The Windsor Hall Community Centre in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire received a fresh new look following a visit from Equans and their team of volunteers this month.
Earlier in February, Equans Social Value Manager, Patrick Warren, enlisted the help of several volunteers, including Equans' very own Divisional Manager, Brian Stern, to undertake decorative works to the community centre.
One of the volunteers also included Clarion resident, Isaac, who was undertaking a week long work experience placement with Equans.
Works included sanding down walls and preparing for a base coat before the final coat and cutting in could be undertaken.
The centre now has a fresh new look which is far more inviting to members of the community.
Patrick commented: "The hall, which is run by Communities 1st is a great communal hub for residents to enjoy so it's great to align our social value commitments to Clarion to help make a real positive impact in the community!"
Clarion resident learns valuable skills following a week long work experience placement with Equans office staff.
Earlier this month, Clarion resident, Isaac underwent a work experience placement with Equans at their head office in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. He spent the week with different parts of the business, interacting with various teams including retrofit, social value, project team and finance.
This opportunity was provided as part of Equans' social value offering to Clarion.
We're pleased to provide an overview and update for the works currently being delivered by our Yorkshire team.
If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.
Project progress:
175 properties completed vs 164 planned. Completion is on target for 31st March 2023 (but sufficient works to run to December 2024).
Completed social value initiatives:
- Specialise qualification sponsorship - £442.54
- Financial contribution towards digital devices - £1,500
- Refurbishment/Improvement - £596.62 Skip Day, £750 Car Park lining and £2,000 donation towards MUGA fencing re-paint
- Clarion Futures donation - £1,200
- Contractor engagement - Two Meet the Contractor events
- Provision of equipment or services - £1,500
- Staff volunteering across two days removing graffiti at the Bradford Estate
Planned social value initiatives:
- Apprenticeship & job starts: Will be difficult to achieve in this within our current contract but we are actively sharing employment opportunities for job starts with Clarion on a monthly basis. Two opportunities at workshop provided to Clarion in December 2024
- Sponsorships & donations: Target achieved
- Employment, Training & Work Experience: 'Skill for Success' training offered, awaiting Clarion approval
- Refurbishment projects - Target achieved
- Contractor engagement - Target achieved
- Staff volunteering: Target achieved
We're pleased to provide an overview and update for the works currently being delivered by our North West team.
If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.
Project progress:
Works are now complete as planned.
Completed social value initiatives:
- Accredited training - First Aid Level 3 delivered to 8 attendees on 29th January 2024
- Specialise qualification sponsorship - £497.33
- Work experience for two students and one other in October working with a Painter
- Digital training - 10 sessions including Marketing/Comms, Bid Writing and Business Mentoring
- Financial contribution towards digital devices - £1,600
- Clarion Futures donation - £1,400
- Contractor engagement - £200 foodbank donation and Macmillan coffee morning at Thornhill Gardens on 29th September, £430.29 raised. Christmas food donation and clothes donation
- Provision of equipment or services - £160
- Staff volunteering at Fareshare by the Site Manager on Widnes on 13th December 2023
Planned social value initiatives:
- Apprenticeship & job starts: Will be difficult to achieve in this within our current contract but we are actively sharing employment opportunities for job starts with Clarion on a monthly basis
- Accredited training: First aid course booked in for 1st Feb and H&S Level 1 booked for 12th March
- Sponsorships & donations: Target achieved
- Digital Training: Target achieved
- Refurbishment projects: Thornhill Gardens booked in for February 2024 (£2,500 of work)
- Contractor engagement: Target achieved
- School engagement: 4 schools approached - awaiting responses
- Staff volunteering: Volunteering to be done at Thornhill Gardens
We're pleased to provide an overview and update for the works currently being delivered by our West Midlands team.
If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.
Tyler Court
Project progress:
Works at Tyler Court and the Butts are still ongoing, but Ludlow is now complete. By the end of February we hope to have the final block at Tyler Court roof complete and handed over with a view to dropping scaffold.
