Wednesday 17 November 2010

Capita Symonds at the 2010 Public Property Summit

Video coverage of Capita Symonds at the Public Property Summit at the Business Design Centre, London on 01-02 November... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnDdZfYOo2I

Friday 15 October 2010

commercial break

Capita Symonds’ Director of Business Transformation Neil McLocklin looks at how local authorities can learn from the commercial property sector…

Local authorities are used to cutting costs. That is just as well. The imminent Comprehensive Spending Review will ratchet up the pressure on them to do so even further.

But savings are not the whole answer. The government must put more pressure on the public sector to raise money too. This thinking is the lifeblood of the private property industry, but there is little pressure on the public sector to generate income.


It will be hard for the government to change, but change it must: the public sector is missing too many opportunities. These range from the obvious, such as ensuring vacant property is let, to the more innovative.

In August, environment secretary Chris Huhne gave local authorities the option to sell energy through feed-in tariffs. It was a good move, but this was just one possible area to address. The government should send a stronger message to the public sector that it is OK to be commercial.

Some forward-thinking local authorities, such as Lewisham and Southampton, have wisely taken minority stakes in their shopping centres, and will benefit from this income stream as it grows. But this is passive investment.

The diversity of assets within local authorities is immense, and this is part of the problem. Town halls and civic chambers are being rented out by some authorities for weddings and events, but the commercial promotion and marketing of these venues is often poor, so these fantastic assets are under-used.

Car parks and park-and-ride schemes may be operationally well managed, but there should also be kiosks to sell customers newspapers and coffee. Any good private sector property manager would be thinking along these lines.

Towns and cities attract events such as festivals, exhibitions and shows. But there is no proactive asset management that maximises revenue opportunities that surround these events. In the south, authorities should be considering the potential value for photo-voltaic cells on school roofs and landfill sites. Markets in streets and squares are often administered by local authorities, but in a passive way.
Of course, income generation has to be balanced with political and economic desires to stimulate the local economy – that and the all-too-common letter to the leader of the council from a local business, complaining about its audacity in increasing rent after five years.
We live in a new world. And politicians need to support their officers in taking a more commercial approach. If not, they miss opportunities to mitigate the pressure on public services.
Neil McLocklin is head of business transformation at Capita Symonds
Capita Symonds is a lead sponsor of Public Property Summit 2010.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Profiling the Risk

Judith Hackitt CBE is Chair for the Health and Safety Executive. Judith recently gave a speech at the Joint Capita Symonds and ACE Safety Lecuture. An extract of the speech "Profiling the risk - determining what is important and what is not in project management and consulting" is reproduced below. The full speech is available to download.  


First, some good news. Over the last decade, the UK Construction industry has undergone something of a cultural transformation. Fatal injury rates have been more than halved and major injury rates have improved by more than one third. I have had the pleasure of visiting some of the best examples of good practice in construction up and down the country in the last year or so not least the Olympic Park here in London and Media City in Salford. What is particularly striking about these examples of good practice is not just the safety performance which is achieved, but the way in which it has been achieved. Health and safety is part of the culture and it is led from the top. Workforce involvement and engagement at every level is clearly visible. Innovative practices are being implemented which reduce the inherent levels of risk. Motivation, commitment, collaboration in the supply chain; productivity is high and goes hand-in-hand with good health and safety practice – it’s a win-win, not a trade off.


But this particular success story does of course have a major sting in the tail. We now know what levels of performance can be achieved and what huge benefits can accrue when the culture change happens. So this makes the 41 deaths and more than 3,000 major injuries which occurred in the construction industry last year all the more tragic because we know that they need not have happened. The old ‘assumptions’ that construction was a hazardous industry and that little could be done to change the culture were completely wrong. Attitudes and performance can be changed but we have yet to achieve that across the whole of the industry.

Strong evidence is beginning to emerge of a two-tier industry developing in construction. There is a direct correlation between the high accident incidence rates on smaller sites and in particular on refurbishment work. It would be easy to rationalise this problem away by saying that smaller sites and refurbishment work are ‘different’. In some senses of course this is true. But in the current climate of flexible working, sub-contracting and sub-sub contracting this argument is increasingly difficult to maintain. Those who are today engaged in small scale non-commercial refurbishment projects may very soon find themselves working on large scale green field projects and vice-versa.

