Macmillan

Trade companies to support Macmillan men with cancer campaign

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Macmillan Cancer Support is uniting with nine companies across the sector for their ‘Just Say the Word’ male cancer campaign. 

Companies taking part include Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery, CEF, ISG plc, Mace, Selco Builders Warehouse, telent Technology Services, Topps Tiles, Travis Perkins and Wolseley, who have joined forces with the charity to raise awareness of the impact of cancer on men and encourage those who need it to access support.

New Macmillan and Toluna research reveals that 26 per cent of tradesmen wouldn’t feel comfortable having a serious conversation regarding their health with their work colleagues.

Dave Watkins, 59, is an Associate Director at Mace and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016. “When I was diagnosed, I initially found it really difficult to talk to others about my cancer and the emotional toll it was taking. Mentally, I found it difficult to come to terms with cancer and was in a dark place. But my experience really improved when I published my story on Mace’s staff intranet. My company and colleagues were incredibly supportive and helped my drive to stay positive.”

In its third year running, ‘Just Say the Word’ has had a great response previously and had inspired colleagues and customers to seek medical support.

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “We are long-standing supporters of Macmillan Cancer Support and, through the amazing efforts of our staff, customers and suppliers, have raised over £500,000 for the charity within the last five years. We are all as motivated as ever to keep up the fundraising and we are also delighted to support the ‘Just Say the Word’ campaign to help spread key messages to people operating in the trade.”

Of the tradesmen that participated in the survey, 36 per cent of those with cancer also experienced depression, 40 per cent anxiety and 12 per cent shame, after they were diagnosed.

‘Just Say the Word’ runs from 23rd April to 6th May, and will have a visible presence in branches and sites of the nine participating partners. Posters and leaflets will be publicised, encouraging those with health concerns to get support. Fundraising for Macmillan will take place over the two weeks within the sector, raising money to help the charity provide support to people living with cancer across the UK.

For more information please visit the Macmillan website https://www.macmillan.org.uk

Source: Electrical Times 

Contractors pay

Contractors who don’t pay on time to be banned from public works

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Main contractors who do not pay their supplier promptly are to be banned from bidding for public sector contracts according to the Government.

The measure is among a package of proposed measures to help smaller businesses win public sector and government contracts.

Under the proposals, tier one contractors on government contracts, including construction projects, will be forced to demonstrate “fair and effective payment practices with their subcontractors”, otherwise they will not be allowed to bid for work.

Other plans include allowing subcontractors to have greater access to buying authorities to report poor payment performance.

Further requirements mean suppliers will have to advertise subcontracting opportunities via the government’s Contracts Finder procurement website. They will also have to provide the government with data showing how businesses in their supply chain, including small businesses, are benefiting from supplying to central government.

In addition, each government department has been directed to nominate a minister as small business champion.

No timetable has been given for implementation of the proposals.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said: “This government is listening to the business community and is committed to levelling the playing field for smaller suppliers to win work in the public sector.

“We have set a challenging aspiration that 33% of procurement spend should be with small businesses by 2022 – and are doing more than ever to break down barriers for smaller firms. Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and play a key role in helping us to build a strong, viable private sector that delivers value for taxpayers and jobs for millions all over the UK.”

Federation of Small Businesses national chairman Mike Cherry said: “Each year, the UK public sector spends over £200bn on goods and services from third parties. As such a large and prominent customer in the economy, the government has a pivotal role to play in demonstrating what it is to be a good client.

“It is right then that the government today announces, as part of a new package to boost SME procurement, that it will clamp down on poor payment practice throughout public procurement supply chains. Companies who pay late should not be rewarded with public sector contracts. 

We need a robust public procurement process that holds larger companies to account for their payment practices.”

The Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group also welcomed the proposals. SEC Group chief executive Rudi Klein said that he was particularly pleased by the government’s promise to exclude poor payers from government procurement.

