This week is Responsible Business Week and Nottinghamshire construction firm, Robert Woodhead Limited is showing its support following a successful year of positive social impact.
Taking place from Monday 31st March to Friday 4th April, Responsible Business Week is championed by Business in the Community, to encourage more companies to have a wider impact on local people, the environment and economy.
Over the past year Robert Woodhead, based in Edwinstowe, has invested thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours of employee time into a wide range of initiatives and causes. See below just a few examples of the work the company has been doing:
Charities
Framework
Robert Woodhead is a regular support of Framework, raising more than £8,000 in the past two years.
- In January this year, staff took part in Framework’s ‘The Big Snore’ event in Mansfield, sleeping outside in cardboard boxes overnight, so that others won’t have to
- A number of staff also took part in the 2013 Trek Fest - a 28 mile hike in 12 hours
- The company also sponsored Framework’s educational support programme to teach more children locally about homelessness.
As part of this year’s Responsible Business Week, the Nottinghamshire firm will be meeting with Framework to finalise plans for “Do It for Framework Day” later in the year.
Houses2Homes
Robert Woodhead has provided the Houses2Homes charity with four joiners to help train the veterans and ex-service men and women the charity supports. The training programme also enabled the company to bring a number of homes in Pleasley near Mansfield back up to a good standard of repair.
Dukeries and District Food Bank
Staff and customers helped to raise £500 for the Dukeries and District Food Bank in New Ollerton last Christmas.
A helping hand
As well as supporting charities, Robert Woodhead believes it can offer wider benefits to the local community by offering its time:
- Helping a local scout group complete their Environmental Group and Small Holding badges by offering them 15 hours hand-on experience working on the garden at Edwinstowe House
- On its larger sites the company meets the standards of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS), through which it does a lot of work with the local community. During their time on-site in Nottingham last year, they supported the elderly people at the local sheltered housing complex, clearing the snow from their drive during the winter months, taking them a fish a chip supper, and even taking them on a trip to Matlock. Work on one of these Nottingham sites recently received a national Bronze award from CCS.
Investment
In the past year Robert Woodhead has invested, both financially, and with time, in a number of schemes, including:
- The 1,000 Years of Traditional Crafts event held in Lincoln is an annual event for the conservation arm of the company, Woodhead Heritage.
In 2013 the firm offered more than 800 tours of Lincoln Castle Walls to the public, as well as holding Stonemasons workshops and a ‘hard hat - behind the scenes’ tour. Staff gave over 100 hours of their voluntary time to take part in the event.
- The Heritage Skills Hub is a not-for-profit organisation set up to promote training in traditional building skills. Robert Woodhead invested £3,000 into the Hub to enable them to run monthly training sessions across the Midlands.
Commitment to skills and training - Robert Woodhead is committed to encouraging young people to choose a career in the construction industry. They visit local schools and colleges to hold talks on the benefits of working in construction, as well as offering training courses and the opportunity to visit an active building site. They teach younger children about site safety and hold poster competitions to highlight the dangers of building sites, displaying winning posters on site hoardings. The company has developed ties with a number of local schools, colleges and universities and will continue to deliver training and development opportunities both in the office and on site.
People
- During National Apprenticeship Week 2014 the firm spent time at an apprenticeship fair, and speaking to young people at Grantham College about working in the construction industry.
- For the past twelve years they have been committed to achieving Investor in People status, last year being awarded a Silver standard.
- Staff can access training and support in leadership and management, NVQ Levels 2 and 3, degree schemes, the Graduate STEP programme, as well as work experience placements being available to local schools.
Award Winning
Robert Woodhead Limited won the Midlands Family Business award for their Commitment to the Community. They have also been shortlisted for a CIOB 2014 Award for their commitment to corporate responsibility. Winners will be announced at a black tie dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Nottingham on Friday 11th April.
Glenn Slater Business Development Director of Robert Woodhead Ltd, said: “We are committed to investing in the communities where we work. Being a responsible business is about more than just giving money to good causes, it’s about living by our shared values and delivering social returns.
“Responsible Business Week is a way for us to reflect and celebrate all our achievements over the last year. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Framework and others into the future.”
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive of Business in the Community, said: “We know that all year round, businesses of all sizes are engaged in responsible business activity that tackles societal, environmental and economic issues, and unlocks innovation and opportunity for their business in the process. But as the world emerges from recession there is a powerful new opportunity for business to do even more, and in doing so contribute to a recovery that is inclusive and sustainable. Business is a powerful movement for change and we are excited to give it the platform it needs through this week.”
To find out more about Responsible Business Week visit www.bitc.org.uk/rbweek or search for the hashtag #RBWeek.