Here are just a few reasons why these types of mobility are not just possible but probable:

In the last 2-3 years construction has been hit by the worst recession in over 50 years – the industry now employs 375,000 fewer people than in 2008. As we emerge from recession, private sector investment in construction is going to create huge demand for skills.

We need look no further than the huge infrastructure investment required in the energy economy for evidence of this. Investment in the grid itself as well as massive investment in renewable energy technologies and nuclear – all of this will involve construction activity on a major scale.

At the same time, the huge squeeze on expenditure will have an opposite effect on major construction projects in the public sector in building new schools, hospitals and public amenities.

We have no way of knowing how these events will coincide but my point is that these forces will create movement of labour across the full spectrum of the sector as we enter economic upturn and growth.

But if the difference in performance between large scale projects and domestic refurbishment is telling, the correlation between inexperience in a job and risk of injury is even more compelling.

Just as we have moved on from the generic mindset that ‘construction is a dangerous industry’, we must stop ourselves from falling into the trap of believing that ‘refurbishment and small scale construction are different’. Or that there is anything inevitable about new and inexperienced workers being more ‘prone’ to injury.

What the evidence of the past tells us is that despite making significant progress; particularly on major high profile construction projects, refurbishment and the influx/flow of inexperienced recruits throughout the sector are two priority areas which we must now focus our attention on in construction to reach the next level of performance improvement and culture change. Furthermore, the performance improvement which has been achieved over the last decade clearly demonstrates not only what is possible but the very clear business benefits of doing it.
 
For more information on the Health and Safety services Capita Symonds offer visit our dedicated microsite.

Friday 10 September 2010

wielding the axe

Chris Marriott on how to make savings in local authority leisure and arts management


The recently announced budget cuts for local authorities have been brutal: savings of anything between 25% and 40% will need to be delivered over the next four years.

Councils have for some time been working out what they can cut, how much they can save, and when they can do it. All services will come under intense scrutiny and all are likely to suffer, some more acutely than others.

So, what is the future of ‘leisure and arts’, as a non-statutory service? Some councils may be tempted - as they are free to do at their discretion – to close their leisure centres and theatres and sack staff. Closing the doors is a very efficient way of making savings, but the problem is, whilst councils do not have to provide leisure and arts services at all, they do represent some of their most visible activities and are integral to the delivery of a far wider social and economic agenda.

So what is the alternative to closing facilities? Well, for those councils who are operating their facilities directly, the simple answer is to get someone else to do it for you, under contract. About 65% of leisure centres in England are still operated in-house, whereby the council takes responsibility for the delivery of the service and takes on all the risk. The other 35% is run by a mature stable of specialist private contractors (Leisure Connection, DC Leisure, Parkwood, SLM, Serco) and trusts (Fusion, Greenwich Leisure, Active Nation, SIV).

Leisure operators typically charge the council a management fee in return for taking on the financial risk of operating the facilities. Councils tend to find it cheaper to contract with a partner rather than deliver the service themselves. This is for a number of reasons, including more commercially astute management, better marketing and programming and faster decision making, leading to higher sales and lower costs. Also, trusts (although not private operators) benefit from business rate relief and tax benefits which they can pass on to the Council via a reduced management fee.

On the cost side, cynics might question whether these contractors will reduce the staffing base, but the truth is council employees are transferred across as part of the contract and their terms and conditions will be protected under the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) Regulations. That’s not to say that over the course of a contract (which will typically be around 10 years) they will not be banking on making savings through improving the productivity of their workforce – savings that they will pass on to the council in the form of a lower management fee.

Given that staffing typically represents the single biggest cost (around 75% of the total) it warrants some consideration here. We have undertaken a number of reviews of local authority leisure operations over the past few years. Compared to trust and privately operated facilities staffing costs – almost without exception - proved to be significantly higher, due to a combination of better pay and higher numbers of staff. Going forward – and there is no avoiding it – councils are going to need to address this if they want to retain the scope of their service and continue operating in-house. Up until now it’s an issue they have been unwilling to tackle and they have not been under much pressure to sort it out. It’s been easier to just cut back on repairs and maintenance. That’s just not sustainable.