“We have been urging the government to introduce a yellow/red card system for a long time. The yellow card is a warning to improve payment performance and the red card excludes a continuing poor performer from bidding for government contracts for a period of 2 to 3 years.”

Rudi Klein added that if such a system had already been in place Carillion would have been excluded from government contracts.

However SEC Group believes that on payment security the government needs to go further and legislate to require that project bank accounts are put in place for all public sector projects. It also wants the government to back the Private Member’s Bill (now in the House of Commons) that will protect cash retentions.

“The Carillion debacle has revealed the appalling level of abuse heaped on construction supply chains,” Rudi Klein said. “We should also be considering the introduction of a statutory regulator to challenge the behaviour of large firms and, if necessary, fine them in the worst cases of abuse.”

Source: The Construction Index

Foster care

Charity darts night in aid of Southampton Foster Carers Association

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On Friday evening we hosted a charity darts night in aid of the Southampton Foster Carers Association. 

The association offers activities and social events for fostering families and the children in their care. It gives additional help to foster carers with monthly support groups in two regions of the city.  The SFCA also provides newly approved foster carers with ‘buddies’ – putting them in contact with experienced carers who can offer advice and support when needed.

They organise annual events including fun days, barbecues, discos, day trips, a Halloween party and a Christmas grotto.

If you would like to help them to fund raise or would like to donate then please contact Southampton City Council’s fostering service on freephone 0800 5 19 18 18 or visit fostering@southampton.gov.uk

A good time was had by all!

Charity darts night darts night

Brain tumour research

Wear a hat for brain tumour research

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Brain tumour research is so important. Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer… yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

So, grab your favourite (hard) hat and raise funds to bring us closer to a cure for brain tumours – either on Thursday 29th March or on any day during the month.

Since Wear A Hat Day started back in 2010 it has raised over £1,000,000 for Brain Tumour Research! The campaign is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March.

Funds raised through Wear A Hat Day 2018 will develop a network of world-class brain tumour research Centres of Excellence in the UK.  The charity relies on funds raised by supporters.

The scientists at the four UK Centres of Excellence work together to gain a greater understanding of brain tumours and to identify ways in which they can be treated effectively.

The funding strategy means that there is investment in long-term research, building the ‘critical mass’ of expertise needed to accelerate the journey to find a cure. In turn, this facilitates increased research investment from other sources.

It is essential that there is long-term research into this devastating disease. Despite advancements for many other types of cancer, treatment options for brain tumours  is still very limited, largely due to the historic underfunding for research into neuro-oncology.

For more information on how you can get involved please visit their website at:

https://www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/wear-a-hat-day

house funding

Housing Minister announces new funding

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New funding to help speed up planning decisions and help deliver quality new homes has been announced by Housing Minister Dominic Raab.

The first wave of the Planning Delivery Fund, totalling £15.8 million, has been awarded to enable councils to process more applications, implement new reforms and also train planners to tackle the housing challenges faced by their local area.

This funding boost will support local authorities working together on ambitious new joint local plans and core strategies, which will engage residents on how future development will take place in their areas and outline the locations suitable for new homes where demand is high.

The funding will also support greater best practice and innovation within councils as they decide planning applications, resulting in more being determined over a shorter period of time.

Money awarded to bidders will also allow local authorities to access the latest expertise on design and town planning, driving up the quality of new homes built.

This first wave of funding has been split into 3 streams that will assist in delivering new homes across England: The Joint Working Fund (£9.4 million), Design Quality Fund (£4.82 million) and Promoting Innovation Fund (£1.07 million).

A total of 68 projects will receive funding from the Planning Delivery Fund across all 3 streams, from 2017 until 2019.

The launch of this fund will give successful councils a greater capability to implement the government’s reforms of the planning system and comes as the Ministry for Housing prepares to launch its revised National Planning Policy Framework later this spring.

Dominic Raab said:

This cash boost ensures councils have the resources needed to make quicker decisions on planning applications, delivering quality housing at a faster rate.

