Triple success for Considerate Constructor

Sewell Group has bagged its third Gold Award in as many years at the prestigious Considerate Constructors Awards this week. Of the 28 Gold gongs awarded across Yorkshire since 2010, only 3 have recognised schemes in East Yorkshire; all three have been Sewell projects.

The top prize this year, ranking Sewell in the top 1% nationally for the third consecutive year, was awarded to Bransholme Health Centre’s delivery team, for the consideration paid to local communities, staff and the environment during the development; this was the second Gold Award given to this project in particular.

The development created 106 new jobs and heavily encouraged local spending, with Sewell awarding 81% of the sub-contracts to local companies – 30 in total. 15 young apprentices also worked on the development. On receiving the Group’s third Gold in as many years, Paul Sewell, Managing Director, said:

“I’m really proud of this achievement, its great to see our commitment and care for local people, local labour and local communities being recognised on a national level.

We’ve been delivering projects in the region since 1876; we’re in it for the distance with these schemes so we know the importance of ‘how you do it’ as well as ‘what you do’. Having over 90% of our staff from local communities, working on their own doorsteps and being a Times Top 100 Company really shows its true value here.

We understand the value of engagement and how, if you do it with the community, you end up with a sustainable, high quality product that local people are proud of and want to look after. We’re of the community, we engage with the community and I think our ethos shines through with this facility.”

During the construction the site team geared up a whole host of community fundraising projects; they provided a nearby Methodist Church with a new car park, repainted the local community facility, the Alf Marshall Centre, and raised money for a Pensioners trip to Whitby to name but a few.

All three Gold Awards have been achieved on facilities developed as part of NHS Hull’s £80m LIFT Programme, delivered by Citycare. Jo Barnes, Chief Executive said:

“I’m really pleased to hear that our estates partner Sewell Group has received national acclaim. They have similar values to Citycare; they engage with communities and service users from the first stroke of a brief and really go the extra mile to keep the local pound circulating.”

At the same ceremony the Endike Primary School construction team were awarded a Bronze, putting the development firmly within the top 10% nationally. Linda Burrows, Head Teacher at the school said:

“The development of the new Endike Primary School could have been a very difficult process however Caroline and the Sewell team made every effort to make it painless. Every child visited the construction site, we took part in sessions in the Sewell Skills Academy and we even had Bob the Builder and Father Christmas and his reindeers make special visits to see the children! We were truly part of the build. I am pleased that both the design of the building and the commitment of the team have been recognised on both an international and national scale.”

Richard King, Chairman, Hull Esteem Consortium LEP Ltd said:

“Since joining the Esteem Board in 2012, it has been a pleasure to work alongside Sewell Group and see for myself how their unique blend of systems and passion results in excellent outcomes for their customers and the local communities in which they work. This third Considerate Constructors Scheme Gold Award, alongside their prominence in recent Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For listings, demonstrates that this Hull based company stands comparison with the very best of British businesses.”

The Considerate Constructors National Awards recognise and reward those who have demonstrated exceptional levels of consideration against the scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice. An independent panel reviews all eligible sites and decides whether a site has reached the standard required to win a National Award and what level of Award it should receive. Commenting on this year’s awards, Considerate Constructors Scheme Chairman David Watson said:

“Once again even throughout these tough times for our industry, many sites have excelled to not only maintain standards, but surpass what has been achieved in previous years. The award ceremonies are an excellent showcase for these sites, and give the industry the opportunity to reward those site teams that have gone that extra mile. I wish to congratulate all those who have been nominated for an award and for their contribution towards improving the image of construction.”