Cause: Hull Mencap
Resource: Distinctive giving

Sewell Facilities Management has created paid employment and training opportunities for individuals with a learning disability after joining forces with the Humber branch of the national charity Mencap.

Since the Abilities in Facilities partnership began in April 2017, about 30 people from the charity have directly benefited, with four gaining paid cleaning jobs in offices and schools across Hull, and others benefiting from work experience opportunities or learning interview techniques to help them progress into work elsewhere. Work experience placements include some individuals based at the new £9 million Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre built by Sewell in East Hull.

The 30 individuals have autism, mild and moderate learning disability, and mild learning differences, and our staff have undergone specific training to help them progress and feel supported within their roles, opening up secure opportunities in the world of work.

Our Sewell Facilities Management staff have also taken part in a local feasibility study and supported Mencap with dispelling myths around working with someone with a learning disability, while also helping to raise awareness at events for young people and employers.

Sewell Facilities Management offers specific vacancies to individuals from Mencap and ensures they feel comfortable in the interview and work trial environment, with the long term objective to eventually have individuals from Mencap in every Sewell Facilities Management cleaning team across the Yorkshire region.

Individuals have grown in confidence and self-esteem since Abilities in Facilities began.

Cause: Hull Foodbank
Resource: Distinctive Giving

Almost 700 meals were made available to people in crisis after Sewell on the go staff and customers collected £1,000 of food to help make a difference at Christmas.

Collection points were put in place at Sewell on the go stores in Chanterlands Avenue, Sutton, South Cave and Hull West on the A63 at North Ferriby to gather donations for Hull Foodbank, which provides nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people referred to the charity in crisis.

A total of 283kg of donations were collected, which the charity said is the equivalent of 670 meals.

Additional stock was donated to the charity in February 2018.

Cause: Safe Place Scheme
Resource: Local giving

People who feel lost, confused or frightened can now seek help from Sewell on the go staff after the business gave its backing to a new scheme supporting vulnerable members of the community.

Sewell on the go is one of the first businesses in Hull to join the Safe Place scheme, which is designed to help people who have a disability, dementia, or who are vulnerable in terms of being bullied, harassed, lost or confused, while they are out and about.

Individual members of the public, who have been identified as benefiting from the scheme, carry a card containing their details and who to contact on their behalf, which could be a family member, carer, social worker or police on 101 in case of an emergency.

Staff have been trained to help with a range of issues which vulnerable people may experience, including transport problems and support they can offer if someone is hurt, ill, scared or lost.

The Safe Place scheme is run by Humberside Police and supported by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service,  Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, Keith Hunter.

Cause: Men in Sheds
Resource: Distinctive Giving

Sewell is helping to support the Men in Sheds charity, which is developing a new clubhouse to combat male loneliness and isolation in Hull.

The former pavilion at Oak Road Playing Fields in North Hull is being transformed into a social and meeting space for members.

Sewell has provided design and project management expertise, carried out risk assessments and arranged demolition surveys to support the charity.

Cause: Tommy Coyle Academy
Resource: Distinctive giving

Cause: Fitmums and Friends
Resource: Local giving

Cause: Hull Animal Welfare Trust
Resource: Local giving

Cause: Humber Bridge Half Marathon
Resource: Local giving

For four consecutive years, the business has donated 11,600 bottles of water, with the overall contribution totaling about £28,000.

In June 2017, overall 2,030,600 litres of water had been donated, which would fill more than 5,000 paddling pools.

Sewell on the go’s support for the Humber Bridge Half Marathon is linked to the business being main supporter of the Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) Smile Foundation, which helps to organise the half marathon.

Cause: CatZero
Resource: Distinctive giving

CatZero equips young people, who are often not in employment, education or training, with the skills, beliefs and attitude to help them move on in the world.

This award-winning registered charity was inspired by 10 young people who took part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 2007/08.

Sewell Group is a sponsor of CatZero and also refurbished and fitted out its office in Hull.

More recently, we provided ‘buddy’ business mentors to offer advice and guidance, as well as hands on trade experience, to two students from Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull.

Cause: Sewell Skills Academy
Resource: Distinctive

The Sewell Skills academy was a one of a kind facility that raised the employability awareness children and young people, whilst providing a taster of the construction, renewable technology and technology industries.

The facility was an innovative environment to develop a wider range of skills ranging from hands on industry activities to professional career development, educational and business links.

In its 3 years of operation, over 1400 children and young people passed through its doors.

In 2016, the facility was reimagined and transformed into the Tommy Coyle Academy, a sports and health facility that’s free to use for young people under the age of 17.

Cause: Macmillan Cancer Support
Resource: Local giving

Sewell on the go has launched a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.

Most recently, fifteen pence from every hot drink sold in all 12 stores was donated to the charity, as well as raising extra funds through collection boxes and staff fundraising games.

The promotion raised enough money to fund a Macmillan nurse for a week. 

Sewell on the go has previously raised cash for Macmillan through coffee mornings and have raised over £2000 for the charity so far this year.

Staff at Sewell Group have also taken part in Go Sober for October, helping to support people affected by cancer and raise money for the charity.