pe op le In this issue

issue56 spring2010
In this issue
06
The year ahead
11
We're renovating
Britain's museums
21
Regional round-up
>>
people
The magazine for our
>>
editorsdesk
>>
Legging it
people
The magazine for our
New BAM team to
take business forward
The £19m Medical Sciences building at Newscastle University has been
successfully delivered by BAM Construction in the North East. The striking
5,600m2 building is ‘propped-up' by four six-legged steel structures and will
house the University’s cell biology laboratory and research facility.
Editor’s Desk: Anna Bond
Tel: 01442 238402
Email: abond@bam.co.uk
Graham Cash is BAM Construct
UK’s new Chief Executive following
the retirement of Richard Gregory.
Welcome to the Spring issue of People. Now
we are producing People quarterly, we have
more news to cover, so it’s our biggest ever
magazine. In this issue we cover:
Graham, who was appointed to
the board of directors in 2007,
joined the company in 1986 as
a project architect. In 1991 he
became Design Director and six
years later was appointed Regional
Director for BAM Construction’s
South East region, retaining
responsibility for BAM Design.
On the road... an overview of the recent BAM Roadshows
Something old, something new... a look at two of our museum projects
A bit of variety... our work at Leeds Varieties Club
Smarter reporting... a review of the BAM SMaRT waste reporting system
We are the champions... introducing our Community Champions
Around the regions... fundraising and sports and social activities
Moment in time... revealing times from a recovered time capsule at Tresham College
The company has also appointed Richard Bailey (pictured left) as Managing Director of
BAM Construction, with responsibility for the company’s UK construction business.
John Burke (right) is Managing Director of BAM Properties.
Our thanks go to everyone who has contributed
stories, comments and pictures for this issue.
Please keep them coming.
Says Graham: ‘I am delighted to take up the position of Chief Executive from Richard
Gregory. Richard has led this company
with commitment, dedication and an
unwavering focus to achieve all our
goals and ambitions. It is testament
to his leadership that we enjoy a
reputation for delivering and managing
the best buildings, and consequently
achieved the best ever results in the
history of the company.
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‘However, there is work to be done
if we are to maintain our healthy
position during the difficult years
ahead. I am looking forward to
working with the teams across all
our businesses to develop the BAM
brand further and realise its full
potential in the UK.’
Graham Cash (pictured centre)
Front cover: Sports day at Breakspear Park raises
money for Sport Relief. See page 21.
Next Issue: Summer : July 2010
Closing date for contributions: 24 May 2010
Produced by: BAM Corporate Communications
Designed by: BAM Graphics
Printed by: BuckinghamColourQuest
People is an internal publication for employees of,
and those working with, BAM. Published by BAM
Construct UK Ltd, Breakspear Park, Breakspear
Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts., HP2 4FL.
Tel: 01442 238300. Fax: 01442 238301.
www.bam.co.uk
BAM People magazine ©
BAM Construct UK Ltd 2010
This document is printed
on 70% recycled paper.
When you have finished with
this magazine please recycle it.
2 People
Spring 2010
North East in £180m BSF bid
>>
BAM Construct UK is shortlisted to bid
for the £180m contract to design, build,
and maintain 12 schools in Stockton-onTees Borough Council's BSF programme.
This is the first time the company has
bid for a non-PFI BSF project and, if
successful, it will bring significant business
for the company.
£60m events venue at Bluewater
>>
BAM Construction in the South East has
been appointed by Lend Lease to build
Bluewater Events Venue, a unique 55,000
sq ft (5,200m2) events and exhibition venue.
The £60 million development will be centred
around a 32,000 sq ft (3,000m2) plaza,
and will include 43,000 sq ft (4,000m2)
of catering/restaurants space.
New Student Building for Coventry
>>
This month (April) BAM Construction in
the Midlands will start work on a £18.5m
project for Coventry University. A new
Student Enterprise Building will incorporate
a Student’s Union with bars, restaurants
and café area. It will also offer health and
wellbeing facilities, resource centres, and a
concert hall.
BAM in £355m BSF bid
>>
BAM has been shortlisted to deliver Coventry
City Council's ambitious Building Schools
for the Future (BSF) programme. BAM PPP,
together with BAM Construction in the
Midlands and BAM FM, will go head-to-head
with Coventry Partnership for Learning to
win the city's £355 million scheme to build
and refurbish 22 secondary and secondary
special schools in Coventry. A decision is
expected in October.
BAM Design up for ACE award
>>
BAM Design has been shortlisted for the
prestigious ACE Engineering Excellence
Awards for its structural design on the
recently completed Apsley House project
in Glasgow. Known as the Clarion building
(pictured above), it is described by the award
nominees as ‘proudly demonstrating BAM
Design’s attributes in terms of technical
astuteness, willingness to embrace new
technology, and to challenge the convention
with innovation.’
Spring 2010
People 3
BAMnews
>>
>>
BAM development brings
550 jobs to Stockport
>>
BAM wins £600m Somerset BSF programme
‘We are delighted at having been appointed
by Somerset County Council as its partner
for such an exciting and wide reaching
programme of work,’ says Robert Young,
Director of BAM PPP.
The win by a BAM PPP-led consortium
including BAM Construction, BAM Design,
and BAM FM - brings significant business to
the company and further demonstrates our
strength in all areas of our operations within
the education sector.
‘Together with colleagues at BAM Construct
UK we are looking forward to working with
the Council, schools, communities and other
stakeholders to make the Somerset BSF
Programme a huge success.'
The LEP’s dedicated management team
will work with the Council over the next ten
years to ensure that their vision for education
transformation brings wider regeneration
and socio-economic opportunities. This will
include working with BAM’s local supply
chain to offer a tailored programme of
mentoring activities, work placements, and
training opportunities for pupils, staff and
the local community, and to support the
regeneration of the local economy.
BAM has also been appointed as Somerset
County Council’s private sector partner for
the Local Education Partnership (LEP), a
company established for the delivery of the
BSF Programme and the transformation of
education across Somerset.
On appointing BAM, Julia Ridge, Somerset
BSF Programme Director, commented: ‘We
are delighted to have a partner of such calibre
to create first class, state-of-the-art schools
for Bridgwater and help take the Somerset
BSF programme forward in the future.’
BAM delivers for Selby
>>
Selby College’s new Jubilee Building
was handed over in a ceremony in
which its Principal Allan Stewart praised
BAM for its considerate approach to
building and successfully delivering the
£35m campus.
‘We never imagined we would end up
with something on the scale of the Jubliee
Building,’ he said. ‘The new facilities
offered are among the best in the country
and will ensure we maintain our position
as a top performing college.'
BAM Construction in the North East has
also begun work on another project for
the town – a new £16.8m community
hospital and civic centre complex.
Launching the project in February,
Lance Corporal Colin Spooner,
from Selby, cut the first sod as work
commenced on the replacement for the
Selby War Memorial Hospital.
4 People
Spring 2010
Artist impression of Selby Community Complex
‘The existing War Memorial Hospital was
built in the 1920s in memory of those who
fought in the First World War. It is extremely
poignant that one of our modern-day heroes
The BAM site team working on the new
academic buildings at the University of
York has been praised by the Considerate
Constructors Scheme for its innovative
scaffold challenge.
Matthew Garnett, Construction Manager for
BAM, explains: ‘Our safety team came up
with the idea. There were 37 faults concealed
in the special scaffold example and staff and
subcontractors were given just ten minutes
to locate them. Some were easy to spot,
such as the existence and placement of vital
railings and supports, while others were very
well concealed.
‘The exercise was hugely successful
in raising and increasing awareness of
important safety issues,’ says Matthew.
A BAM Properties’ speculative
development in Stockport has been
signed up by BSkyB (Sky) for its new
customer service centre. The satellite
giant is taking 23,500 sq ft of the recently
completed, high specification, office
space known as St Peter’s Square,
and is creating over 550 new jobs in
the town centre.
