CAT.ZERO youth development programme, Sewell Group is taking part in the innovative project to get young NEETs (Not Employed in Education or Training) aged 17-19 back into work or learning. The refurbishment programme, led and sponsored by Sewell Group in partnership with the Esteem consortium, has transformed the derelict Tropical Knights Bar in Humber Dock Street, to use as the Cat.Zero base and in an effort to smarten up the area in time for the departure of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which left Hull on 13 September 2009. The transformation of the building on Humber Dock Street was finished on time and within budget. A huge success story from the project is 17-year-old Lewis Knaggs from East Hull, who has been given a joinery apprenticeship with Sewell Construction, as a result of the overall programme.
July 2009 – Celebrating the end of School in Style
As a regular sponsor of Victoria Dock Primary School PTFA discos, Sewell Education contributed to the end of term School Prom for Year 6 leavers at the end of July. The event was ‘Black-Tie & Ball Gown' attended by graduating pupils and parents to celebrate their achievements in learning and development and to bid farewell as they head towards secondary school.
July 2009 – 10 years at Victoria Dock
Graham Atkins, Sewell Investments Director, celebrated his 10-year tenure as a member of Victoria Dock Primary School's Governing Body in July 2009. Graham has been a central part of the development team at the pioneering PFI School, which was the first of its kind in the UK, and will remain a committed and loyal school Governor whilst also continuing his work for Sewell Group. Graham has been a team member with Sewell Group for more than 30-years
