Under The Roof Avonside Group staff newsletter- December 2019

UNDER THE ROOF p ISSUE 11
DECEMBER 2019












UNDER THE ROOF




Avonside’s In-House Branch-Wide Newsletter






EDDIE STANTON INSIDE
Group CEO THIS ISSUE

u GROUP CEO, EDDIE
I’M DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS STANTON
COLUMN FOR THE FIRST TIME AS CEO OF
AVONSIDE GROUP.
u GROUP WIDE NEWS
I’m looking forward to working closely with Tony
and the Board of Directors in what is an exciting u AVONSIDE CHRISTMAS
time for the business as we drive our strategy. BASH

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you u CASE STUDIES
for your hard work and support for the Group
throughout the year. We would not be able to u NEW CONTRACTS WON
achieve the progress we have without you - our talented and committed
teams. u AWARDS

The year ahead will be no less challenging as we implement the changes u STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS
following the Board re-structure and the forthcoming implementation of the
ERP system via Project Fidelity. We face some uncertainty from the u NEW STARTERS
marketplace and are experiencing inflationary pressures from many suppliers,
so the growth we are looking for will test all of you to make sure we can take u CHARITY WORK
greater share from our competitors – again I have great confidence in our
capability, collectively to deliver. u STAFF FUN

We will continue to pursue our acquisition strategy and expect to have some
great new additions in early 2020, and I think we can promise some innovative u ROOFS FROM MY TRAVELS
and exciting developments in this area that will further enhance the Group and
open up new markets for us. u FANTASY FOOTBALL

From a personal perspective, I look forward to being able to meet these
challenges head on and working with you all steer the Group to even greater
heights.
In closing I’d like to take the opportunity to wish each of you and those close to
you a restful and enjoyable Christmas Holiday period.







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GROUP WIDE NEWS

Boardroom Changes to Support



Further Business Growth































THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES AT AVONSIDE Both Vince Hughes and Chris Firth also continue to sit on
RECENTLY, INCLUDING SENIOR-LEVEL BOARDROOM the Board in their positions as Regional Operational
ADJUSTMENTS TO SUPPORT THE FURTHER DYNAMIC Directors.
BUSINESS GROWTH OF THE GROUP.
THE NEXT PHRASE
Our founder and former CEO, Tony Burke has taken up the
role of Executive Chairman in a move which will enable us Speaking about the changes that came into effect on the
to develop our corporate focus further and, in turn, 5th, Executive Chairman, Tony Burke said:
accelerate our growth.
“The balance of new responsibilities and continuity gives an
Additionally, Eddie Stanton, previously our Flat Roofing ideal balance as we seek to move the business to the next
Divisional Director, has been appointed to the position of phase of development.
CEO assuming the responsibility for the Finance,
Operational and Commercial functions of the Group. “The change allows us to cement recent growth and
Meanwhile, Bracknell Roofing’s Director Simon Smith has positions Avonside Group to accelerate further as we move
become the Group Commercial Director, responsible for to widen our operational capability for our valued client
Sales and Procurement. This complements the recent base.
appointment of Raj Bhogaita as Group Chief Financial
Officer. “The team is well equipped to drive the key areas of the
business forward at board as well as branch level. The
As part of the leadership team, Andrew Morley will continue business is well placed to meet the challenges that lie
to head up the operational team in his role as Chief ahead, whilst taking full advantage of numerous
Operations Officer. Kyle Burke continues his role as opportunities presented within the house-building sector.”
Systems and Integrations Director as does Keith Kershaw in
his role as Acquisitions Director.





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GROUP WIDE NEWS

Say Hello to a New ERP



System in 2020!






WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ROLLING OUT A NEW
STREAMLINED ERP (ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING)
SYSTEM ACROSS OUR 45 BRANCHES IN THE NEW YEAR.

WHAT IS AN ERP SYSTEM?


An ERP system is a way of working that brings together an
organisation’s planning, sales, accounts, marketing and
manufacturing activities under one umbrella management
system. This secure system can be accessed by all
employees and combines the databases of all departments
to make one single, overall database.


Benefits of the New Integrated System Will Include:


• The speeding up of response times, efficiency which will
hugely benefit our suppliers. This increase in productivity
and rapid response times will stem from the ERP system
significantly contributing to the improvement of our
internal processes. make up our Group.