The striking glass-fronted building
comprises a total of 51,402 sq ft and
provides the first Grade A office space
in the town centre for seven years. It is
the first to achieve green status with its
BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.
The 22-year-old was awarded the Military
Cross last year for his courage during a fire
fight in Afghanistan’s war-torn Helmand
Province in October 2008. This makes him
one of the youngest soldiers to receive the
honour in recent times.
University of York gets
top CCS marks for safety
Faulty scaffolding was deliberately erected
in the site compound to highlight potential
health and safety traps.
Following an 18-month bidding process,
BAM has been chosen by Somerset
County Council to undertake its £600
million Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) programme.
The first phase of work will commence in
July with the redevelopment of Bridgwater’s
four secondary and two special schools.
Worth £100m, this will be delivered by BAM
Construction in the Western region.
BAMnews
is involved in the launch and development
of the new hospital,’ says Jason Pink,
BAM's Project Manager.
Said Lance Corporal Spooner: ‘Selby’s
my home town and I’m really pleased to
be involved at the start of work on this
development. The hospital has a long
association with the military and I want to
make sure that’s remembered with this new
building too.’
‘St Peter’s Square and Stockport
matched Sky’s criteria,’ says Neil
Mort, Development Manager of BAM
Properties. ‘The building satisfied its
corporate social responsibility policy
in terms of sustainability, quality of
construction, and high specification. To
have let half the space to Sky certainly
justifies our commitment to building this
development speculatively and we are
further encouraged by the level of interest
in the remaining accommodation.’
Sky's creation of more than 550 new jobs
when it locates to St Peter’s Square in
June, responds to the increased demand
for its award-winning TV, broadband and
home phone services.
‘The fact that Sky was attracted to
St Peter’s Square is testament to the
quality of its construction and unrivalled
specification,’ says Neil. ‘We fought off
strong competition from within the Greater
Manchester region and landing such a
well known brand at the building is a great
success both for the town and BAM.’
This signing is great news for BAM
Properties which has also recently sold its
Glory Park development in High Wycombe,
and two retail units in its Buchanan Street
development in Glasgow. Commenting
on the properties market, BAM Properties
Managing Director, John Burke, said: ‘The
investment market is beginning to recover
and a more positive attitude to property
is evident from occupiers and investors,
particularly for highly-specified sustainable
properties in prime locations.’
The innovative approach gained the site full
CCS marks (5/5) for health and safety, giving
a total score of 37/40.
And once again, BAM sites across the
regions have performed consistently well in
recent inspections, with an average score
of over 35. This is a superb result, against
an industry average of 31, and our own
objective of achieving a minimum of 32.
The most recent high scoring sites (above
35) across the regions include:
Paignton Library, Western
38
RAMM, Western
37.5
GOSH, Phase 2a, London
37
Glan Clwyd NWCCTC, Western
37
Exeter School of Business, Western
37
Q3 Academy, Midlands
35.5
Tresham College, Midlands
36.5
Riverside Museum, Scotland
36
Clydebank High School, Scotland
36
Carnegie Pavilion, North East
36
Bolton Community College, North West
36
Bolton Sixth Form College, North West
36
West Herts College, South East
35.5
Bracknell Healthspace, South East
35.5
Selby College, North East
35.5
Spring 2010 People 5
BAMbusiness
>>
>>
In 2009, in exceptionally difficult market
conditions, we held our position as a top
£1 billion contractor. And as winning new
orders for 2010/11 was given top priority,
we managed to secure £1.75bn of projects
for the next two years.
Turnover up, profit down
Financial overview
While our total business turnover for 2009 was £1.134bn our
profit before tax was down to £26.7m. This figure reduces to
£16m when we take into account the reduced current market
value of properties that have not yet sold.
Profit
Turnover
£1.062bn
£1.134bn
50
1000
BAM : the road ahead
Together we make a difference
The theme of this year’s roadshow was ‘Making a difference together’
and how a focused team approach has helped us to maintain our £1bn
turnover, despite the toughest year on record.
Last year saw the most difficult trading conditions in our history, and while we are financially
strong with a good flow of orders for the next few years, the message for the future is clear:
although we are managing our way through this recession reasonably well, we have to be
prepared for worse to come.
The focus for this year and beyond is to build on our success by turning framework wins into
work, to use our strengths and resources to secure major contracts, and to continue our
cost-conscious approach to business without compromising our quality and reputation.
Looking back as we move forward
>>
Last year we identified the need to lift our pre-qual performance and concentrate on winning
work for 2010 and 2011, when we believed the full impact of the recession would hit us.
This has proved to be absolutely the right strategy. Across the company we have raised
the bar on our performance and have been successful in winning substantial new orders,
particularly in the private sector.
• Across all regions we have significantly raised our tender performance, which is evident
in the quality and content of our submissions.
• Our investment in the BSF programme is starting to bear fruit and we are now one of only
three contractors with a 50% strike rate on the programme as a whole.
• At Somerset BSF we beat the competition on almost every criteria and the Authority has
already added three additional projects, including the £18m Taunton Academy.
• We are starting to use and benefit from the strength of our brand and support from other
Royal BAM Group companies.
• We continue to innovate in Property and FM to the benefit of the business as a whole.
‘If we are successful on P21+ we will
have access to £3 billion of health
work over the next six years. These
framework and major project wins
are no fluke. A great deal of skill and
hard work goes into these submissions
by all parts of our company. I thank
everyone involved for the team effort
that results in such success.’
Richard Gregory
In addition to this, we have had many high
profile project wins, including the £108m
project for the Co-op in Manchester and the
Network Rail building in Milton Keynes.
And CSR is now recognised as an essential
part of our business and Health and safety
also remained a top priority for the company.
2009 saw another record performance with
our incidence frequency score the lowest
ever achieved.
‘BAM Construct is taking a leading
role in the areas of CSR, environment,
training and community support.
We are making huge strides in
achieving our measurement of waste
and carbon reduction targets and our
support of the communities in which we
work is making a big difference, not just
within the communities themselves,
but in winning future business.’
20
10
200
0
2005
2006
2007
Spring 2010
0
2009
2005
Secured work in hand
2006
2007
2008
£245m
250
£2.55bn £2.42bn
2.5
2009
Cash in bank
£m
3.0
£213m
200
2.0
150
1.5
100
1.0
50
0.5
0
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
2005
2009
2006
2007
2008
2009
BAM Construct UK | Royal BAM Group | Review of our construction activities | Properties, PPP, Community and Social Club | Looking ahead 2010/11 | Questions
PFI)
Public sector (inc
in output
Annual % change
Private sector
The challenge for all our businesses is to work towards maintaining our
£1bn turnover during these difficult times. This means we have to deliver
on the work we have won, and work to win new orders for 2011 / 2012.
10
5
0
-5
-10
-20
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
‘I don’t want anyone to think everything is rosy. In 2009 UK
construction output fell 16%, the biggest single fall since
records began in 1955, and there is no significant growth
expected until 2012. Commercial new builds will not start to
recover until 2013 and in the meantime we are heavily reliant
on public sector funding.’ Graham Cash
panies outside the
nding cuts on com
‘The impact of spe
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l be between terrib
Financial Times
top 20 builders wil
| Royal BAM
BAM Construct UK
Group | Review of
ties | Properties,
our construction activi
PPP, Community
and Social Club |
/11
Looking ahead 2010
| Questions
As experts are predicting it will be another 10 years before we are likely
to see the level of outputs before the recession hit in 2007, we must
continue to seek efficiencies in all areas of our business and within our
supply chain. We must build on our successes and use innovation to
stay ahead of our competitors.