Regardless of how they make these savings, the fact is that external partners can substantially reduce the cost of the service to the council and can prove this through a demonstrable track record over a number of years.

One of the leading leisure contractors in the UK will tell you that it typically delivers a £200,000 saving to a Council for each leisure centre it takes on (reducing the net cost from £300,000 to £100,000). If they can all demonstrate that the quality of service can be improved and they take on the risk of operating the facility, this makes for a very attractive proposition.

Proponents of in-house delivery will argue that councils are generally more in tune with the needs of their community and are better at delivering sports and arts development programmes. This may well be true and there are some councils we know who do it extremely well. However, leisure officers will have a difficult job convincing their chiefs that this is important in the current climate and whether they are indeed any better at doing it than a third party contractor. And then they will have to make a convincing case to continue funding it.
Even if they can put forward a compelling case for retaining their sports and arts development service in-house, the business of managing the facility is a separate issue. Councils will find a very competitive market out there and contracts are likely to be keenly priced. The fact that all councils who currently manage their leisure and arts facilities in-house will be reviewing their options at the same time is positive; there will be opportunities for like-minded neighbouring councils to club together and jointly offer a larger portfolio of facilities to the market (e.g. Guildford and Woking). The bigger scale opportunities tend to be more aggressively pursued by operators and can help drive a keener price, whilst the councils can share the burden of the procurement costs.

So, in the face of swingeing cuts and competing budgetary priorities local authorities will need to demonstrate a sound business case for continuing to operate their services in-house. In fact, from now on, the onus is likely to be on why councils should not outsource their service.

Chris Marriott is Principal Consultant at Capita Symonds -

Tuesday 31 August 2010

air tight regulations

Yianni Spanos on what the recent revision to Part F of the Building Regulations will mean for the construction industry… 

One of the challenges for achieving low energy buildings is to significantly improve their air tightness. Ventilation provisions within the new Building Regulations Part F have been increased for commercial buildings and dwellings with a recommended design air permeability tighter or equal to 5 m3/(h.m2) @50Pa.

Focusing on construction, achieving an air tightness target of 5 m3/(h.m2) is not a difficult task. For many years specifiers have demanded significantly better standards of air tightness in quality buildings to ensure that the occupants enjoy a satisfactory state of comfort and well-being. For air-conditioned buildings, and buildings which aim to be low energy, a maximum air permeability standard of 3 m3/(h.m2) has been set by many building owners and operators.

The major benefits of tighter air tightness standard are far better control, fewer staff complaints and improved energy efficiency. Equally, many clients in the retail sector have adopted lower air tightness standards than required by the Building Regulations, such as 2 m3/(h.m2) for new build projects. Even extensions to existing buildings can routinely achieve an air permeability target of 3 m3/(h.m2).

In this regard, under normal practices for mix-mode and air-conditioned buildings, superstores, museums and storage, mechanically ventilated dwellings, factory and warehouses, the air-tightness should is expected to be better than 2010 amendments. Special consideration should be given to the design of naturally ventilated dwellings, schools, hospitals and naturally ventilated offices, when best practice for those type of buildings can achieve 40% - 60% better air tightness level than the new Part F standards.

The path to routinely achieving air tightness targets is as follows:

  • Specify the air tightness target at a very early design stage;
  • Specify the air seal line at a very early stage. The inside surface of the structure is usually the airtight surface. The airtight surface should be brought inside rooms which will be ventilated to outside, such as boiler rooms, plant rooms, electrical switch rooms and lift shafts;
  • Require air sealing detail drawings from the architect or design and build contractor;
  • Consider specifying an air tightness consultant to review drawings;
  • Specify that air tightness testing be undertaken by an independent organisation  which is a member of ATTMA, the testing organisation for the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing;
  • In liaison with the testing organisation, specify all aspects of the air tightness contract process. Where necessary, specify penalty charges for failures not rectified in a reasonable time-scale;
  • Consider specifying an air tightness consultant to inspect the building during the construction process;
  • Clearly communicate the requirements to all design and construction parties.
What main contractors and subcontractors need to do to ensure they're not caught out by the changes?

