We believe in making a positive impact in our local communities. That includes sharing the wider benefits of our approach to sustainability and responsibility. We start by working in a responsible way, putting people first, and respecting our supply chain.
We place safety, health, environment and quality at the top of our objectives. This provides a focus on our environmental responsibilities and ensures they sit high within our corporate agenda.
We continually look to identify further opportunities to support community initiatives and good causes. Additionally, we aim to actively empower our employees, helping them reach out into their communities and add value. We constantly review our performance, and through innovation and initiative, strive to achieve only positive outcomes within the environment.
Our head office runs on the renewable energy that we produce. We extend this philosophy by looking to minimise our environmental impact wherever possible. We have made our business virtually paperless with technology and have trained all our operations teams on their PDA devices. This allow our job packs to be sent to and from sites efficiently and effectively.
Our fleet of over 100 vehicles comprise Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs), and we are trialling electric vehicles. All our journeys are planned efficiently using technologies and our highly skilled operations team to ensure the most efficient routes are used, whilst pool vehicles and public transport are used wherever possible.
We operate with small/medium-sized local partners who offer us fair and competitive, yet sustainably priced, supplies. Our temporary traffic lights are produced with the latest rechargeable technology and are generator free.
We’re big advocates of flexible and home working. This is made possible by substantial investment in our bespoke management programme, REPS. REPS encompasses 95% of our business’ workflows, including fleet management, accounts, planning, supplier management and operational working. Since its introduction in 2016, we estimate that it has saved over 40 tonnes of paper!
We are incredibly proud of our apprentices and apprenticeship programmes.
In less than 20 years we have trained over 100 apprentices in a whole host of different areas of expertise. Many have progressed into leadership roles in the business. As a result, we are absolute advocates of offering and supporting apprenticeship roles.
As noted above, many of our apprentices remain in the business. They occupy key roles including making up directors and senior leaders. Others have moved on and are now flourishing in our local communities and other industries. Some of our old apprentices now work as managing directors and owners of their own respective businesses.
It is important for us to help our apprentices develop life skills alongside achieving their qualifications. This approach allows them to flourish in roles that are a good fit for them. A good precursor to progressing as far as they wish to do in their chosen career path.
Having come through an apprenticeship themselves, one of our directors also invested their own time in supporting apprenticeships. This involved serving for 5 years on the board of a local apprenticeship and training provider and assisting in the business’ development.
Working with local charities and participating in local community works is an important aspect of our social value commitment.
We have raised, and donated, thousands of pounds to charity over the years. We do this mainly through our nominated monthly and annual local charity partners, but have also committed to joining in with our local community works. Our support for local communities includes sponsorship of local sporting teams and gifting our services and supplies to local community and charity events.
Additionally, we also participate in the local community champion awards. These recognise the commitment and dedication of individuals to their local community. We are delighted to have participated in this awards ceremony in recent years, and to recognise those community members who go above and beyond the call of duty for the benefit of those around them.