‘BAM is a strong brand with a strong reputation and it has an excellent team of people
delivering its products and services throughout the UK, indeed
throughout the world. We have tremendous strength in
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‘Although 2009 saw the lowest number of accidents ever reported, there
were still 23 too many. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that
all our people engage with our health and safety teams and help us work
towards our objective of zero harm.’
London
Western
BAM FM
BAM Plant
Total
Target
Richard Bailey
is
Zero harm
6 People
2008
Challenge ahead
ket?
return to the mar
When will clients
-15
In a market described by many as ‘barely
functioning’, BAM Properties was successful
in letting, and in some cases selling, over
140,000 sq ft of completed buildings,
reducing our borrowings by over £25m.
*£26.7m
30
400
£bn
‘We had a reasonable set of results in 2009 and our
orders for 2010 should see our turnover staying above
£1bn. However pressure remains on our construction
margins and costs as clients look for added value and
the cheapest price.’ Richard Gregory
£45.3m
40
800
The total value of secured orders the company has for future
years is £2.42bn. This includes construction work, valued at
£1.75bn (excluding the recent Somerset BSF win), property
sales, and FM contracts.
*Before property
writedown
£m
£bn
1200
600
We achieved first place wins on Scottish
Health, South West, Severn Trent and
Yorbuild Frameworks; and we have secured
our place, against huge competition on
the Academies Framework. We are also in
the final stages of selection on the P21+
Health framework.
BAMbusiness
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Spring 2010
People 7
BAMprojects
July
2009
>>
>>
and BAM has knocked through into the Old
Swan Pub which will, once again, become an
integral part of the new theatre building.
The sympathetic renovation includes restoring
many of its original decorative features, and an
on-site archaeologist is keeping a record of the
history of the fabric of the building. Reusable
materials, including papier mache plasterwork,
and all original detailing is being put aside.
New materials must, as much as possible,
match the originals.
Meanwhile, modernisation will see the
installation of a lift, ventilation systems
and new seating. And a striking new
contemporary entrance will bring this
landmark building into the 21st century.
A bit of variety
If variety is the spice of life, then BAM’s
restoration of one of Britain’s oldest, and
most loved, varieties clubs is certainly a very
tasteful project.
The Leeds-based City Varieties Music Hall
is a Grade II listed building which first opened
its doors in 1865. Since then, the worldrenowned theatre has launched and elevated
the careers of many famous entertainers,
including Charlie Chaplin, Houdini, Norman
Wisdom, and Danny La Rue.
Geoff Wright, Construction Manager for BAM
in the North East, Site Manager Stuart Gibbons
and Senior Project Surveyor Dominic Makohin,
are delivering the £9.2 million project to renovate
and conserve the much-loved theatre, restoring
it to how it looked 145 years ago, with a few
contemporary features thrown in.
Explains Geoff, himself from Leeds:
‘The theatre hasn’t changed much since
the 19th century. I remember coming to the
theatre as a child and back then it seemed
huge. But when I walked in before starting
the job, I was struck by how small and fragile
it actually is. It needs very careful handling.’
This includes having to keep the heating
on to prevent shrinkage while backstage
demolition goes on to build new dressing
rooms and office facilities. A new dampproofing membrane is going into the basement
Bolton College packs a punch
Boxing world champion and Olympic
medallist, Amir Khan, recently took time
out of the ring to visit Bolton Community
College’s £70m development, which includes
a new Boxing Academy in association with
community boxing gym, Gloves, of which
Amir is a patron.
Members of the BAM site team, together
with College Principal Carol Bannerman,
provided a tour of the state-of-the-art,
20,201m2 development. Scheduled to be
ready for students in September, it also
includes a large sports hall and gymnasium,
modern hair and beauty salons, performing
arts studios, and a new training restaurant
and catering facilities.
8 People
Spring 2010
‘Leeds Varieties is very close to the
hearts of the local people,’ says Geoff.
‘The project requires a great deal of
understanding, both of its history
and its place in the community.
Before work commenced, it required
the consent of 42 adjacent and
surrounding property owners.
It is attracting a lot of local and
media interest.’
BAMprojects
A moment in time
As demolition commenced to make way
for the new £25 million Tresham College,
a member of the BAM site team, and a
previous student at the College, identified the
spot where a 1954 time capsule had been
reburied in 1992.
‘One of our sub-contractors recalled that
an original time capsule, dating back to
when the school was first built 56 years
ago, had been updated and reburied,’
explains Alan Bell, Project Manager for
BAM Construction in the Midlands,
who is redeveloping and building the
Corby-based community campus.
‘He was able to remember the exact
location which happened to be right
where we were undertaking groundworks.’
On retrieving the time capsule, the team together with a local photographer who had
also covered the event in 1992 - discovered
newspapers, clothing, and school books in
which pupils had written about life in 1954
and in 1992.
The site team will be burying a new capsule, complete with the original memorabilia and
some new 2010 items depicting life today. ‘It will tell quite a tale through the ages when it’s
reopened, once again, in the future,’ says Alan.
The new Leeds City Varieties Hall will re-open
its doors in Spring 2011.
>>
Amir, who was a previous student at the
College, said: ‘I am bowled over by the
size and scale of the new College. It will
provide cutting edge facilities to learners
of all ages and its sports provision will be
second to none. Boxing is the perfect way
of keeping fit and helps instil discipline and
respect. Our unique partnership with
Gloves and the College provides a great
opportunity for students of all ages.’
>>
By royal appointment
HRH Princess Anne officially opened
Block C2 at Fountain North, now called
Jack Martin House. The £2.5 million
turn-key project was delivered by BAM
Construction in Scotland and consists of
20 fully fitted-out flats for the infirm and
elderly. The picture shows HRH with
Construction Director, Martin Cooper
(centre), and other guests at a reception
held at nearby Merchants Hall in Edinburgh.
And in Newcastle, HRH Prince Andrew
recently opened the new Kingsgate building
at Newcastle University where his daughter is
a student. This was one of five projects
BAM Construction in the North East has
completed for the University, the most recent
being the New Medical Sciences Building
(page 2). The team is currently working on
a £1.1m refurbishment project for its Centre
of Life building.
Pictured left to right are: Dan Billinge,
BAM Project Surveyor; Amir Khan; Phil
Shaw, BAM Senior Design Manager and
Carol Bannerman, Principal and Chief
Executive of Bolton Community College.
Spring 2010
People 9
csr &environment
>>
>>
Smarter reporting cuts time by up to 75%
infocus
>>
Safety matters
Following our Safestart 2010 campaign,
82 sites had no reportable accidents in
the first two months of the year. Says
Gerry Ross, Construction Health Safety
and Environment Manager: ‘With 89 ‘live’
sites this demonstrates how our teams
have focused on the elimination or control
of hazards and risks across the working
environment.
‘Our revised Health and Safety Policy,
introduced in January, reinforces our vision
about creating an incident free environment
with zero harm. It has never been more
important to embrace the issues of health
and safety and how, through strong
visual leadership and in fully engaging our
workforce, we will successfully achieve a
workplace where accidents are eliminated
and health is protected,’ he says.
Our new online Sustainability Measurement
and Reporting Tool, BAM SMaRT, was
launched earlier this year. A one-stop-shop
for environmental KPI (key performance
indicators) reporting, it is based on the
Building Research Establishment’s (BRE’s)
long established Smart Waste platform.
Laura Hatfield, BAM Site Secretary for both the
University of Strathclyde Biomedical project,
and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary Intensive Care
unit, is already a huge fan of the new system,
having seen a 75% reduction in the time it takes
to log data.
‘Before BAM SMaRT, the information we
recorded for waste, tool box talks, water,
electricity, and fuel, was put onto individual
Excel spreadsheets. It was quite a laborious
process, taking at least two hours each month,’
she says. ‘Now, it’s about half an hour.’
Sites and offices simply enter waste
production figures, and energy and water
consumption, directly into the BAM SMaRT
web portal. The information is then instantly
available to run reports. It can also monitor
other environmental KPIs such as timber
sustainability, EPC ratings, BREEAM scores,
and sustainable technologies.