Specialists should have an early involvement and provide support to the contractors in the design and project management process. In some cases, advanced solutions may be required to meet the targets of the 2010 amendments, especially for construction solutions for which it was challenging to pass the 2006 amendments. It also vital that the project management fully understands and ensure co-ordinations of different trades with aspects of the external façade, and especially when structural supports, or building services, pass through a ‘perforated’ façade and external building elements.

With regard to ventilation systems, reference should be made to a new ‘Domestic Ventilation Compliance Guide’ for guidance on installing, inspecting, testing and commissioning ventilation systems in dwellings. For mechanical ventilation systems installed in new dwellings, air flow rates shall be measured on site and a notice given to the Building Control Body. This shall apply to intermittently-used extract fans and cooker hoods, as well as continuously running systems. In addition, the owner shall be given sufficient information about the ventilation system and its maintenance requirements so that the ventilation system can be operated to provide adequate air flow. All fixed mechanical ventilation systems, where they can be tested and adjusted, shall be commissioned and a commissioning notice given to Building Control Body.

What impact the changes will have on finance and profits?

Under Part F 2010, the contractor should have a greater focus on ensuring that the design is delivered according to correct specifications by specialists. Over the last four years, air-tightness levels were in many cases 50%-60% better than Part F 2010 at no additional cost. It is expected therefore that changes will not have an impact on profits when the design follows a proven assessment routine.

Although these changes will not have a fundamental effect on finance, as well as setting out physical performance requirements performance specification for building envelopes, procurement will need to ensure that contractors have the calculation competences and accredited details needed to secure the required air-tightness levels. Projects with many on-site design variations could be subject to greater misalignment with the expected air tightness results and a greater risk to the contractor team charged with delivery.

Dr Yianni Spanos is Associate Director at Capita Symonds.

Monday 16 August 2010

let's get down to earth...

Malcolm Richards (right) on how rammed earth construction techniques can be used to reduce the energy used in constructing buildings...

Whilst initiatives such as photovoltaics and geothermal energy will help to deliver longer-term energy efficiency benefits, it is clear that they could be usefully supplemented in the more immediate future if the embodied energy in construction materials were reduced.

Research has shown that about ten percent of global CO2 emissions result from cement production, so cutting our dependency on this and other kiln-fired components, such as bricks, could make a big difference.
For some time now I’ve been studying the use of ‘rammed earth’ construction. Rammed earth is based on the compaction of graded soils into formwork to produce an unfired environmentally friendly building material. Rammed earth materials can be also sourced and produced locally, negating the haulage and storage impacts of kiln-fired masonry components and mortars.

Walls produced using rammed earth contain less than one twentieth of the embodied energy of traditional cavity walls. They are more easily returned to the ground when no longer required so the material is borrowed, not stolen. Earth walls have a high thermal mass and act as a heat sink, absorbing heat energy through the day and releasing it into the building as temperatures fall at night. Experiments have shown that rammed earth can actually reduce warm daytime temperatures by 4 or 5 degrees C - equivalent to some cooling systems. At the same time earth buildings stay warmer in cold climates, with internal temperatures unlikely to fall below 140C when occasional external sub-zeros are experienced. Given that half the energy generated in Britain is used to heat or cool buildings, the potential to reduce energy consumption makes earthen buildings an important environmental initiative.

Earth walls control humidity levels within buildings by absorbing excess water vapour and releasing it back when the environment is drier. They also have good sound absorption properties and absorb volatile organic chemicals from the atmosphere, potentially eliminating sick building syndrome. In addition to the normal applications, rammed earth can also be useful in disaster areas as it can be rapidly built using indigenous materials and local labour that requires little training.

Earthen architecture is gaining strength in many parts of the world, including Europe, Australasia and the Americas while building codes for the material are also now being developed, including new seismic design regulations in New Zealand.

Rammed earth is a material that minimises energy input in the construction phase, makes an input into energy consumption and can be returned to the ground when no longer required. It is a material with a viable future and one that won’t (ahem) cost the earth.

Malcolm Richards is a Director of Structures at Capita Symonds.

Friday 30 July 2010

Free to plan...?