• Bringing about end-to-end electronic communications, “The investment we’re making into this system will make us
taking away a lot of the existing admin work our branch a simpler, more efficient, data-driven organisation,
staff are responsible for. This will free them up to focus on benefitting customers, suppliers, employees and investors
providing better services to customers. alike.


• Aligning with our goals and strategy of becoming a more “Personally, it’s been my pleasure to see Avonside mature
client-focused business and will demonstrate our from mid-market to a national service provider with an
continued long-term investment in the delivery of extensive regional branch network during my tenure, and
improved customer service and enhanced supplier and the fact that the board of directors recognised a need, and
stakeholder experiences. have backed it wholeheartedly with unprecedented
investment, shows the level of commitment we have made
Our Systems & Integrations Director, Kyle Burke [pictured] to digitisation.”
has led the implementation of the new ERP system.
We have appointed a 10-strong project team to ensure the
He said: “Years of rapid expansion through acquisitive successful rollout of the ERP system and we’re excited to
means has led to the need for uniformity across the see staff, customers and suppliers benefit from the new
Group’s divisions, and now the 45 business units that software.







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GROUP WIDE NEWS

Avonside Christmas Bash!






AS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE, WE
BELIEVE IT’S IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE AND THANK STAFF
AT ALL OUR BRANCHES FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE HARD
WORK…AND CELEBRATE WE DID!

Staff enjoyed an exciting and glamourous night at EventCity
Limited in Manchester on 29th November to ring in the festive
season in style with colleagues.

The memorable monte carlo themed night included impressive
performances by singers, dancers and acrobats, fun on
dodgems and wild waltzers, taking a gamble in the casino,
classic car displays and, of course, speeches, awards, a
delicious meal and drinks!
























































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[Photos courtesy of Adrian Wilson of McFade Photography]



















































THIS YEAR’S AWARD WINNERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Employee of the Year: Paul Williams
Highly Commended Employee of the Year: Nick Hooper

Outstanding Achievement/Commitment Award: Stewart Hill
Highly Commended Outstanding Achievement/Commitment Award:
Phil Barber
Health & Safety Champion: Adam Pearson
Highly Commended Health & Safety Champion: Michael Merrington
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year: Philip Houghton
Highly Commended Apprentice of the Year: Robbie Leech
Sub Contractor of the Year: Accepted by Ian Clarke, Branch Manager,
on behalf of Lee Quinn ( Wigan)
Highly Commended Sub Contractor of the Year: Rowan Garnett and
Leon Fletcher (Avonside Wigan)
Branch of the Year: Avonside Driffield

Thanks to all who came and to Katie Offley for organising the
fabulous night!




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CASE STUDIES

Bracknell Roofing Reaps



the Rewards of Strong On-Site



Communication







BRACKNELL ROOFING ENJOYED DELIVERING ROOFING
TILING AND LEAD WORK SERVICES ON BEHALF OF CLIENT
JONES HOMES YORKSHIRE LIMITED FOR THEIR NEW
BUILD PROJECT, AT SIMPSON PARK LOCATED OFF BYLTH
ROAD IN HARWORTH, NOTTINGHAM. THE PROJECT,
WHICH IS STILL ONGOING, INVOLVED VARIOUS HOUSE
TYPES AND BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 2019.

Russell Roof Tiles’ Dry Ridge, Dry Verge and Dry Hip Systems
were used, along with Dry Fix Valleys. All roof tiles were
nailed or clipped in accordance with the manufacturers’
specification and BS (British Standard) 5534, whilst all ridge
and hip tiles were mechanically fixed, again complying with
the manufacturers’ specification and BS 5534.

All low-level verges were mortar bedded on 1:3 (cement:
sharp sand) mortar and mechanically fixed. Bracknell were
also pleased to carry out leadwork on all the flashings on
the low-level roofs and on the box gutters on the main
roofs, to supply and install the firebreak and to install the
insulation and felt support trays to the eaves, which were
supplied by Jones Homes.

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND STRONG
COMMUNICATION Simpson Park site. This meant the project benefitted from
consistency, efficiency and stronger relationships between
As this particular project involved a selection of house different trades professionals working on the site.
types, all with individual aspects, which made each house
unique, the Bracknell team had to ensure that they were A NHBC PRIDE IN THE JOB AWARD
ordering the correct material for each individual plot. This WINNING PROJECT
meant that a high level of organisation from the Site
Manager Ian Lockwood and clear communication was key. Bracknell are especially proud of the project as Ian, who
displayed well-organised management and coordination of
Our Contracts Manager Dale Yates was also keen to ensure all aspects of the project, earned himself a coveted NHBC
that the same roofing operatives attended site each day Pride in the Job Quality Award for the East Region in the
and that these same operatives also lived locally to the 39th NHBC Pride in the Job competition this year.





