Tottington duo help mend broken hearts
Aug 19, 2013
With support from his partner, Lead Resident Liaison Officer at Emanuel Whittaker, Adam Berry, the two Tottington men set about raising money to support The British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) ” Mending Broken Hearts Appeal” which is raising awareness of heart failure and taking steps to find a cure through stem cell research.
Recently, with the help and support of friends and Adam’s colleagues at Emanuel Whittaker including Site Managers Mark Healey and Ian MCcune and Resident Liaison Officer Louise Langford a group of 16 took part in The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. This gruelling walk takes in the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, usually in this order, and the challenge is to complete is under 12 hours!
Emanuel Whittaker sponsored the walk by providing £200 which was used to buy t-shirts and supplies to keep the team going and The Events Service helped organise the day. The team were also supported by R A Sidebottom Roofing Ltd, who donated £100.
Adam said: “Most of our team were raising cash for BHF but one was raising cash for Verity, a charity for women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and another for the MS Trust. It was very hard going, blisters were a common theme but there was also lots of fun and games.
“I don’t think anything can really prepare you for the walk; you go through a whole range of emotions, from feeling like you can’t take another step to laughing out loud when somebody falls in a boggy patch.”
The team all agree they could not have completed the walk without the help of a support team which included Shaun and which gave the walkers lots of support and encouragement. All the walkers completed the challenge within the 12 hour time frame and in collaboration with other fundraisers for the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal, have raised £1271.05
Rukhsana Nabi from Emanuel Whittaker said: “We are very proud of the staff that completed this walk. The company is always happy to support its employees where possible and the team have raised a fantastic amount of money.”
You can still donate to the charity by clicking on this link http://www.justgiving.com/Adam-Berry1
Local apprentices on the road
Jun 13, 2013
Apprentices working for Oldham based construction and regeneration company Emanuel Whittaker have been given the chance to take subsidised driving lessons, thanks to an initiative from Procure Plus, the company’s procurement partner.
Lee Bradbury, Health, Safety & Environment Manager for Emanuel Whittaker said: “Our trainees are not office based and are regularly asked to work on sites all across Greater Manchester. These are young men and women and chances are they have not yet had the opportunity, or the cash, to pass their driving tests. This can have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of their training and their futures in the industry.
“Procure Plus has recognised the issue and is giving 20 top performing trainees a head start by providing up to 20 hours of driving lessons as well as paying for their theory and practical tests which is a saving of between £300 – £400.”
Despite the best efforts of Emanuel Whittaker to keep trainees in their local area, it is not always possible and so having the ability to drive is a real bonus for these young trainees.
Emanuel Whittaker apprentice external wall insulation operative, Rachel Howarth and bricklayer, Katie Lockwood were part of the first intake to benefit from the scheme and are now the proud owners of a driving licence.
Katie said: “The help from Procure Plus has really made a difference. I live in Royton and have to work all over Manchester and so being able to drive will not only make getting to and from work considerably easier, but will also help my career as having my driving licence is an obvious bonus. It would have probably taken me a lot longer and cost me a lot more money to get my licence if I had not had this help from procure plus. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity.”
Three more trainees based at Emanuel Whittaker have just been selected for the scheme. Matthew Casey, Rhys Jones and Bradley Healey will soon be starting their driving lessons and are hoping to secure their driving licences and get on the road before the end of the year.
Tower block tenants in Salford are celebrating the completion of their own community garden.
Jun 13, 2013
Two years ago, Vertical Villages Tenants and Residents Association, which represents the interests and needs of the local community living in the tower blocks in the Blackfriars and Greengate area of Salford, successfully applied to their landlord Salix Homes for a grant to develop the gardens around Black and White Friar Courts.
However, they had to postpone the work when Emanuel Whittaker started working on the internal and external renovation of the Black Friar high rise block as part of a multi-million pound home improvement programme by Salix Homes.
“We always intended to continue the garden project after Emanuel Whittaker had finished,” said Chair Paul Brodie. “The tower block has been re-clad and inside we all have lovely modernised new homes and so the gardens are just the final piece of the make-over jigsaw. After working with us for so long, Emanuel Whittaker wanted to do something to say farewell and we are delighted they decided to play such a major part in the project.”
Emanuel Whittaker lead resident liaison officer Adam Berry decided to organise a ‘garden army’ to tackle the work over a few days and complete the garden and planting once and for all.
“We have been working with residents here for over a year and have made some great friends,” said Adam. “As our way of saying thank you for putting up with us we were determined to leave the area looking as good as it can be.”
Emanuel Whittaker led the recruitment campaign by providing trade volunteers such as bricklayers and joiners to lend their muscle and expertise to the work. They also provided some of the necessary supplies such as soil and compost while other contractors such as JWD, Absolute Electrical, Riverstone, Foggs Floors and Liquid Roofing were also able to give their support with additional funding.
Several Salix Homes’ staff also went along to lend a hand. Joe Willis, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “We were thrilled to be part of the ‘garden army’ to transform this space into a community garden. Safe and attractive communal spaces are really important to build and strengthen communities, so we are delighted our tenants now have this outdoor communal area to use and enjoy.
“The completion of the garden is the final piece in the jigsaw to the major improvement works that have been taking place at Black Friar Court as part of our Decent Homes programme. Not only have our tenants now got modern, energy efficient and comfortable homes fit for 21st century living, but, thanks to the energy and commitment of local residents and Emanuel Whittaker they’ve also got this wonderful outdoor area, which I’m sure will be very well-used.”