Explains Charlie Law, Environmental Manager:
‘There’s no longer a need to use the large
number of forms used by different parts of
the business to monitor these areas, and
it eliminates the need for sites to send in
quarterly data returns for external reporting.'
The system also enables reports to be run
using different parameters. ‘This allows us
to report in all the formats dictated by our
clients, who can also be given read-only
access to the system to view their individual
projects,’ says Charlie.
‘I believe we now have the most
comprehensive environmental
reporting system in the industry.’
Charlie Law
And it is, according to Laura, the easiest to use.
‘BAM SMaRT is a very user friendly system,’
she says. ‘Once you’re logged in, no matter
how many projects you report on, you’re
working with just one system. I like the
step-by-step guides and clear tabbing.
Once I was trained on it, I was ready to use
the system straight away, it’s that easy.’
Something old …
… something new,
something borrowed,
something blue
Our revised policy sets out how we aim to
achieve ‘zero harm’ and commits everyone
to putting zero harm as a top priority when
making decisions that effect the way we
run our business and deliver our projects.
What, you may wonder, does a saying that brings
luck to new brides have to do with construction?
‘This is a realistic objective which can
be achieved through the commitment
of everyone in the company,’ says Philip
Rowley, Director of Health and Safety.
But, in the case of BAM’s work on Exeter’s
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, the Ashmolean
Museum in Oxford, the Museum of Bristol, and
the Riverside Transport Museum in Glasgow,
it is about how we are helping to bring history –
in both architecture and content – into the 21st
century. And how we are borrowing time to get
it ‘just right’. (We’ll leave the ‘something blue’
to the blushing bride...)
‘Our team of health and safety
advisors will be working even closer
with our project teams.
This includes the early involvement
in construction programmes and
planning in order to assist site teams
to spot potential hazards and risks
before they happen.’
In the first of two features*, we take a look at our
work in Oxford and Exeter where the Ashmolean
and Royal Albert Memorial Museums share more
than just a reputation for their art, archaeology,
and historic artefacts. They also share a vision to
deliver a dynamic 21st-century museum which
reflects the past, enriches the present, and looks
to the future.
‘We will also be working to support every
employee in the company to achieve the
excellence and consistency needed to
achieve our aim of zero harm. This requires
total team collaboration and knowledge
sharing to ensure we are all made aware of,
and equipped to reduce, any risks that may
bring potential harm to our workforce.’
And it is BAM who is helping to deliver these
historic visions.
Copies of the new Health and Safety
booklets can be downloaded from
the intranet, or are available from your
personnel or health and safety advisor.
Museum of Bristol (M-Shed) and Riverside Transport Museum will
be the subject of a second feature.
>>
Main picture: The new Ashmolean Museum
10 People
Spring 2010
Spring 2010
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footprint for the extension. There wasn’t, as
Anthony puts it, ‘room to swing a cat,
let alone a counterbalanced tower crane that
was to install 10.5 tonne steel bridges’.
This was made worse by the fact that this
limited access was on one of Oxford’s busiest
pedestrian streets.
‘Bearing in mind the new building was
being constructed just three metres inside
this entrance, it was a logistical nightmare
for our team in terms of deliveries, storage,
construction and health and safety,’
says Anthony.
>>
Ashmolean Museum
Oxford is home to The Ashmolean Museum,
named after Elias Ashmole, a celebrated
English antiquary and politician, who donated
his collections of world curiosities and ancient
artifacts to the University of Oxford in 1683.
Today, following a £61 million makeover,
the building which has housed Europe’s
oldest museum since 1845, is now a
stunning fusion of its original Victorian neoRoman architecture, and the crisp clean
contemporary designs of the 21st century.
Anthony Nagle, BAM’s Construction Manager
for the South East, who delivered the
project explains:
‘Our client’s ambition was to create an
improved and expanded museum to
showcase its remarkable collections in a
radical way that would attract the widest
possible audience,’ he says.
Designed by award-winning Rick Mather
Architects, the new Ashmolean Museum
comprises 39 new galleries, including four
temporary exhibition spaces, a new education
centre, state-of-the-art conservation studios,
and Oxford’s first rooftop restaurant.
In the original building, galleries have been
fully refurbished to give a seamless transition
from ‘old’ to ‘new’.
And it is behind the Ashmolean’s Victorian
façade that the magnificent contrast
really strikes.
The Grecian entrance lobby - which required
the original eight pillars to be dug out and
propped up while the floor was lowered
12 People
Spring 2010
350mm to level with the new building - leads
to a large six-storey courtyard extension
which now links the previously two separate
wings of the museum.
Inside, the galleries, some of which are three
metres high, others six, are connected by
glass bridges and walkways that pass through
and over a central feature staircase. Wherever
you are in the museum, there are views of
galleries from every angle.
White and polished plaster walls, stone and
oak flooring, and the use of steel, glass and
zinc all combine to give a spectacular effect
that gives a relaxed and engaging aura to the
whole museum.
While maintaining and refurbishing
the original Grade I-listed building,
BAM demolished over 4,600m2 of existing
buildings, and excavated 4.5m down
to make way for 10,000m2 of new
space which, overall, has doubled the
museum’s capacity.
The excavation itself involved an archeological
dig in the original grounds of Beaumont
Palace. Explains Anthony: ‘We found waste
pits, wells, and cellars, and while there were
concerns that we may come across burial
grounds and unique treasures - which would
have held up the project indefinitely - we only
found a Saxon axe, which is now on display in
the museum.’
One of the team’s biggest challenges was
the incredibly confined space in which they
were excavating and extending the museum.
Only one small entrance, measuring just 3.8m
wide, led into the courtyard which was the
‘We had absolutely no flexibility
in terms of space or timings,
so precision planning was crucial.
At peak construction, we had to
consider the movement of over 300
site workers. And then we had to deal
with a four-day road closure while the
traditional 200-year-old St Giles Fayre
took place. This meant we had
no access at all for four days, and this
had to be factored in to an already
over-running and tight schedule.’
Timings for the new Ashmolean Museum
were critical. Three years prior to the start
of the project, Her Majesty the Queen was
booked to officially open it in December 2009
with the public opening scheduled a month
prior to that. However, design problems and
the challenges encountered by the team led
to a degree of slippage.
infocus
‘In order to get the project delivered
on time we agreed with the client that
we would tender for the fit-out,’ says
Anthony. ‘Fitting out a museum is highly
specialised, so we had a very steep
learning curve to climb, and with virtually
no time to do it.’
Anthony and his team invested borrowed
time to research and visit other museums
to bring their knowledge to a level
where they could win the fit-out. ‘It was
important for us to get the fit-out as it
meant we could control the planning
process and coordinate timings to bring
the project back on target’ he said.
Having been awarded with the fit-out,
BAM's biggst challenge was to source
the glass cabinets – some of which stand
4m tall.
'We worked with a specialist Belgain
company, one of only 12 companies
in the world with the engineering
capability to produce glass showcases
to the environmental, climate, and
security control levels required to
meet the Ashmolean's high
specifications,' says Anthony. 'They
had to be absolutely right to display
the Museum’s priceless collections.'
‘This has been a very challenging
project and has tested our skills to
the maximum,’ says Anthony.
‘We are all extremely proud of what
has been achieved at Ashmolean
and in delivering this incredible
vision for the world to see.’
Anthony Nagle
Royal Albert Memorial Museum
The experiences, and consequent success, of
the Ashmolean Museum, are now helping the
team on the Royal Albert Memorial Museum
to deliver its £12 million project.
Located in the heart of Exeter, RAMM is a Grade
II-listed Victorian building that was built around
a rear central courtyard. The project involves the
construction of a new extension combined with
extensive refurbishment of the existing building.