Christian Rogers, Director, Capita Symonds, looks at the government’s big idea of ‘Big Society’…


The ideas for devolving decision making to the local level, especially in terms of planning and housing, as well as the proposed rights for communities to take-on service delivery and increased local financial autonomy, could enable significant efficiencies as well as better quality, more locally relevant services. With the right support and approach, local communities could now be free to plan for all of their local needs as part of a single, joined-up local approach for council, education, housing and health services.


In conjunction with potential overhauls to local government finance, this could enable communities to make real decisions about their futures which can be backed up with the means to deliver - free of Whitehall control.


The spirit of these proposals is to be particularly welcomed for its recognition that lasting and sustainable change is more likely to occur if local people are in the driving seat and own it. Direct community involvement in the planning system could help make the move away from the historical position where people have only engaged in the planning system as objectors, and towards groups with the same determination and enthusiasm for positively planning their communities.

But to make it work, local authorities and their local communities will need new skills and resources to be able to engage this ‘legion of community grass roots capital’ and thus enable local government to play its critical role effectively in making the change happen.


Of course, there is a risk that, if not properly supported, it could lead to a return to the bad old days of local government being the whipping boy for failings at both the micro-local and macro-national level. Some might say that there is also a risk that there will be a balance shift towards smaller scale local regeneration projects and away from the kinds of larger scale brownfield developments that have been seen over the last ten years. This could adversely affect the drive to ‘close the gap’ on the supply of affordable housing which major developments like the Thames Gateway and sustainable urban extensions have been addressing. It may even lead to regeneration funding and control being diverted to more ‘politically popular’ projects.


There is also the need to carefully consider how to balance the potentially conflicting aims of greater direct community involvement and a more streamlined planning system as councils will be covering the cost of even more consultation and needing specialists to properly facilitate this engagement process. The need for specialist support for planning within local communities if the regional tier of planning is removed (i.e. moving from a national planning framework straight to a local council level service) again increases costs and the need for specialist support.

There may not be universal support for these new policies - and the RTPI has indicated it will resist them through negotiation with new ministers - so the danger is that we could end up with little more than smoke and mirrors and little real change.


Overall though, the greater freedom for areas to decide how they want public services to operate could be exciting and efficient, stripping out costly central supervision and local duplication. The separate streams could be drawn together in a model that allows local authorities to fulfil a strong community leadership role that includes coordinating a single plan for all local services developed in a cohesive way, focused on local needs and priorities, providing for not only the delivery of health and education services but also for the housing that the teachers and nurses will need. This would replace the current system where formal plans just implement government targets on housing and are often divorced from spending decisions on schools, GPs, hospitals etc.


Local Authorities would therefore be ‘free to plan’ because they would have both the financial autonomy and the planning autonomy: they would be free to focus on the local priorities that they understand best and to provide genuine community leadership that removes duplication and overhead, delivering better services at less cost.

Friday 23 July 2010

Capita Symonds students complete BusinessWise


42 students from Capita Symonds have successfully completed the company’s BusinessWise programme, achieving a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Performance Management from the University of Salford.

This is the first group of employees to complete the ground breaking business skills programme, one of the first programmes to be jointly designed and delivered by an employer and a university in the UK.
The knowledge and skills that the graduates have developed during the programme, will be essential now, more than more than ever before, to the continued success of the company...

Successful students attended the graduation ceremony at The Lowry Art and Entertainment Centre in Salford where Craig Kirk from Capita Symonds' Cumbria & North-East business also collected the award for Most Outstanding Student on BusinessWise from Capita Symonds Executive Director Dave Spencer.

Pictured: Craig Kirk, winner of the first ‘Most Outstanding Student Student’ Award for BusinessWise, with Capita Symonds project manager Ann Graves and Dr Ed Doran, University of Salford programme leader


Dave said: “We are delighted that BusinessWise has proved to be so successful. The knowledge and skills that the graduates have developed during the programme, will be essential now, more than more than ever before, to the continued success of the company. We are proud of the commitment that all the graduates have made to BusinessWise and in particular Craig should be congratulated on achieving the Most Outstanding Student award, which is a credit to the work he has put in over the last two years.”