As of 26th January:
Block 1 - New roof complete. Groundworks/new drainage and new slabs in drying area complete. Internal preparation work has started on communal areas, including over boarding of ceilings, new plaster, woodwork preparation and 1st fix electrics for new door entry system.
Block 2 - New roof complete and scaffold dismantled. New drainage/groundworks and paving to drying area complete. 1st fix electrics for door entry system has started.
Block 3 - Roof tiling nearing completion - approx. 90% complete.
Block 4 - Extension work complete. Flat to pitched roof conversion in progress. Tiling in progress.
The Butts/Fremington Court (Refurbishment of 33 void flats at The Butts and 3 void flats at Fremington Court)
Project progress:
Works have included new kitchens, bathrooms, glazing, electrical works and decorating. Works were slowed down by deficits on flat electric meters.
Ludlow Court
Following on from window replacements in 2023 all communal doors have now been changed over to a new fob entrance system with new handsets replaced in individual flats. Walsall voids commencing mid-February 2024.
Completed social value initiatives:
- Pre-employment training and work experience - both provided at Tyler Court for one individual who worked with the CLO throughout November. Seven pre-employment training courses delivered in Birmingham on 21st November
- Apprenticeships and job starts - two apprenticeship opportunities and one job start at Birmingham
- Specialise qualification sponsorship - £163.96
- Financial contribution towards digital devices - £500
- Clarion Futures donation - £400
- Contractor engagement - One Meet the Contractor event at Tyler Court, Christmas event at Tyler Court as well as gifts and donations (£66)
- Provision of equipment or services - £50
Planned social value initiatives:
- Apprenticeship & job starts: Will be difficult to achieve in this within our current contract but we are actively sharing employment opportunities for job starts with Clarion on a monthly basis. Two apprentice positions and one CLO job start potentially awaiting interview confirmation
- Accredited Training: Target achieved
- Sponsorships & donations: Target achieved
- Employment, Training & Work Experience: Target achieved
- Digital Training: Awaiting Clarion approval
- Refurbishment projects: £500 allocated towards projects. Awaiting confirmation to allocate to either hanging baskets or signage for the community centre
- Contractor engagement: Target achieved
- School engagement: Target achieved
- Staff volunteering: Finance team offered online training at community centre, awaiting Clarion approval
We're pleased to provide an overview and update for the works currently being delivered by our South East & East team.
If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.
Works update for SHDF 2.1 works in Wisbech:
In December we completed 11 properties at The Russets, Upwell. Works included:
- Erection of scaffolding
- Removal of fascia, soffit, guttering and replaced with new
- Removal of old timber framed windows and doors and replaced with PVC windows and doors
- Painting of porch above the front door
- Replacement of guttering on porch
A welfare unit was situated for the works and liaison with the Resident Association took place to explain the work and kept informed of how long this was going to be in place for. We also helped with access to a gated area as the key had been lost. Permission was sought from Norfolk County Council and Anglian Water to ensure that there were no issues with the location.
We also removed a tree from the front garden of one of the properties as we needed to put scaffolding up for the works.
All works were completed in December and scaffolding taken down before our Christmas break.
Feedback received from residents has been fantastic:
"I have to say that the glaziers were absolutely fantastic, hardworking and polite."
"I would like to praise the window team for their work and cleaning up. Their supervisor has excellent customer service and was so polite and helpful. Thanks to Sue for keeping me informed throughout."
"Great work, great team, very pleasant."
"Excellent workers with work ethics. A delight to have pleasant and capable workmen."
"Things are so much better. I've noticed since the windows were fitted, that it's so much quieter and warmer. Thanks to the team for all their help."
"All nice and polite workmen."
Moving forward into January 2024, works are ongoing in the March area for 19 properties receiving Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) works. This includes:
- Scaffolding erection
- Cavity wall insulation
- Insulation of soffits
- Loft insulation
- Ventilation in kitchen and bathroom as well as consumer unit upgrades
- Asbestos removal
- Window and door replacement
- External wall insulation (where necessary on solid walls)
We're pleased to provide an overview and update for the works currently being delivered by our Yorkshire team.
If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.