Around a dozen residents from the tower blocks were happy to come out in the sunshine and lend a hand and the garden army started by clearing up debris litter pick before jet washing communal areas. An area of decking has been built and the ramp to the existing shed has been made more wheelchair friendly. There has also been masses of re-planting while new walls and fencing have been erected and painted.
Site Manager John Woolley who project managed the supplies, funding and personnel and organised the event, said: “It’s amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind to it. There was a lot of work to be done but between us all we have done it! The transformation is complete.”
One of the original aims of the garden project was to work closely with the Biospheric Foundation, a Salford based community interest company that wants to encourage local communities to grow their own food and plants in a sustainable way and Paul Brodie explains how the garden is not just about making the area look nice.
“We are planting edible plants and doing as much work as we can to ensure that local residents can actually eat what we grow,” he said.
“We owe a great deal to the hard work and determination of Emanuel Whittaker’s site manager John Woolley and Adam Berry who have helped us complete a project that could have taken months to finish.
“We intend to have a formal garden launch party later in the summer once the flowers and plants have become more established and we hope that this area becomes a well-used communal space where residents young and old can work and recreate together to build a stronger community.”
Duchy residents celebrate end of three-year regeneration project
Apr 19, 2013
Salix Homes residents on the Duchy Estate are celebrating the completion of a multi-million pound regeneration project on their homes.
For the past three years housing provider Salix Homes has been working alongside regeneration and construction experts Emanuel Whittaker to overhaul the Duchy Estate as part of a £4.9 million home improvement programme.
Improvement works carried out on the 317 properties include new kitchens and bathrooms, the installation of energy efficient heating systems, new windows and doors and complete re-wiring of the properties.
To mark the completion of the work Salix Homes and Emanuel Whittaker joined forces with partner agencies including Salford City College, Sure Start and the fire service to host the Duchy Estate Get-Together on Friday, April 5.
The community came together to celebrate the end of the scheme and enjoyed an action-packed afternoon of fun and games on the football pitches next to Barr Hill JFC.
Activities included giant games, football, an Easter egg hunt, face painting and T-shirt printing. Salix Homes also gave away 150 hanging baskets to tenants in a bid to leave a lasting legacy on the estate.
Joe Willis, chief executive at Salix Homes said: “The major improvement programme which has taken place on the Duchy Estate has helped to improve the quality of life for our tenants.
“After three years of hard work it was wonderful to see the whole community come together and celebrate the completion of this project.
“Our tenants are thrilled with their new-look homes and they are now benefiting from more comfortable, energy efficient homes that are fit for 21st century living.
“This regeneration work is part of our wider investment to improve people’s homes and the completion of this project marks a major milestone in our Decent Homes improvement programme.”
Salford City Council’s Assistant Mayor for Housing, Councillor Gena Merrett, added: “It is wonderful to see these home improvements happen. The new-look homes are a source of enormous pride for the residents. It shows how vital it is to invest in social housing, even during the tough times.”
The Duchy Estate which was built during the 1930s and 1940s is steeped in history and was once home to dramatist and screenwriter Shelagh Delaney famed for her debut play A Taste of Honey, which was first performed in 1958 and set in her native Salford.
Albert Robinson, 68, and his wife Nora have lived in their home on Duchy Road for 10 years. They have had their property rewired and a new kitchen installed and are thrilled with the work.
Albert said: “We have been very, very pleased with the work to our home. The workmen were very polite, nothing was too much trouble for them and they always cleaned up after themselves. They were excellent and have done a brilliant job.”
The work forms part of Salix Homes’ Decent Homes programme, whereby improvements are carried out to properties to ensure they reach the Government’s Decent Homes Standard as well as their own benchmark – the Salix Homes’ Standard.
To develop the programme and ensure the works had the best possible impact on the local community, Salix Homes worked with regeneration consortium Procure Plus.
“Working in partnership we created a scheme of works that not only provided a cost effective solution long-term, but also lead to a number of employment and training opportunities,” said Jackie Roach, operations manager at Procure Plus.
“Over the past three years, we’ve been able to keep costs below the market average and have successfully created jobs for people who live in the area.”
Paul Robinson, Emanuel Whittaker site manager at the Duchy Estate, said: “Our team has enjoyed working on the Duchy Estate for three years and we were happy to co-host an event to say thanks to the tenants for their co-operation during the work.
“It was quite sad to be saying goodbye to everyone but we can leave happy in the knowledge that Duchy Estate tenants have modern energy efficient homes they love.”
Thanks to Procure Plus for getting apprentices on the move
Mar 27, 2013
Procurement partner, Procure Plus recognise the difficulties that many young trainees experience in the construction field. Construction is not a regular office based job, and many apprentices struggle to maintain their training when works on a particular project come to a close and they must move on to their next site.
Despite efforts by construction providers to retain people in their local area, its often difficult to get all staff to sites. So the ability to drive is a real bonus for anyone considering a career in the construction industry.
Procure Plus have offered their construction partners the opportunity to give their top performing trainees a head start, by giving them 20 hours worth of driving lessons and paying for their theory and practical tests.
Last year, Emanuel Whittaker’s apprentice plasterer, Rachel Howarth and Bricklayer, Katie Lockwood were amongst the first intake to benefit from the scheme. Both Katie and Rachel have recently passed their tests.
This year, another three Emanuel Whittaker apprentices are benefiting from the scheme, and looking forward to getting on the road. Matthew Casey, Rhys Jones and Bradley Healey will shorlty be starting on their driving courses and are hoping to secure their driving licences before the end of the year. Good luck!