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NEW CONTRACTS WON


Bracknell Roofing also Avonside Wigan
received an award for our
role in supporting Ian in & Honiton Welcome
delivering such high
standards whilst New Customers &
undertaking this project.
Contracts
Speaking about receiving
the award, Dale [pictured]
said: “We are delighted
about winning a “Pride in
the Job 2019” award on one
of our New Build projects,
Jones Homes, Harworth.


“This is a fantastic
achievement for us as a
company and a credit to all
operatives involved.

“Ian Lockwood is an experienced Site Manager with
exceptional organisation skills which has helped to run
things smoothly and efficiently.
We’re always happy to hear about new business.
“Howard York [Bracknell Roofing Yorkshire Branch Avonside Wigan have recently been awarded 3 contracts
Manager] Ian Lockwood and I have developed a strong from new customers, Story Homes, McCarthy & Stone
trusting relationship which has proven important in and Watson Homes at a value of £650,000.
ensuring the correct materials are on site at the time works
are ready to commence, avoiding delays. This gave Branch Director, Ian Clarke said: “Great effort by Robbie
operatives the time they needed to achieve outstanding Leech in bringing these jobs into the business.”
workmanship.”
Avonside Honiton also won a new contract with Bloor
Homes at a value of £487,000. Thanks to Branch
Manager Martin Bristow for letting us know!

























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GROUP NEWS

Meet Your New Avonside



Group Website!






















































WE’RE PLEASED TO BE ENTERING 2020 WITH A NEW, (Search Engine Optimisation) to increase the website’s
MORE MODERN AND MOBILE-FRIENDLY WEBSITE, ranking in the results of search engines like Google.
PRODUCED BY OUR DIGITAL MARKETING PARTNERS,
PIVOTAL MARKETING LTD. Got something to say? If you would like to give feedback,
positive or negative, about the new website’s look,
Pivotal will continue to support us in updating page content, content or functionality simply email your thoughts to
writing and uploading blog posts and case studies, [email protected]. We promise your comments
improving photos and optimising the website for SEO will be taken onboard!












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AWARDS


Avonside Win at NFRC Scottish Roofing


Contractor of the Year Awards 2019!





OUR AVONSIDE ROOFING DIVISION WERE THRILLED TO SECOND YEAR OF SUCCESS
WIN IN THE ROOF SLATING CATEGORY OF THE NFRC’S
SCOTTISH ROOFING CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS Marc said: “Not only have are we pleased to have won the
2019 EARLIER THIS MONTH – AFTER WINNING THE SAME roof slating NFRC award, but this is also the second year in
AWARD LAST YEAR! a row we have won this award which is great news for the
whole team as a lot of hard work went into the project from
everyone involved!” He added: “It’s a great result on a
challenging project.”


Last year saw our Roofing division scoop the Roof Slating
award for our Dalbeattie Learning Campus project, with
contractor Graham Construction.


Meanwhile, Chris commented: “It’s difficult to win an
Industry Award and harder still to retain it. Very well done
to the team at Avonside Edinburgh. I’m delighted that we’ve
won NFRC Scotland Slating Award. Thanks to Allan at Cupa
Pizarras for the hospitality and sponsorship and to Cala East
The winning project was Henderson House in Gullane, for the opportunity.”
East Lothian, which the Avonside roofing team worked on
with Cala Homes (East). A former hotel, the beautiful
building dates back to 1899 and served as a training centre
for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services College until
2015. The building has now been refurbished into
apartments.

Avonside Roofing’s skilled work on Henderson House was
recognised by the independent expert judging panel, whilst
the slating award category was kindly sponsored by natural
roof slate suppliers, Cupa Pizarras.

The winners were revealed in a glamorous awards APPRECIATION
ceremony at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow hosted by
TV presenter Carol Smillie on 15th November 2019. A roofing company, no matter how big or small is nothing
Avonside Edinburgh Contracts Manager, Marc Bell and without a dedicated team of skilled tradespeople and
Scotland Area Director, Chris McLean [both pictured] were managers to help back it up. That’s why our skilled
both delighted to attend. tradespeople were awarded internal certificates to
recognise their hard work, skills and effort shown
throughout the delivery of the Henderson House project.
Well done lads!