However, the complexities of the project,
unforeseen by the client’s architects and
structural engineers, have given Project
Manager, Nigel Harris, and his team more than
their fair share of challenges.
Explains Nigel: ‘We’re working with our client’s
architects who have created a stunning vision for
the museum that blends modern, state-of-theart design with 200-year-old features.
‘As designers, they are brilliant,’ he enthuses.
‘But they’re not builders and it was only when
we began to turn their vision into reality that
problems became apparent.’
‘For example, when it came to demolishing part
of the existing building, we discovered that it
was built over a 1,000-year-old Norman ditch
and that the building was literally slipping into
it,’ says Nigel. ‘The roof was being pulled apart,
and we uncovered major structural defects
that threatened other parts of the building too.
Before we could do anything else, we had to
prop the roof up and underpin the building to
stop subsidence. Parts of the building were
being held together with huge bits of steel.’
None of this had been previously identified,
which meant the work hadn’t been factored
into the original design plans. Add to this
a delay in the mechanical and engineering
works, because the original designs wouldn’t
work, and, through no fault of the BAM team,
the project was seriously slipping behind and
going over budget.
It is thanks to the strength of the BAM team,
which combines depth of experience with a
genuine enthusiasm and care for the project,
that RAMM is progressing at all. The team
has also developed a remarkably strong and
trusting relationship with its client, Exeter
County Council.
‘Our client is very understanding of our
position, and has put a great deal of trust in
us as a team,’ says Nigel. ‘It’s crucial that the
strong link is maintained to ensure the project
is delivered successfully and to assist in
managing their expectations, and budgets’.
‘It isn’t easy working with an old
crumbling building whose structure
is falling apart. Couple this with the
fact that we don’t have accurate
detailed plans, and every day throws us
different challenges, all of which have
time and financial considerations.’
To put this into context, there have been
over 1,200 variations on the design to date,
and more than 1,500 RFIs (requests for
information) have been submitted by the
BAM team.
Spring 2010
>>
People 13
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July
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‘It’s very frustrating,’ says Clive Horsnell,
Senior Site Manager, who has over 30 years
construction experience having worked on
similar buildings around the world. ‘There is so
much that just wasn’t considered early in the
planning process, due largely to the fact that
before construction started it was a working
museum,’ he explains.
There are many obstacles to overcome for
the BAM team. The project includes over
sixty new openings to create a spacious and
light-filled museum. But in some instances
the locations are wrong, lintels have not been
properly sized, windows that have been
planned for renovation simply don’t exist,
and hidden steel beams and blocked door
openings are being discovered all the time.
‘It seems that everything we touch has a
different issue. We’re having to address,
and put these right, as they crop up on
an almost daily basis.’ Clive Horsnell
>>
And then there was the challenge of
putting in a new lift shaft, 15 metres down
into the old Norman ditch.
ourpeople
Cotton’ing on
to frameworks
There are also conservation issues both
inside and out, and the site itself is
exceptionally tight, as it is located in
a busy city centre surrounded in part by
an old Roman wall which is an ancient
scheduled monument.
Yet despite all the challenges, the project
team is exceptionally upbeat. ‘It is a frustrating
project,’ says Nigel. ‘But it’s immensely
rewarding as the renovation and new buildings
are beginning to take shape.
‘The relationship of the whole team, including
the client and its design team, is tremendous
as we all work towards realising this fantastic
vision. It will be worth it in the end.’
Nigel Harris and Clive Horsnell
Over 1,500,000 objects and specimens
had to be relocated and put into
storage while the Royal Albert Memorial
Museum (RAMM) was handed over to
BAM for its renovation and construction
work in 2008. There were, however,
a few exceptions, such as Gerald the
Giraffe who was too large to leave the
museum. He was carefully packaged
and boxed until RAMM re-opens.
RAMM first opened in 1869 in memory
of Prince Albert, and when it reopens it
will be a stunning 3,600m2 museum with
space for public exhibitions and galleries.
David Cotton has been appointed to the
new role of Sector Development Director,
as we look to capitalise on our winning
framework positions in the health and
education sectors.
There will be a new bridge from the
external Roman wall to reception so
that visitors can walk down the wall
and straight into the museum. A new
internal bridge inside the courtyard
will link the front and rear buildings.
And the galleries will be cutting edge,
contrasting the old sympathetically
restored architectural features,
with new state-of-the-art design.
The new stone-clad timber framed
building will create a gallery so
magnificent that it will allow the
museum to bring major national touring
exhibitions to the South West. No
longer will RAMM be a treasure for
local consumption, but a nationally
recognised museum.
14 People
Winter 2010
This is a newly created national position
within BAM, and one which responds
to the company’s drive to maximise the
opportunities being offered through
frameworks.
Photograph courtesy of Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter
Explains David: ‘As a company, our first
priority was, and is, to get selected onto
national and local authority frameworks.
However, this doesn’t guarantee us
any work, it just means we have the
opportunity to bid for the projects these
frameworks are delivering. So far we have
been very successful, but we can’t afford
to assume that a leading position within
a framework always leads to winning
business. They are two very different
things, and require different approaches.’
David will be based in Thorpe Park in
Leeds, working alongside BAM’s three
sector directors who are responsible for
Health, Education, and Retail/Academies.
David’s focus is very much about
developing a strategic plan that secures
the future work that frameworks offer.
‘We’ve fought hard to win our positions
on a number of major frameworks,’ he
says. ‘Having come this far we now
need to make sure we keep ahead of the
game by identifying and optimising every
business opportunity.’
Recognising that the education and health
sectors are fundamental to BAM’s future,
David adds: ‘Projects coming out of
these frameworks will account for a very
significant proportion of turnover, so it’s
vital that we have a strategic and focussed
approach to winning them.’
David achieved a 2:1 honours degree in
building at Heriott Watt University in his
home city of Edinburgh. He moved to
Yorkshire 23 years ago, before joining
the company as a marketing manager
for its northern operations in 1993. Prior
to his new role, David was Business
Development Manager for the company’s
North West and North East regions.
‘I am very excited about this new role,’
he says. ‘The next two-to-three years are
going to offer us a lot of opportunities and
I am looking forward to working with the
BAM team in turning these opportunities
into profitable business for the company.’
Spring 2010
People 15
ourpeople
July
2009
>>
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Hill to create HBG Construction now,
of course, BAM. When you consider
that around 90% of acquisitions
and mergers fail
fail, there was, albeit
a calculated one, a risk. The focus
of each business and its teams to
build a UK-wide company with key
regional strengths was ambitious,
but very successful.
What are the biggest changes
you have seen in the industry over the last
forty years?
Health and safety has come a long way,
thank goodness. Also the way we work with
people. We’re no longer in a ‘tell and do’
culture, but one that allows for autonomy
and gives people the opportunity to manage
themselves. Trust in people has become an
essential part of management.
Richard Gregory joined the company in 1966 as a Trainee Engineer. In 1995
he was appointed Managing Director and in 2004 became Chief Executive.
During this time the company reached its milestone £1billion turnover.
After a 44-year career with the company, Richard retired on 1 April.
People put the following questions to him …
How did you get involved in the
construction industry?
My family was in the construction business
so I never questioned doing anything else.
When I was eleven years old I went to a
building school in Uxbridge where, alongside
academic subjects, I learnt brickwork and
carpentry. I then went on to Willesden
Technical College where I studied construction.
I was 22 years old when I joined (then) Kyle
Stewart. I earned £16 per week with two weeks
paid holiday. Forty-four years ago, that was
considered a pretty good package!
However, my biggest challenge came in 1995
when I was appointed Managing Director of
HBG Kyle Stewart. We had just come out
of the 1992 recession and the business had
suffered a great deal. My first task was to
make 80 redundancies which was probably
the worst thing I have ever had to do. Then
came the challenge to re-build the company.