Stuart Wells, Director of Management Development Programmes at the University of Salford, Salford Business School commented: “We are extremely delighted to see the first cohort graduate from this ground breaking programme. The programme is unique in that it is co-developed and co-delivered by Salford Business School and senior staff from Capita Symonds. It offers a substantial grounding in the theory relating to management disciplines combined with business specific skills. This has enabled students to combine learning in both the workplace and the class room. Special praise should go to Craig for the effort and determination he has put in over the course of the programme. He has excelled in his studies and the prize is recognition of his outstanding academic performance.”

23 students that commenced the second cohort of BusinessWise are now half-way through the programme and are on track to graduate in July 2011.

Find out more about BusinessWise.

Tuesday 13 July 2010

How the stunning Goodwood Festival of Speed sculpture was made

Capita Symonds’ Structures team provided structural engineering design for the spectacular central sculpture at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.


The innovative display – sponsored by Alfa Romeo to celebrate the company’s centenary – was designed especially for the event by renowned sculptor Gerry Judah. The structure’s design, which is reminiscent of the car giant’s Quadrifoglio badge and the red livery of its racing cars, features an Alfa Romeo P2 (a P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925) and a 2003 8C Competizione.

Click here to see how this amazing structure was designed and put together.

Thursday 8 July 2010

Property efficiency? This time it's for real

Mark Norris, Executive Director, Capita Symonds comments on the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) / Capita Symonds survey on public sector estates rationalisation.

"The results of today’s LGC/Capita Symonds survey are fascinating. Although the progress is limited, there is clearly a serious drive from local authority chief executives to unlock the savings available from their property estates and services. More importantly, there is also a greater willingness to work with the private sector in developing new property solutions in innovative partnerships.
Our survey shows that the top three issues in terms of property are serious ones: that buildings are not suited to modern service delivery, they are costly to maintain and cannot meet sustainability targets.


Surprisingly, given the unprecedented level of public sector debt, more than half of respondents indicated that their estate remained largely unchanged from that analysed in the most recent Audit Commission report on local authority property in 2009.

There also appears to be a mismatch in the available resources for the rationalisation of property portfolios (approximately 70% of chiefs indicated that the required strategies, finance, and expertise exist in-house) and the progress made to date.

Nevertheless, the tightening of central government funding has undoubtedly brought the capital that is tied up in local authority assets into sharp relief. For example, 84% of respondents said estate rationalisation was vital, and all respondents were looking to find ways of reducing the operational cost of the estate.
But how can efficiencies be realised? Most chiefs indicated that the key lies in relocating out of redundant space and consolidating into modern and efficient property while introducing new ways of working (with potential savings of up to 40%). As a result, a willingness to ‘de-silo-ise’ historically separate organisations is increasing – 73% of local authority respondents indicated that public service convergence and co-location was on their immediate agenda.

The survey also reiterates that effective estates rationalisation using new delivery models is key – stand-alone sale and leaseback of assets by local authorities is not considered a viable solution under the current local government funding regime, whereas the release and sale of surplus nonoperational assets in combination with property services outsourcing certainly is.
Overall, it looks as though, after umpteen reports on public sector property efficiency, this time it’s for real."
This survey was carried out by LGC and was commissioned and sponsored by Capita Symonds. The report on the results was independently written by LGC and published on 08 July 2010. Visit the LGC website here.

Friday 11 June 2010

Capita Symonds at Intelligent Sport UK Challenge

Two teams from Capita Symonds will test mind, body and spirit to the limits in this year’s Intelligent Sport UK Challenge, a corporate challenge event that raises crucial funds for the NSPCC.

The competition - nicknamed the ‘Corporate Olympics’ - will see 100 UK companies battling it out over four days and three nights (16-20 June) in the mountainous regions of Aviemore in Scotland.



Capita Symonds is sending a mixed team as well as an all-male team, both of whom will be hoping to better last year’s results and break into the top 20.

The teams will not know the exact details of the challenge, which are kept top secret until the start, however they are likely to face tasks that involve cross-country mountain biking, trail running, kayaking, navigation and code breaking.

Team Captain Tom Davies said: “We will be up against some strong teams from the likes of Microsoft, Airbus and Lloyds Bank. However, we’re ready, willing and able to take on the rest of the UK teams and between our training programme and the fundraising, we’re being kept very busy. We’re aiming to raise £4,000 for the NSPCC, so your support would be very welcome – sponsor us at www.justgiving.com/capitasymonds2010."