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AWARDS

Mid-Kent Roofing Enjoy Success at



the Pitched Roofing Awards!






CELEBRATIONS ARE TO BE HAD FOR ONE OF OUR FAIRLY cause damage to the roof if this had not been done.
NEWLY ACQUIRED BRANCHES, MID-KENT ROOFING, WHO Mid-Kent Roofing opted to use Vermont slate as the
WON THE DOMESTIC PROPERTY APPLICATION USING extension needed to be slated in a style that complemented
SLATE AWARD AT RCI MAGAZINE’S PITCHED ROOFING the rest of Mount Harry House’s roof so it could be
AWARDS! seamlessly integrated with the rest of the building. This
particular slate by Vermont was an especially good match
THE WINNING PROJECT to the age of the building to reflect its history – it’s elegant,

attractive and extremely durable and long-lasting as a
Their winning project involved stripping and re-slating the bonus!
existing roof on Mount Harry House in South Downs
National Park in East Sussex for client R Durtnell & Sons and With Mount Harry House open for commercial use, the
doing the same for the house’s new extension. The roofing client wanted roofing works to cause as little disruption as
works were part of an extensive renovation project being possible so Mid-Kent Roofing used an alternative entrance
undertaken. The country house is now privately owned but to the site via a nearby woods rather than the normal
was used for the commercial purposes of wedding and entrance so no inconvenience was caused to visitors of the
photoshoot hire, with the grounds also open to campers Georgian-style house.
when works were being carried out.
The client was over the moon with how Mid-Kent Roofing
Mid-Kent Roofing used Vermont random width slates delivered the 3-month project on time and within the
supplied by Raven Roofing Supplies, clipping them with roofing works budget of £110,000. In fact, the branch has
100mm stainless steel hooks. All perimeters were nailed begun work on the next phrase of the work on the project
and the whole roof was hooked due to the location of the which will be on the former granny annexe and servant
building, which sits on top of a hill. Bad weather could easily quarters.

































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THE AWARD CEREMONY Application Using Slate award to winner NRA Roofing and

Flooring this year.
Our Executive Chairman Tony Burke, CEO Eddie Stanton,
Group Commercial Director Simon Smith and Chief SHORTLISTED
Operations Officer Andrew Morley enjoyed attending the
award ceremony at The Midland Hotel in Manchester on We’d like to give a shout out to Bracknell Roofing who were
5th December. shortlisted twice in the Commercial Property Application
Using Roof Tiles category. The first nod was for their
Also, in attendance was our Ploughcroft Divisional Broadbridge Heath care home project in Horsham for
Managing Director Chris Hopkins and Helen (Sales & client Lawrence Baker using Forticrete tiles and the second
Marketing Manager at Ploughcroft). As last year’s Pitched was for their William Bradford Court retirement
Roofing Award Outstanding Contribution to the Roofing development project in Doncaster for client McCarthy &
Industry winner, Chris was on this year’s judging panel and Stone using Wienerberger’s Sandtoft Flanders Neo
had the honour of presenting the Commercial Property Pantiles.







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AWARDS


Ploughcroft Outshine

Local Businesses Again!



Winning an award once
is brilliant, winning it
more than once is
outstanding! Well done
to Ploughcroft for being
hand-picked again as
one of the Three Best
Rated roofing
contractors in Halifax,
West Yorkshire. All roofing contractors in the area
undergo a rigorous 50-point Inspection which covers
local reviews, history, trading standards, ratings,
satisfaction, trust, price and general excellence.



STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS


School’s Out for Sarah!



A huge congratulations to our Group SHEQ Manager,
Sarah Burke who recently found out she had passed her
Nebosh (The National Examination Board in
Occupational Safety and Health) Diploma after four A Notable Nod to Luke
years of study!
Lycett & His Team

Sarah is now looking forward to attending the
graduation ceremony in June next year! That’s not all Well done to our Contracts Manager Luke Lycett and his
though, Sarah also now holds graduate status with IOSH team for offering valuable support to CALA Homes
(The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health). (South Home Counties) at their Century Place site in
Pulborough!


The site was covered by our Avonside Cobsen-Davies
branch who worked as a member of the site team under
the expert supervision of the NHBC (National House
Building Council) Pride in the Job Quality award winning
Site Manager, Andrew Mair.