It’s part of our strategy to build the homes this country needs whilst also supporting residents to have their say on the kind of development that takes place in their area.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution could cause a problem

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The Considerate Constructors scheme have recently conducted a survey which reveals an urgent need for greater awareness and understanding of air pollution across the construction industry, and provides advice on tackling the issue.

Air pollution is a key concern for the construction industry due to the sector’s considerable impact on air quality.

•Less than a quarter of all air pollution-related deaths are in London, so it is clear that air pollution is everyone’s problem.

•Construction sites are responsible for 7.5% of nitrogen oxide emissions, 8% of large particle emissions and 14.5% of emissions of the most dangerous fine particles.

•The construction sector mostly contributes to air pollution through construction dust, plant machinery and construction transport.

•The industry is taking steps to reduce air pollution through air quality plans, emissions monitoring, dust management, low-emission plant machinery, delivery management and raising workforce awareness.

Air quality plans

At the outset of a large project or one adjacent to sensitive receptors, it is important to incorporate air quality considerations into the management and logistics plans. These can include the following:

•Where the risk of dust is deemed to have a negative impact on amenity, health and the natural environment – relative to site-specific factors such as proximity to sensitive receptors – an Air Quality Assessment may be required. This assessment should identify the level of risk to air quality during each stage of the project.

•Air Quality and Dust Management Plans should outline the steps being taken to mitigate the adverse impact of construction activities on air quality.

•In preparing Construction Logistics Plans, contractors should engage with their client/developers to demonstrate how they will deal with pollution issues during construction. This can include the controls and systems outlined in the above documents and traffic/delivery considerations.

Monitoring

It is difficult to assess a site’s impact on air quality if no monitoring is carried out, so sites could consider the following:

•Baseline monitoring of air quality levels in the vicinity of the works before the project commences will act as a reference point to identify good and bad practice throughout the project.

•Dust emissions should be monitored through specialised machinery, visual inspections, daily dust logs etc.

•Continuous air quality and particulate monitoring will alert the contractor to any rapid increases in pollutant concentrations, so that mitigation measures can be put in place.

While 84% of survey respondents acknowledge there is an issue with air pollution in the construction industry, nearly two thirds (64%) feel the industry is not doing enough to tackle this issue.

The survey, which involved over 600 respondents from across the UK and Irish construction industries, also revealed:

•91% said air pollution is a nationwide issue.

•88% said the importance of minimising air pollution is being communicated to the workforce on their site.

•62% said their site has appropriate measures in place to address air pollution.

•56% have a good or detailed understanding of air pollution.

•39% have an average understanding of the regulations surrounding air pollution.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy said:

A staggering 40,000 deaths a year are linked to air pollution in the UK, and many people are suffering long-term health problems caused by poor air quality. As construction is a significant contributor to air pollution, it is essential for the industry to put measures in place to clean up our air by working together to reduce our impact on air quality.

The Scheme’s ‘Spotlight on…air pollution’ campaign provides everyone within the industry access to a practical suite of resources including best practice, guidance and case studies from Scheme-registered construction sites, companies and suppliers on how to tackle this issue, as well as guidance from organisations including the Institute of Air Quality Management, Healthy Air Campaign and the Greater London Authority.

We are proud to be at the forefront of collaborative efforts to tackle air pollution, having partnered with the Institution of Civil Engineers to produce Scheme posters for registered sites, companies and suppliers to raise the issue of air pollution to their workforce. The Institution of Civil Engineers has also recognised the value of the industry being committed to the Considerate Constructors Scheme, having highlighted Scheme registration within its London Air Quality Taskforce report published in 2017.

Professor Peter Hansford FREng FICE, Chair of ICE Air Quality Task Force commented:

The Institution of Civil Engineers is delighted to be partnering with the Scheme for the launch of its ‘Spotlight on…air pollution’ campaign. The Scheme offers a golden opportunity for the industry to ‘up its game’ in relation to air quality around our construction sites and is a key driving force in helping to address this issue across the industry.