NSPCC fundraiser Liz Silk said: “The efforts of the Capita Symonds teams will support the vital work of the NSPCC, which makes a massive difference to the lives of children.”

Capita Symonds Managing Director Jonathan Goring said: “I’m delighted to be part of a strong Capita Symonds entry into the event. Last year was a great success and we hope to do even better this year, both in terms of overall placing and fundraising for the NSPCC.”

Capita Symonds teams are drawn from across the UK and numerous disciplines: Tom Davies, Martin Weil (East Grinstead), Jonathan Goring, John Kinnear, Ruth Farrar, Russell Nunn, Stephen Charters (London), Alison McKerrow, Carys Holloway (Portishead), James Daplyn, Paul Ryan (Carlisle), Kyle Duckworth (Blackburn), Mark Saunders (Barrow), John Hughes (Manchester).

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Glamorgan team at RedR Disaster Relief Challenge

Staff from Capita Symonds’ Glamorgan office took part in the RedR Disaster Relief Challenge at Cuffley Camp Outdoor Centre in Hertfordshire recently.

The original concept of RedR was to create a register of carefully selected and trained engineers who could be called on at short notice to work with front-line relief agencies, either on secondment from their regular employer or as a full time aid relief worker. The charity, which started in the UK, has evolved into an international federation of RedRs that provide a host of specialist training and recruitment services for all the major aid agencies.

Pic: L-R Rhys Hellin, Kirsty Llewellyn, Steven Rusby and Matthew English.

The Disaster Relief Challenge is a unique and exciting 12 hour event where volunteers encounter some of the extreme situations faced by aid workers in the field. Money raised by the event is used to train, recruit and support relief workers in the UK and around the world, improving the quality and coordination of humanitarian responses to natural disaster and conflict.

The team of four - Steven Rusby, Kirsty Llewellyn, Matthew English and Rhys Hellin - experienced an exciting but challenging 12 hour event taking part in tests such as Orienteering, Emergency Scenarios, Obstacle Courses, Problem Solving and Time Trails.

The team, which came first in the Emergency Scenarios and Relay Assault Course sections, finished third out of 13 teams overall. Most importantly, the team successfully raised a grand total of £2000 towards the RedR Disaster Relief Challenge Fund.

Monday 24 May 2010

Glamorgan team give Maesteg primary school garden a make-over

Garth Primary School at Mission Road in Maesteg has a brand new outdoor stage and sensory garden thanks to green-fingered help from local Capita Symonds volunteers.


The outdoor stage will be used for outdoor plays and concerts over the summer while the garden includes a draft board, sandpit and flower beds with plants and herbs of different smells, textures and tastes.


Fifteen volunteers from Capita Symonds - and a volunteer from construction company Morgan Ashurst - worked with Business In The Community’s Jill Salter on the project.

Although the project was planned over several months, it was carried out over a hectic 12 hour period. Head teacher Julie Thomas, says: “We are all thrilled with the garden and the stage; all the hard work and effort that went into the preparation, planning and organisation was amazing. The results are fantastic.”

Kirsty Llewellyn, a transport graduate from Capita Symonds, was selected as the company’s Team Leader for the work – the first time she’s managed her own project and team.

Liane Sheppard, Director, Capita Symonds said: “We thought it was a good opportunity for a graduate to take on the team leader role. Kirsty has gained valuable experience in management of projects, working very hard behind the scenes with our design engineers on the outdoor stage and garden to ensure that everything was in place for the actual construction. All the Directors at our Glamorgan office took part in the project and enjoyed not having to make the decisions for a day!”

Capita Symonds Director Ian Walsh said: “We actively encourage staff to take part in local community projects. This project was particularly challenging within the timescale but the outcome is worthwhile as the children and school will benefit hugely. The staff also thoroughly enjoyed their involvement in the project.”

“We are always keen to invest as much time and energy into community projects as possible,” says Tom Davies Morgan Ashurst operations manager. “This was a fun challenge to get involved with and we’re thrilled the children will have such a fantastic place to let off some steam in between lessons.”