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STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS

Three Avonside Midlands



Branches Contribute to NHBC Seal



of Excellence Projects







The West Region National Housing Building Council’s Our Midlands Area Director Adam Pearson said: “I am
(NHBC) award ceremony took place on 27th September at hugely proud that Avonside has been able to provide the
International Convention Centre in Birmingham and we are level of quality and support to assist these Site Managers in
pleased to announce that our Midlands region branches of showcasing their abilities.
SM Roofing, Cannock and Worcester were the roofing
services provider on 6 of the 13 sites that saw the “I personally wish Paul Moore and Spencer Edwards every
associated Site Manager secure a coveted Seal of Excellence success in their quest to achieve a win in the Supreme
award. Winner final round of this competition.”


We are also pleased to announce that Avonside Group was
the roofing service provider on 2 out of the 3 projects
associated with the 3 Site Manager West Regional Winners,
who will go on to compete in the Supreme Awards in
January 2020.

You can read more about how the NHBC narrows down
their winning Site Managers in the highly regarded Pride in
the Job competition over on our blog.

WEST REGION REGIONAL WINNERS


We would like to congratulate all Seal of Excellence award
winners across all regions, as it is a brilliant accomplishment
to get this far in the tough competition. However, we would
especially like to extend our congratulations to Spencer
Edwards of Cameron Homes Ltd, who was the West
Regional Winner in the Medium Builder category for the
Aylesbury Park site in Solihull [pictured CGI credit: White
Crow] and to Paul Moore of David Wilson Homes Mercia,
who was the West Regional Winner in the Large Builder
category for the Hallam Park site in Lichfield [pictured,
image courtesy of David Wilson Homes] as Avonside
provided roofing services on both these well-managed
projects.








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APPRENTICE NEWS

Phil Houghton Wins Gold at



WorldSkills UK!






WE FEEL THE FUTURE OF ROOFING IS IN SAFE HANDS IF
INDIVIDUALS LIKE PHILIP HOUGHTON ARE ANYTHING TO
GO BY.

Phil, who works at our Avonside Braintree branch after
completing his NVQ apprenticeship course with Eastern
Region Roof Training Group in August 2019, is currently
celebrating winning a gold medal in the Roofing: Slating
and Tiling category at the WorldSkills UK National
competition final.

TOUGH COMPETITION


WorldSkills UK is all about helping young people accelerate
their careers, by acquiring the skills that employers need
most.

The National WorldSkills UK final was held at the NEC
Birmingham between 21 – 23 November. During the tough
three-day contest, 500 finalists competed across 70
different skills and disciplines. They had each earned their
place in the finals, following a fiercely competitive round of
qualifiers which 300 people participated in. The Roofing:
Slating & Tiling Final had been reduced to eight
competitors from the regional finals, which were held at
Eastern Region Roof Training Group’s training centre in
Ipswich.
once in a lifetime opportunity to go through to the
Phil and Avonside Braintree were thrilled to find out that International World Skills competition to represent Team
he had been selected to compete in the 2019 WorldSkills UK in the distinguished skills Olympics and battle for his
UK National finals after achieving a distinction at the chance to be crowned World Champion in his chosen skill
Regional final. of roofing.

During the three-day event, Phil’s excellence shone A FANTASTIC EMPLOYEE
through from start to finish, and he was complemented by
the judges for producing outstanding workstations, Branch Director at Avonside Braintree, Steven Blake
complete and on time. Phil’s commitment and dedication praised Phil’s skill and conduct throughout the
to his roofing work were recognised, not only with a competition:
prestigious Gold Medal (First Place) and his reward, but a





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AN OUTSTANDING YOUNG MAN


Clive Coote of Eastern Region Roof Training Ltd was also
keen to applaud Phil’s attitude and approach to work:

“Phil joined us in 2017 having just turned 18. Working for
Avonside Roofing Group, Braintree, from day one Phil has
always been a confident student who believes in his own
ability to do well.

“Phil enjoys roofing, and this has shown in abundance in
the theory and practical elements of his apprenticeship. He
liked mentoring other apprentices and was excellent with
local school children who visited Eastern Roof Training for
taster sessions.


“Whilst completing his
apprenticeship, Phil
remained focused on his
end goal of success; he
was realistic and knew he
had to work hard to
achieve. His tutors
describe him as a joy to
teach both in and out of
the classroom and
comment on his passion
for helping other students
to reach his same high
standards.