This involved an entire change programme
in which we identified the need to become a
customer-focused organisation. It was a very
tough period, and many lessons were learnt
during that process. You never stop learning.
What has been your toughest challenge?
In 1973, as Contracts Manager, I was
responsible for the new Northampton
(Greyfriars) Bus Station. This was a very
complex project which included car parking
and offices. It was technically very challenging
and structurally difficult to build. It was also
an extremely high profile project which
dominated the town centre, so it attracted a
lot of controversial attention, and still does!
And your greatest achievement?
In 1990 I spent 14 weeks at Harvard in the
USA on a business management course.
It was a great personal, and professional,
achievement and one which certainly
changed my career.
16 People
Spring 2010
In terms of what I have achieved for the
company, it has to be the successful merger
in 1997 of Kyle Stewart, GA, and Higgs and
In terms of building technology, it's funny to
think that on one of my first projects, the new
Barclaycard headquarters in Northampton,
we used pan-mixers to mix our own concrete as
RMC [ready-made-concrete] was not available
as a product back then. Now, forty years later,
we’re mixing our own concrete at BAM’s £165m
LMBB project in Cambridge, because it’s more
efficient and environmentally friendly!
What advice would you give to someone
starting out in construction today?
I think the construction industry is the
best profession to be in, at any level. I’d
recommend it to anyone, and for those
who are ambitious I just say ‘make yourself
heard and be proactive’. It is those who put
themselves forward who succeed.
What will you miss about BAM?
I am fortunate that I’ve had a fantastic 44
years with the company. I have always
enjoyed visiting sites, meeting the people
who are delivering the projects, and seeing
our buildings emerge. I will miss the people
and the industry very much.
What will you do tomorrow?
I intend to buy and renovate property and do
some overseas travelling. I will also be helping
my wife and daughter with their livery stable
business. My daughter has already appointed
me as a management trainee, so I suppose
you could say that I’ve come full circle!
ourpeople
July
2009
Mine’s a pint
John Bennett is amongst the many BAM
people throughout the country who regularly
give blood to saves lives.
John, who is a member of BAM Plant's
finance team, has recently given his 75th pint,
and achieves an award from the NHS Blood
and Transplant unit (pictured).
‘When I was presented with my award, I met a
woman whose life had been saved through a
blood transfusion during which she needed 75
pints of blood,’ says John. ‘I realised then that
I had literally saved a life. Giving blood is one of
the easiest and most important things we can
do for others.’
And did you know you can give your
platelets too?
Adrian Tasker, Business Development
Manager for BAM Construction in the
Midlands has been giving his platelets
to help cancer patients since 2007.
He explains: ‘Platelets are vital in helping to
clot blood, and in keeping a healthy immune
system. ‘Most platelet donations are given to
patients who are unable to make enough of
them in their bone marrow, such as people
with leukemia or other cancers and who have
too few platelets as the result of their disease
or treatment.
‘Platelets given are often life-saving and because
they can only be stored for a few days, regular
and frequent donations are required. I lost my
wife to cancer three years ago, so I understand
the desperate need for platelet donation.
She was only 48. Since then I have given my
platelets eight times a year and while it is a
longer process than giving blood, it is as easy
and just as necessary.’
In a recent intranet Opinion Poll survey, 20% of BAM respondents said they give blood. If you
would like to know more about giving blood or platelets, please visit www.blood.co.uk
Long Service and Retirements
Our congratulations go to the following
people who have recently achieved 25
years service with the company.
Sue Donnachie PA to
Richard Gregory, based
in Breakspear Park.
Nick Neill, Associate
Electrical Engineer
for BAM Design in
St Albans.
>>
Geoff Wright, Construction Manager for
BAM Construction in the North East.
And retiring after more than 100 years
service between them, we wish the
following a long and happy retirement.
Graham Anderson, Head of Supply Chain
Management, who retired after 40 years
service with the company.
Jim McNicholas, Principal Electrical
Engineer for BAM Design.
Rod Neathey, (pictured top right) Senior
Project Surveyor for BAM Construction in
the Midlands region. He joined the company
in 1982.
Roger Hayward, Approved Electrician
for BAM Plant based in the Midlands.
Reginald Brindle, who joined BAM Plant
as Painter in 1998.
Andy Cook, Commercial Manager for
BAM Construction in the Western region
(pictured right centre) with Roy Lucas
and Nick Leigh.
John Davies, Site Operative, who is pictured
(bottom right) receiving his retirement gift at
the Western region’s annual dinner dance.
Charlie Satgunanathan, Senior
Site Manager for BAM Construction
in London.
Bernard Saunders, Site Fitter, who retired
after 24 years service with BAM Plant.
Spring 2010
People 17
ourpeople
July
2009
>>
Poles apart
for BAM’s master builder
In 2005, Marianna Chlebek came to the UK after completing
a degree in Land Surveying in her native country of Poland.
Now an Assistant Quantity Surveyor for BAM in the London
region, Marianna came to the UK to broaden her experience
of European culture and to improve her English. Despite
her intention to return to Poland after three months, she
now finds herself, quite literally, amongst the UK’s ‘master
builders’, having achieved a distinction in her masters
degree in construction project management.
Marianna not only achieved the challenging accolade
following her two-year course with the University
of Westminster, but has been nominated by the University
for the prestigious RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered
Surveyors) Award.
Explains Marianna: ‘I really wanted to pursue my career in
construction and decided to take a masters degree after
having the opportunity to stay a while longer in England.’
Sponsored by a previous employer and then BAM, Marianna –
who was one of only a few women on the course - studied in
the evenings and devoted most of her spare time to learning.
‘My greatest challenges were the language barrier,
particularly the technical language used in construction, and
in understanding the different work processes involved in the
UK, compared to those I had experienced as a land surveyor
in Poland.’
>>
Community
Champions
BAM is making a very real difference to the
communities in which it works by proactively
becoming involved with a wide range of
community initiatives and schemes.
To help monitor our activities, BAM has
appointed a team of volunteer community
champions, who, in addition to their day jobs,
are helping to measure our impact on the
community by promoting, supporting, and
capturing what we’re doing around the country.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
BAMPlant-AgnesMiller
BAMFMScotland-RossMitchell
BAMFMSouthern–MarkPile
BAMFMNorthern–JoanneJimson
London-SaraStone,EleanorRadville
Scotland-MichaelShields
NorthEast-KirstyBrown
NorthWest-LouiseAshton
Midlands-LauraHerbert
Western-LisaHawker,GeoffWilliams
SouthEast-TonyPenrose
BreakspearPark-KateWilcox
‘I am very proud to have achieved my masters, and I am very
excited about applying my qualifications and skills to making
great buildings for BAM.’
18 People
Spring 2010
Over the six month period from July to December 2010, our community champions together with
LBG have been measuring the cash, time, and in-kind resources we have donated on various
community activities across BAM FM, BAM Plant and six of our construction regions. In just six
months LBG calculated our community investment at over £317,000. This is made up of cash,
in-kind, and resource contributions worth £196,040, with an additional £121,589 being leveraged
from our employees, subcontractors and customers. LBG also identified:
•
•
•
•
•
•
61% of our overall contributions are through employee time
3,675 hours were spent on community activities
£99,709 is the value of our activities to support education and young people
Health was the second largest investment, representing £30,946
£54,024 was leveraged from our customers and/or subcontractors
£44,171 was achieved through employee fundraising alone
‘Measuring what we’re doing enables us to accurately report on the important
work we are doing in the community. Our CSR work, which includes charity and
community support, is a fundamental and strategic part of our business, which
helps us to win work.’
Richard Bailey, Managing Director, BAM Construction
the cause. He explains: ‘We have
a very close relationship with Great
Ormond Street Hospital, so our support
for Raising the Roof is a natural
development of our close business
relationship and helping to fund the next
phase of the hospital’s redevelopment.’