Project progress:
175 properties completed vs 164 planned. Completion is on target for 31st March 2023 (but sufficient works to run to December 2024).
Completed social value initiatives:
- Specialise qualification sponsorship - £442.54
- Financial contribution towards digital devices - £1,500
- Refurbishment/Improvement - £596.62 Skip Day, £750 Car Park lining and £2,000 donation towards MUGA fencing re-paint
- Clarion Futures donation - £1,200
- Contractor engagement - Two Meet the Contractor events
- Provision of equipment or services - £1,500
- Staff volunteering across two days removing graffiti at the Bradford Estate
Planned social value initiatives:
- Apprenticeship & job starts: Will be difficult to achieve in this within our current contract but we are actively sharing employment opportunities for job starts with Clarion on a monthly basis
- Sponsorships & donations: Target achieved
- Employment, Training & Work Experience: 'Skill for Success' training offered, awaiting Clarion approval
- Refurbishment projects - Target achieved
- Contractor engagement - Target achieved
- Staff volunteering: Target achieved
We're pleased to provide an overview and update for the works currently being delivered by our North West team.
If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.
Project progress:
Works are now complete as planned.
Completed social value initiatives:
- Specialise qualification sponsorship - £497.33
- Work experience for two students and one other in October working with a Painter
- Digital training - 10 sessions including Marketing/Comms, Bid Writing and Business Mentoring
- Financial contribution towards digital devices - £1,600
- Clarion Futures donation - £1,400
- Contractor engagement - £200 foodbank donation and Macmillan coffee morning at Thornhill Gardens on 29th September, £430.29 raised
- Provision of equipment or services - £160
Planned social value initiatives:
- Apprenticeship & job starts: Will be difficult to achieve in this within our current contract but we are actively sharing employment opportunities for job starts with Clarion on a monthly basis
- Accredited training: First aid courses booked in for 29th Jan and 1st Feb in Salford
- Sponsorships & donations: Target achieved
- Digital Training: Target achieved
- Refurbishment projects: Thornhill Gardens booked in for January 2024 (£2,500 of work)
- Contractor engagement: Food/gift donation to local foodbank for Christmas planned for November/December and clothes collection for Whitechapel in December
- Staff volunteering: Volunteering to be done at Thornhill Gardens as well as volunteering at Fareshare on 13th December
As part of Equans' work with Clarion, a number of residents have taken the time to provide some positive feedback about the works carried out to their homes.
"Pleased with the works, the workers were respectful and I'm happy with the RLO." Resident of Gauldie Way, Bishop Stortford
"Very happy with the roof and the workers." Resident of Gauldie Way, Bishop Stortford
If you have recently received works from Equans and are happy about the service you received, please ask your Resident Liaison Officer for a comment card or blue house form and leave us a comment. Make sure to name any staff that you felt went above and beyond.
Working closely with charity KidsOut, Equans staff recently volunteered their time to sort and distribute toys and presents to children who have been victims of domestic abuse.
On December 20th, a number of staff from Equans joined up with charity workers at their facility in Luton to help sort, pack and arrange distribution for boxes of toys that had been collected by and donated to the charity, ensuring as many children as possible receive a present at Christmas.
Charity, KidsOut gives disadvantaged children positive experiences to support them becoming future members of our society and workforce.
Each year more than 20,000 children flee domestic abuse to seek sanctuary in refuge. Typically leaving home with only the clothes on their back, these children have experienced physical, emotional, and even sexual abuse and arrive at refuge with nothing. In collaboration with Women’s Aid, partner charities and corporate supporters, KidsOut works to remind these children and thousands of others living with disadvantages what it is like to be children and just have fun.
Social Value Manager for Equans, Patrick Warren commented: "Over 10,000 boxes have been sorted and distributed this year alone by the fantastic volunteers at the charity so it was real pleasure to be able to support. Thanks to KidsOut for having us, we will definitely be back next year!"
The volunteering event forms part of Equans' social value commitment to Clarion.
Social Value Initiatives
Social Value Case Study_Foodbank Donation_Aug23 (402 KB) (pdf)