With an inner belief, a
gritty determination and a
“Phil has been a fantastic employee, and has represented strong desire to be the apprentice of the year, Phil got his
himself, Avonside Roofing and his training provider, Eastern just rewards and will be receiving his gold medal for placing
Region Roof Training in the best way possible with these first in the competition, an outstanding achievement by an
outstanding achievements. outstanding young man.”

“We would like to personally congratulate Phil on placing APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
first and winning the Gold Medal. Hopefully, he will now go
on to represent Team UK in 2020 and we wish him the best With so much praise being bestowed upon him, it seemed
of luck for the competition. We will be supporting him all only right to crown Phil our Avonside Group Apprentice of
the way.” the Year 2019! You’ve done us proud Phil!









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STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS


Robbie’s Hard Work Pays Off!



WE’RE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR TRAINEE Robbie’s proud Branch Director Ian Clarke commented:
ESTIMATOR AT OUR WIGAN BRANCH, ROBBIE LEECH “Robbie showed commitment and hard work in gathering
HAS SUCCESSFULLY GAINED HIS NVQ LEVEL 3 IN the information required to gain this qualification, bearing
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING OPERATIONS. in mind the amount of work he produces on a daily basis.

The qualification was an office based evidential NVQ carried “The likes of Robbie are going to be the future of our
out in conjunction with nationwide health and safety business and he deserves a large amount of praise for his
training provider, 3B Training. efforts.”


Robbie had around 9 months to gather all the supporting Nice one Robbie!
documentation required which included site-based
evidence. By all accounts the training was quite a time-
consuming course which Robbie had to fit in around his
daily workload.





NEW STARTERS


From Modelling to

Roofing!




MEET DECLAN-JOHN GERAGHTY [PICTURED] WHO JOINS
PLOUGHCROFT AS ASSISTANT PLANNER AND CUSTOMER
SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE.

Father of one, Declan enjoyed working as an international
fashion model between 2013 and 2017 after completing his
Photography degree at Leeds Art University. The work took
Declan-John to several countries across four continents,
from catwalks in Paris to location shoots in New Zealand,
and many places in between!

Modelling and roofing customer service aren’t his only
talents though, he is also a keen amateur boxer aiming to
win a title or two in 2020!

Glad to have you onboard Declan-John!










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STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS CHARITY WORK


Tom makes the Renewed Support

Grade!




CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BID TEAM ADMINISTRATOR
TOM OFFLEY FOR PASSING HIS LEVEL 3 APPRENTICESHIP
IN BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATION!


Tom, pictured here receiving his certificate from our
Business Development Director, Phil Bull is based at our HQ
in Heywood and also supports the Main Board in providing
analytical reports.


To gain the qualification Tom had to study 15 subjects over
four years, including Principles of Business, Communication
within a Business and Principles of Administration.
We are proud to have renewed our annual Company
Support pledge with Lighthouse Construction Industry
Charity, who offer vital emotional and financial support
to UK construction workers and their families in crisis.
The mental health charity also offers a 24/7 confidential
phone helpline and app.



A Cuppa and Cake

for Macmillan at


Avonside HQ





Regular fundraiser
Lesley Taylor, our
Business
Development
Administrator, never
stops. This time she
generously
organised and held
a Macmillan Cancer
Support coffee morning with our team at Avonside HQ
in Heywood on Friday 27th September, raising a brilliant
£50 for the charity! Thanks to all those who kindly
donated!





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CHARITY WORK

Our Fundraising



Duo!






WE APPRECIATE ALL THE VOLUNTARY WORK OUR
AVONSIDE DRIFFIELD BRANCH ACCOUNT
ADMINISTRATOR, TRICIA ROWLEY AND BRANCH
ADMINISTRATOR JENNA BARRELL DO.


The charitable pair held an enjoyable coffee morning and
fundraising event on 28th September raising an incredible
£1090.00 for Brain Tumour Research and Macmillan Cancer
Support.


The fun included a tombola and charity raffle with some
fantastic prizes donated by local shops, restaurants, and
companies including Russell Roof Tiles. This was Jenna and
Tricia’s fourth year holding the event, which was open to
friends, family and colleagues, and means they have raised
an amazing £3496.00 over the last four years. Well done
ladies!