For the full report please go here:

https://ccsbestpractice.org.uk/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-air-pollution/#Introduction

Sources: cscscheme.org

Young people

Encouraging young people into Engineering

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2018 is officially the Year of Engineering, and as such a new campaign has been launched to encourage young people into the profession and is part of a year long campaign to tackle the skills gap and widen the pool of young people. 

The Year of Engineering will see government and industry tackle the major skills gap together, with Ministers from across government joining forces with engineers, industry experts and hundreds of businesses to change perceptions around engineering, as well as highlighting the scale of opportunity that careers in the industry hold for young people in the UK.

A shortfall of 20,000 engineering graduates every year is a serious worry and this gap will affect growth in one of the UK’s most productive sectors.

There is also widespread misunderstanding of engineering among young people and their parents and a lack of diversity in the sector – the workforce is 91% male and 94% white.

The pioneering campaign was launched this week at an Inspiring the Future event organised by Year of Engineering partner Education and Employers. The event saw schoolchildren meet engineers with the aim of filling the skills gap and changing misconceptions. Throughout the year, government and its 1,000 partners will deliver a million inspiring experiences of engineering for young people, parents and teachers.

The UK Space Agency will be supporting the campaign by funding a series of education and outreach projects designed to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling said: “Engineers – whether they are working on cutting-edge technology in aerospace, energy or artificial intelligence – are vital to the lifeblood of our economy.

“We want to show young people and their parents the immense creativity, opportunity and value of the profession. By bringing them face to face with engineering role models and achievements we can send a clear message that engineering careers are a chance for all young people, regardless of gender, ethnicity or social background, to shape the future of this country and have a real impact on the lives of those around them.”

Skills Minister, Anne Milton said: “I want to see everyone whatever their background, wherever they live to have a chance to get a rewarding career or job in engineering whether they come via a technical or academic route.

“The Year of Engineering gives us a great opportunity to work together with business to inspire a new generation of world class engineers. We want to build the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills that we need for a growing economy, as highlighted in the government’s Industrial Strategy.”

Crossrail Chair Sir Terry Morgan said: “The Year of Engineering will be a fantastic opportunity to inspire others to take a fresh look at engineering and show the range of opportunities there are for training and jobs in this sector. We look forward to showcasing the role engineers have played in creating such an amazing project before the Elizabeth line opens to passengers at the end of 2018.”

Mark Richardson, Ocado Chief Operating Officer, said: “Encouraging more young people to enter the engineering profession is essential to ensure the growth and development of new technologies and businesses in the UK. At Ocado we build the world’s most advanced automated warehouses for online grocery, and we hope our involvement in this campaign will offer young people from diverse backgrounds a real insight into the exciting and rewarding life of an engineer.”

You can support the Year of Engineering by highlighting some of the many different ways that individuals and organisations can #inspireanengineer on social media – follow the hashtag on Twitter to find out more.

For more information please visit their website here

carillion

Lessons to be learned from Carillion collapse

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Cabinet ministers have concluded a crisis meeting about keeping vital public services going after the collapse of contractor Carillion.

The construction giant, which provides services for schools, prisons and hospitals, has gone into liquidation.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington said the two-hour Cobra committee talks enabled ministers to air any concerns.

Carillion ran into trouble after losing money on big public sector contracts and running up huge debts of around £1.5bn.

The government is stepping in to pay employees and small businesses working on Carillion’s public contracts and assess the distribution of contracts among other companies.

Carillion, the UK’s second biggest construction firm, was also involved in major projects such as the HS2 high-speed rail line.

The firm has 450 government contracts, including maintenance for prisons and hospitals, as well as dinners and cleaning for hundreds of schools.

It is also the second biggest supplier of maintenance services to Network Rail, and it maintains 50,000 homes for the Ministry of Defence.

Carillion has 43,000 staff worldwide, including 20,000 in the UK.