This is being sought through the recruitment
of 100 members, each making a payment of
£30,000, over a three year period.
Did you know?
The London Benchmarking Group
(LBG) provides the model to evaluate
our community activity, and its impact,
across the whole UK. Despite its name,
LBG is used by companies to report on
local, national and worldwide activities.
>>
Raising £3m for sick children
Raising the Roof is a new fundraising
drive launched by Great Ormond Street
Hospital Children’s Charity to raise
£3 million to help fund the hospital’s
new centre for neurosciences.
‘When I joined BAM I was put on the Darwin Centre project
just as it was finishing,’ she says. ‘This meant I had to pick up
on work from other surveyors, so the learning curve was very
steep. I think you say it’s “being thrown in at the deep end”.’
‘I certainly consider myself to be very fortunate,’ continues
Marianna, who is now working at Great Ormond Street
Hospital. ‘I have received great support from everyone,
particularly my BAM colleagues. I also really enjoy my job,
which makes a big difference when learning.
Benchmarking to win work
‘We can only evaluate what we know about,’
says Kate Wilcox, Community Engagement
Manager. ‘So it is important that everyone
lets their community champion know of any
community, education, or charity activity they
are involved in, no matter how small.’
Marianna’s enthusiastic tutors, mentors, and colleagues at
BAM, helped her to overcome these challenges.
csr &environment
July 2009
As one of Great Ormond Street Hospital’s
principal construction partners delivering the
hospital’s £500m redevelopment programme,
BAM has pledged an annual donation of
£10,000 for the next three years. It is also
engaging its supply chain and encouraging its
partners to do the same.
Mike Donegan, Construction Director for
BAM in London, is one of the club’s Board
members, and an enthusiastic champion of
‘The concept is to create a highly
influential non-competitive group of
companies and people who collectively
have a big impact on the construction
and property industry.
‘Members are brought together through
exclusive business events, and the benefits
are becoming apparent as we develop new
relationships that will open up opportunities
for the future,’ says Mike. ‘It’s a very effective
business approach, and provides a unique
opportunity to engage with the charity in
a new, relevant and exciting way.’ Mike
has already signed up McGee, Getjar, and
NG Bailey and along with the other Board
Members has secured pledges for over
£500,000 towards the fundraising target.
For further information about Raising the
Roof please visit
www.gosh.org/raising-the-roof
or contact Mike Donegan on
0207 374 3600
Spring 2010
People 19
csr &environment
>>
>>
FM cleans up
around theregions
The wind in our sails
>>
BAM Plant has turned disused boats and
dinghies into a stunning nautical garden for
local Park Junior School in Wellingborough.
which has 240 pupils aged between
seven and 11-years-old, with a further five
projects planned for completion this year.
Investing its expertise, time, and money,
a team of volunteers produced an innovative
playground, using the fibre glass boat hulls
as planters for a vegetable garden.
‘The children are thrilled with the new
play garden,’ says Agnes Miller at BAM
Plant. ‘They now have a fantastic and
stimulating environment in which to
experience the joys of sowing seeds
and growing plants. It really makes
a difference.’
The project is part of BAM Plant’s £5,000
pledge to support its neighbouring school,
The BAM FM team at Smith’s Wood Sports
College in Solihull has teamed up with the
local council to help clean up the borough’s
litter and graffiti hot-spots and reduce
anti-social behaviour.
What a relief!
Sport Relief got BAM people out and about
this March, raising well over £1,000!
At our Breakspear Park offices, the BAM Sports and Social Club organised a staff sports day
where teams competed in a traditional egg and spoon race, golf putting, hula hoop, tug of
war, and table tennis challenges. Refreshments and cakes were provided, which, including
BAM’s match-funding, helped to raise £1,000 for Sport Relief.
In the Midlands, passionate football fans Jon Winterton and Julie Wawrzyniak took part in
‘Shirt of Hurt’ as their respective teams, Leicester City and Coventry FC played for the local
derby Championship. ‘We agreed that the losing team’s supporter would wear the winner’s
kit for a day in exchange for donations to Sport Relief,’ says Julie. ‘As it was a 2-2 draw, we
ended up in each others’ shirts. I wasn’t at all comfortable in a Leicester City shirt, but I was
pleased to have helped raise money for Sport Relief.’
And among the 165,000 people across the UK who joined in the nationwide appeal to run the
Sport Relief mile, were Sara Stone, Environment and Community Manager and Chris Jones,
BAM’s Environmental Advisor who also went on to run the six-mile challenge.
‘Graffiti has become a major problem for the
borough,’ says Brian Trupp, BAM’s Deputy
FM Manager at the College. ‘We have a good
relationship with Solihull County Council
and as part of its Environmental Champion
campaign we were only too pleased to get
involved in this project.’
Together with other local volunteers, the BAM
FM team – comprising Tony Jordan, Leigh
Harrison, Kay Spiller, Pete Nicholas, Iain
Coffey, Phil Knight, and Brian – donated their
time to help remove over 1,000 graffiti tags
in one of the worst areas of Castle Bromwich.
The team has also been involved in clearing
litter and repainting signs in a nearby
recreational wood.
‘Litter and graffiti ruin an area,’ says Brian.
‘We want to help the people within our
community feel proud of their environment,
and the results of cleaning up have immediate
benefits. It helps promote a respect for the
neighbourhood and makes for a much more
pleasant and happy environment in which to
live, work, and study. There is also evidence
to show that it reduces crime.’
Cabinet member for safer communities,
Councillor Mrs Diana Holl-Allen, said of the
BAM FM team and other volunteers working
on Solihull’s campaign: ‘Graffiti affects how
people feel about living in their community.
The work these volunteers do in clearing
up graffiti is superb, and has had a positive
impact on many areas in the borough.’
20 People
Spring 2010
Heart of the matter
>>
With the expertise of BAM Plant, a threetonne specially-designed fabricated cradle
enveloped the unit so that it could be
hoisted out of its location with the aid of a
500-tonne mobile crane.
A mobile cardiac heart unit at John Radcliffe
Hospital, needed BAM's help to safely
remove it for placement in another hospital.
‘The unit was housed within the hospital
for several years, and weighed around 30
tonnes,’ explains Alec Carr, Project Manager
for BAM Construction in the South East,
who worked on the new hospital. ‘The
problem was getting it out without causing
any damage to the unit and the highly
sensitive equipment inside.’
‘We had limited time to design and
produce a sculpture that would carry the
30-tonne cabin,’ explains Stewart Miller,
Fabrication Manager for BAM Plant.
‘Once the fabricated cradle was
engineered our challenge was fitting and
securing it around the cabin as we were
extremely tight for space. There was also
the physical removal of the unit which
required absolute precision. This was
carried out by our lifting department who
were able to apply their skill so as to avoid
any damage to the unit. It was a tricky job
which proved to be a great team effort.’
Spring 2010
People 21
around theregions
>>
>>
Martin’s loss is charity’s gain
Walking for Haiti
Fields of dreams
Martin Hollingworth, General Operative
working on the Cressex Community
School project, recently completed the
New York Marathon, and, in so doing,
not only raised over £3,200 for the
Cystic Fibrosis Trust, but lost five-anda-half stone in weight during training.
Manju Pabari, Assistant Accountant, and
colleague Vikas Hathi, Clerical Assistant,
wanted to do something positive to help
the people of Haiti. ‘My son and daughterin-law organised a 12-mile sponsored
walk from Stanmore,’ explains Manju.
‘Over 35 members of our families and
friends took part and so far we have raised
over £4,000.’
The site team at Great Ormond Street Hospital has donated its CERES Environmental Award
winnings to Coram’s Fields, a children’s park which is located opposite the hospital site.
‘I decided to take up running to lose
weight, and I really got into it,’ he says.