Avonside Edinburgh Take a Swing


for Homelessness





Our Contracts Manager Stuart Bremmer and Estimator
Euan Proudfoot had fun in October teaming up with Barratt
Developments Contracts Manager Kris Aitchison and
Managing Surveyor Feargal Murray for Barratt’s East Golf
Day.

The annual event took place at Bruntsfield Links Golf Club in
Edinburgh to raise funds for The Rock Trust, a charity that
works to reduce youth homelessness in Scotland.












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CHARITY WORK


Trinity Court Bake Off!



Well done to our Branch Account
Administrator, Emily Shave, Admin
Assistant Lauren Kerkhoff and the
Avonside Southampton team for their
baking and fundraising efforts for the
Amicus ITS organised Macmillan Cancer
Support coffee morning hosted at our
Southampton branch premises on 27th
September!


A Morrisons head baker kindly judged the
bake-off competition and Emily’s mum
came second with her tasty rock cakes!
Lauren Kerkhoff generously lent her tea
urn so the coffee and teas could keep flowing. Over £250 was
raised for the charity – great work guys!



Avonside Wigan De La Salle FC


Supporters and Sponsors






It’s not just coffee
mornings staff have
been getting involved
with. We love it when
staff engage with
their local
communities. That’s
why it’s so brilliant
that Avonside Wigan
support De La Salle FC under 10s football team!

The fantastic team is based on Lancaster Road in Salford
and in September they had played 5 matches and had won
four out of the five games! Each member of the team is
under 10-years-old but this season they are playing a year
up at under 11s. Pictured is Aaron, the grandson of our
Avonside Wigan, Branch Director Ian Clarke.








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STAFF FUN

Golfing with Football Great



Kevin Keegan!






A MIX OF 24 AVONSIDE GROUP CUSTOMERS AND SENIOR
STAFF WERE TREATED TO A DAY OF GOLF AT THE WORLD-
FAMOUS BRABAZON COURSE AT THE LUXURY BELFRY
HOTEL AND RESORT IN BIRMINGHAM AND WERE JOINED
BY A VERY SPECIAL GUEST…DISTINGUISHED FORMER
ENGLAND FORWARD AND MANAGER, KEVIN KEEGAN!


In what has become a much-anticipated staple in the
Avonside Group calendar, our former CEO [now Executive
Chairman] Tony Burke’s Annual CEO’s Golf Day is a
celebration of customer support, as well as an informal
networking opportunity.


Avonside Operations Directors who were in attendance
included Andrew Morley, Chris Firth, Vince Hughes, Eddie
Stanton, Phil Bull and Bill Rumble. All staff members



















enjoyed playing on the legendary Brabazon course as much
as customers! The course owes its iconic reputation to the
fact that it is the only course in the world to have staged
four Ryder Cups, the first in 1985, then 1989, followed by
playing host to the Cup in 1993 and again in 2002.

Each customer received a specially commissioned Avonside
golfing jumper and all the team names were a nod to Kevin
Keegan’s career, being named after the nicknames of teams
he’d either played for or managed.









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(FRIENDLY!) COMPETITION


The Toon was captained by Tony who aptly is an avid
Newcastle fan, Andrew Morley led the Three Lions, whilst
the Kopites were under the captainship of passionate red
and our new CEO, Eddie Stanton. Vince Hughes served as
team captain to The Irons, named after Kevin’s first club
Scunthorpe United, and The Cottagers, named in honour of
Kevin’s time as manager of Fulham FC, played under the
leadership of Chris Firth.


The score cards were gathered over drinks in Sam’s Club
House, which is named after European Ryder Cup Captain
Sam Torrance OBE. There the guys were met by the one
and only Kevin Keegan, who dined with Tony’s guests in the
Stafford Suite. The 3-course meal was delicious by all
accounts.

Kevin then spent a good hour taking to the floor to answer
questions from customers, before delivering an interesting
presentation on his successful career in what was a fun and
laid-back affair.


THE RESULTS!


After the Q&A, our business Development Director, Phil Bull
and Kevin presented the prizes of the day, which included
signed England shirts and books. The overall winning team
was the Three Lions (83 points), with The Toons coming in
second (73 points), The Irons finishing third, (64 points) the
Kopites (62 points) taking fourth place and The Cottagers
finishing in fifth position (54 points).