According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) the Government must learn from Carillion’s demise and assess its over-reliance on major contractors. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said:

“Carillion’s liquidation is terrible news for all those who work for the company and it will have serious knock-on effects for the many smaller firms in its supply chain, some of which will be in serious financial danger as a result of Carillion’s demise.”

Berry concluded: “Carillion’s liquidation raises serious questions for the Government, not least about its over-reliance on major contractors. The Government needs to open up public sector construction contracts to small and micro firms by breaking larger contracts down into smaller lots. That way, it can spread its risk while also reaping the benefits that come from procuring a greater proportion of its work from a broad range of small companies. Construction SMEs train two-thirds of all apprentices and are a sure-fire way of spreading economic growth more evenly throughout the UK.”

renewable

UK sets renewable energy records

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The UK broke 13 renewable energy records in 2017, including some especially notable ones.

The year 2017 has been the greenest ever in how the UK generates its electricity.

Renewable sources of energy produced more than three times the amount of electricity that came from coal.

More electricity was generated by wind than coal on more than three quarters of days in the year, and more by solar energy on more than half the days.

In March, the largest amount of renewable electricity was produced – 19.2GW.

In April, the UK had its first 24-hour period for more than 150 years without using power from coal.

In June, wind, nuclear and solar were generating more than gas and coal combined for the first time.

In December, the country generated the most wind power in a day – 281.5GW.

The figures have been welcomed by environmental campaigners, including Gareth Redmond-King, of the environmental campaigning group WWF.

He told Sky News: “A huge part of it is government support to install new renewables, offshore wind particularly, but also onshore wind and solar that’s enabled the industry to grow – and for much more renewables on the system.

“Of course, companies have had to adjust to provide for that and build those power stations, and of course the more consumers that switch to clean energy the more demand there is for that to be built.”

The UK has seen its greenest ever summer as low carbon energy production spikes and offshore wind farm subsidies at a record low.

The figures from the National Grid reflect a UK government commitment to reduce carbon emissions and meet its targets on greenhouse gases.

It has targeted 2025 as a date to end the use of “unabated coal” – coal from which the carbon emissions are not captured.

However, while the news is good on the use of renewables versus coal, there are less encouraging figures regarding gas.

This year, output from wind was more than from gas – a fossil fuel – on only two days, and overall renewables outstripped gas on just 23 days.

Source: Sky News / UK Construction Week

small business

The UK construction industry now has more than 1 million small businesses

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The number of small businesses operating in the construction sector across the UK has increased by 32,000 in the last year, meaning there are now more than one million of them.

Small businesses are generally defined as those with fewer than 50 employees. The latest set of government business population estimates shows that the number of construction companies with fewer than 50 employees has increased to 1,005,290 – up from 972,475 in 2016.

The data also indicates that these small construction businesses are responsible for turning over approximately £185bn a year, up from £172bn in 2016. The total turnover of all businesses operating in the construction sector reached £296.8bn in 2017, up from £271.9bn in 2016. Small businesses therefore account for 62% of the total.

The analysis of government data was conducted by software firm Clear Books, whose chief executive Phil Sayers said: “There are around 5.5m small businesses in the UK and the fact that construction firms account for one million of them is indicative of how essential it is for policymakers to ensure small construction firms continue to thrive. Be it a family-run construction business or high-growth housebuilder, small businesses play a huge role in society, acting as vital job creators but also contributing a significant amount to overall economic activity. Their role as essential service providers and genuine hubs in local communities and further afield is hugely valuable. Policymakers must ensure that small businesses are supported – their success and survival, in equal measure, is absolutely essential.”

The analysis is based on the latest set of government business population estimates for the UK, published on 30 November 2017. Business population estimates for the UK and regions provides the only official estimate of the total number of private sector businesses in the UK at the start of each year. These estimates produced by BEIS cover a wider range of businesses than Office for National Statistics (ONS) outputs, which report on VAT traders and PAYE employers.

Source: The Construction Index / Show House