‘As my nephew has Cystic Fibrosis,
our family does a lot of fundraising for
the charity. The charity was offering
places at the New York marathon, so
I decided to challenge myself. It was a
good focus for my fitness campaign,
but more than that, it was a brilliant way
to raise money. My thanks go to all my
friends, family and BAM colleagues who
supported me.’
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western
hemisphere, was hit in January by the
worst earthquake the country has
endured for 200 years. It claimed the
lives of 230,000 people, and left 300,000
serious injured, and more than 1.2 million
without homes.
Coram’s Fields provides a unique seven-acre playground and park for children living or
visiting London, and offers a calm, safe, and stimulating environment for children.
Presenting the cheque to Sandy
Wynn of the Coram’s Fields Trust,
is Julie Walsh, BAM’s Site
Environment Manager, and Sara
Stone, Environment and Community
Manager for the London region.
‘We chose Coram’s Fields because
many of the hospital’s children really
enjoy the park too. The Trust will
use the money to improve its wildlife
area and to help look after its new
herb and fruit garden,’ says Julie.
Pound for pound a better
incentive
The BAM FM ‘Healthy Balanced
Generation’ team at Oriel High School
has launched a 12-month weight-loss
challenge, which is aimed at retaining, and
attracting, members to its fitness suite.
The idea is that of Mark Mckeganey, BAM
FM’s Fitness Co-ordinator at the Crawleybased school. ‘After a few months into
the new year, many people lose interest in
their resolutions to become fitter and lose
weight. This often leads to a decline in
membership,’ he explains. ‘In conjunction
with our local radio station, Mercury FM,
we've put on an incentive that not only
rejuvenates our members’ interest and
gets them back to the gym, but also
attracts new members.’
The idea of the scheme is that the gym will
donate one pound (£1) for every pound
(1lb) of weight lost to Mercury FM’s charity
appeal, which supports local causes.
Martin ran the 26-mile course in 4 hours
and 16 minutes. ‘I am already working
on improving that time for the next
marathon,’ he says.
‘The scheme will also hopefully attract
new people to the gym,’ says Mark. ‘It
also gives us the opportunity to interact
with our members and help them to
achieve their goals. From a commercial
and marketing point of view, we hope to
generate some great local publicity while
raising significant funds for charity.’
£1,000 buys 10 very special bricks
A raffle held at the London, South East, and Breakspear Park Annual Dinner Dance raised
£1,000 for CRASH’s Red Brick Appeal.
‘As BAM is a patron of CRASH, we were keen to support the charity’s appeal to raise
£20,000 for the refurbishment and extension of a Kairos Community Trust hostel for
homeless men and women,’ says Ann Lewiston, who was on the organising committee for
the Dinner Dance which took place in February. ‘CRASH’s Red Brick Appeal aims to sell 200
bricks at £100 each to fund this project, and our donation has given them a good start.’
CRASH is appealing to companies and employees to help reach its target. For the company
which buys the most bricks, there will be a trophy awarded and an opportunity for a small
number of employees to visit the London-based project to see how their donations are
helping to change the lives of homeless people.
around theregions
It is anticipated that over 100 members
will take part in the Healthy Balanced
Generation challenge which is being
supported by BAM FM. ‘On average,
members wanting to lose weight will target
around 10lb,’ says Mark. ‘That would
enable us to raise as much as £1,000 for
charitable causes in our community.’
To help Manju and Vikas reach their target of
£5,000 - which will help provide shelter, food,
clean water, and medication for the people of
Haiti, you can donate online by visiting
www.justgiving.com/helphaititoday
If you would like to get involved and help fundraise to purchase some bricks, please contact
Kate Wilcox, BAM’s Community Engagement Manager on 01442 238418 or visit www.
crash.org.uk
Sky-high trek keeps Wales Air Ambulance flying high
Gemma Hodson, Leisure Manager for BAM FM at Crawley Schools, and Group Exercise
Instructor Gemma Surridge, raised more than just their arms and legs at a recent aerobathon,
held in aid of the NSPCC.
The BAM team working on the HealthVision project in Swansea undertook a three peaks
challenge to raise £1,030 for the Wales Air Ambulance. Justin Price, Meirion Adams,
Mark Roberts, Chris Hobbs, and Mike Castellini all endured 90mph gales and torrential
rain to reach the tops of Snowdon, Cadair Idris near Dolgellau, and Pen y Fan in the
Brecon Beacons. In total, the team walked over 20 miles, and climbed 9,397ft.
‘We wanted to support the charity’s Child’s Voice Appeal so, together with Fitness
Coordinator Mark Mckeganey, we put on a two-hour sponsored aerobics session,’ explains
Gemma Hodson. ‘Thirty members of our gym and staff took part and we were delighted to
raise £150 for NSPCC’s ChildLine, so that it can continue its work in providing a vital link for
children in distressful and dangerous situations.’
Said Justin: ‘Wales Air Ambulance provides a vital emergency service to those in lifethreatening situations. Although a registered charity, it does not receive any government
or National Lottery funding. It costs an average of £1,200 for each mission it undertakes,
and it is only through the generosity and support of the public that they can keep flying and
saving lives. Our thanks go to everyone who sponsored us and helped to raise this money.’
BAM FM’s little gems
22 People
Spring 2010
Spring 2010
People 23
ANDfinally
>>
‘Fundraising is our way of thanking
the hospital and people there for all the
great things they do and for how well
they look after all the sick boys and girls,’
says Charlie.
Says Sam: ‘I always knew I had a very
special little boy in Charlie, but his fight,
spirit and determination throughout the
past four months has amazed everyone.
I can never put into words how proud
I am of him and how lucky I am to be
his mum. Thank you to all my friends
and colleagues at BAM for all their
support and best wishes. It has been
a great comfort to know that Charlie is
in everyone’s thoughts.’
Charlie's Angels
Sam Hopkins is a receptionist at our
Glasgow office. In November last year her
six-year-old son, Charlie, was diagnosed
with a rare cancer of the lymph nodes,
known as Burkitts Lymphoma.
‘Charlie fell ill very quickly and was
admitted to the Schiehallion Ward at
Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Children,’
explains Sam. ‘He began an intensive
course of chemotherapy, and had to have
chest drains inserted as well as lumber
punctures. It was so frightening for all of
us, but the expertise of the medical team
and the support of the hospital staff were
just fantastic.’
made me laugh and I had good fun even if I
wasn’t feeling well. I have made lots of very
special friends on the ward.’
Inspired by Charlie and in appreciation for
the hospital, Sam and her family, as well as
friends and colleagues at BAM, have taken
part in a wide range of fundraising activities
in support of the Yorkshill Children’s
Foundation. To date, they have raised over
£5,500, against their target of £7,500.
Charlie has written up his story and
a blog on his fundraising page at
www.justgiving.com/charliehopkins.
If you would like to make a donation and
help Sam and Charlie reach their £7,500
fundraising goal, you can either donate
on-line at the Just Giving site, or make a
pledge to Sam via Jackie Connell at BAM
Construction in Scotland.
>>
Looks like …
Has BAM’s Senior Graphics Designer, Howard Crawford, been standing in for BBC2
presenter Jeremy Vine?
In March, after her son had endured four
months of chemotherapy and having spent
most of that time in Yorkhill Hospital, Sam
received the fantastic news that Charlie’s
treatment had been successful. He had no
more Burkitts left in his body and his scans
were all clear!
Says Charlie: ‘When I first started
treatment, I was very sick and got ulcers
in my lips, mouth and throat which meant
I couldn’t eat or drink. I had to have
a feeding tube inserted to make sure
I got all the vitamins and nutrients my
body needed.
5939/03/10
‘All the time I was in hospital, my mum or
dad stayed with me and once I started
to feel better there was lots for me to do.
The doctors, nurses and all the staff on
the ward were really great. They always
24 People
Spring 2010
Jeremy Vine?
Howard Crawford?
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