The prize for the Longest Drive went to Avonside Group’s
Systems and Integrations Director, Kyle Burke, who made
his winning shot on the 3rd hole. Meanwhile, Chris Firth
took home a prize for winning the Nearest Pin on the 7th
hole, after narrowly beating a rather gutted Phil Bull by
millimetres!


Kevin stayed and joined the guys for more drinks in Sam’s
bar before the group wrapped it up for the night. With great
weather and such an immaculate course, the day was a
winner all-round but was boosted all the more by the
customers who attended and supported the event.





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ROOFS FROM MY TRAVELS

Roofs from my Travels





CHRIS
APPRECIATES
HERITAGE ROOFS

Ploughcroft’s Divisional
Managing Director Chris
Hopkins proved you don’t
have to venture aboard to
spot noteworthy roofs. He
captured these quaint
looking heritage roofs whilst
in the idyllic Cotswolds!





COLLAPSED ROOF!




Not such an attractive roof this time…this is what
happens if you let your roof leak for too long!
Ploughcroft’s Chris recently visited a house to carry out a
survey for a re-roofing job when he was greeted with
this!

After investigating, Chris discovered the building is too
dangerous to re-roof in its current state. It requires a full
scaffolding canopy erecting over the entire building like
a cocoon and then a safety harness and lanyards would
be needed to carefully dismantle the roof. Next, the wall
would need to be rebuilt, new roof timbers added then
all the slates would need to be relayed.

After receiving the quotation, the owners have said they
will be leaving the building as they do not have the funds
for a re-roof so it will simply remain an old ruin.

Moral of the story: don’t wait until your roof collapses to
fix your roof leak! Chris revealed: “I can honestly say I
PHIL’S CUBAN GETAWAY have not been asked to re-roof a property which is
collapsing before!”
Our Business Development Director, Phil Bull snapped, not
just the roof but the whole of this beautiful church whilst in
Moron, Cuba on holiday in August! Great photo Phil!





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FANTASY FOOTBALL

The Avonside Fantasy



Football Catch Up






GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE MOST RECENT RESULTS OF THE TELEGRAPH STAFF FANTASY FOOTIE
LEAGUE! OUR MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT, JAMIE BARRY WAS VERY KEEN TO GET A MENTION AS HIS
TEAM IS TOP… FOR NOW! HOW’S YOUR TEAM DOING?




Rank Team & Manager Points Total

1 JB FC managed by Jamie Barry 34 912

2 R4 managed by Ben Rabot 26 823

3 QT’s managed by Chris Hawkes 53 780

4 BRACKNELL RINGMER managed by Andy Cramp 54 745

5 BOBBY’S DAZZLERS managed by Katie Offley 33 716

6 JI SUNG PARK THE BUS managed by Phil Bull 64 706

7 THE BURKEY BLINDERS managed by Kyle Burke 38 702

8 SÍ, SEÑOR! managed by Ryan Ellis 34 666

9 ODD SHORTS AND SOCKS managed by Karl Smith 27 574






If you have any questions about
joining in the Fantasy Football fun

contact Jamie Barry
[email protected]




















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GROUP NEWS

Best Story Winner Revealed!






JIM BRICE, BRANCH MANAGER AT AVONSIDE WORCESTER
HAS BAGGED HIMSELF THE BEST STORY AWARD IN THE
SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF THE STAFF NEWSLETTER.


His winning news piece was his branch’s work on the
creation of a five-star housing estate in a project in Malvern
Rise, Leigh Sinton, which involved 51 plots and a substation
to roof tile.

Avonside Worcester created a lasting mutually beneficial
relationship with client CALA homes throughout the project
and were thrilled to report that the client was so happy with
the standard of service they received that they gave
Avonside Worcester another site to work on, with glowing
references given by the Site Manager, Peter Miles.


Well done Jim! Who will be the next winner we wonder…?



Got a winning story you can’t wait to share with


your colleagues?



IF YOU HAVE NEWS ON:
u Projects your branch are proud of
u Branch news, such as apprentice achievements or awards won
u Personal news, any professional qualifications or training your staff have done, for example
charitable events your team members have participated in
u Any new contracts won
u Roofs from my Travels photos
u Any other positive team news


Simply fill out the quick online form to submit your story for the next issue of the staff
newsletter! Best story to get picked by our Executive Chairman Tony Burke will win a
£50 AMAZON VOUCHER!




If you have a story for the next issue, simply visit THE NEWSDESK to submit your branch
news, we look forward to reading it!






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