Special thanks goes to Alun Griffiths Contractors (Wales) Ltd who donated £250, Morgan Ashurst’s supply chain partners Jewsons and WT Burdens which donated materials including paving slabs, concrete and sand, and Costain which donated and delivered all the timber for the stage.

Friday 21 May 2010

Capita Symonds triumphs at annual Capita Challenge event











Capita Symonds yet again led the field at this year’s Capita Challenge, which took place at Catton Hall, Derbyshire on 08 May.

19 Capita Symonds teams were among 85 teams from across Capita Group Plc, business partners and clients that took part in a range of sponsored physical and mental challenges.

Capita Symonds’ ‘Sticky Bitty II’ (Tom Davies, James Daplyn, Richard Peers, Matt Price) came top of the heap – holding off the challenge of ‘NOW and the Temple of Plumstead’ (Damian Lineham, Michael Brand, John Kinnear, Simon Chittenden) in 3rd and ‘Sticky Bitty’ (Stephen Charters, Jonathan Goring, Russell Nunn, Stuart Ramsay) in 4th.

A fantastic £63,000 was raised by the Capita Challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support, which will go towards the £1 million Capita has pledged to raise during its three year partnership with the charity.

Thursday 6 May 2010

Shopping Centres team up for World Cup charity boost

Ten shopping centres managed by NB Real Estate - part of Capita Symonds - are joining forces to host a series of fun and creative World Cup themed events on behalf of the testicular cancer charity Everyman.

The events, which will be taking place throughout June and July, combine a host of different activities including a ‘Man Crèche’ and 5-a-side football tournament at the Kingdom Centre in Glenrothes; a charity ball evening in Rochdale; and ‘World Cup Widows’ indulgence packages at The Light in Leeds.

As well as increasing awareness for such an important cause, the objective of the Everyman campaign is to raise vital funds for the Everyman Centre in Surrey, Europe’s first and only dedicated male cancer research centre.

The ten centres involved are: Abbeygate Centre (Nuneaton); The Academy (Aberdeen); Chantry Centre (Andover); The Kingdom Centre (Glenrothes); The Light (Leeds); Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre (Rochdale); St Elli Shopping Centre (Llanelli); St Martins Walk (Dorking); White Lion Walk (Guildford); and Windsor Royal Shopping (Windsor).

NB Real Estates' Retail Marketing Manager Anna Bluman says: “The 2010 World Cup presents the retail sector with a huge opportunity to engage with its male customer base. Given the community focus of many of our shopping centres a core cluster will be working closely with the Everyman Charity to help the charity reach this market, hosting a month-long programme of marketing events that tie in with a World Cup theme to raise awareness of testicular cancer.”

Image: Standing (l-r): Lorenzo O'Reilly (Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre, Rochdale), Jim Gordon (Divisional Director NB Real Estate), Brian Oakley (The Light, Leeds), John Macfarlane (Academy Shopping Centre, Aberdeen), Robert Winter (Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes). Sitting (l-r): Christopher Borton (Director Retail Management, NB Real Estate), Anna Bluman (Retail Marketing Manager, NB Real Estate).

Monday 22 March 2010

Catherine volunteers on Osprey project

Catherine Soper from our East Grinstead office will be volunteering for two weeks with the RSPB at its Osprey Project in North Wales.

The project involves working at the RSPB Visitor’s Centre in the Glaslyn Valley in Snowdonia, home to the only pair of Ospreys in Wales. The work will involve surveillance of the pair to prevent poaching of their eggs and to engage the public with the project, which aims to establish an Osprey population in Wales.

The Centre’s surveillance hide provides a unique view of the Ospreys' nest and enables visitors to gain a valuable insight into these magnificent birds as well as the workings of Europe's largest conservation charity.

To sponsor Catherine’s RSPB project please go to http://www.justgiving.com/catherinesoper

Thursday 18 March 2010

Jonathan Goring is done and dusty at Cannes


Mayor of London Boris Johnson turned out to greet riders at the finish of the six day 1500km Cycle to Cannes charity challenge.

Jonathan Goring completed the race, raising money for the Over the Wall charity…

“We finally made it to Cannes, after 56 hours of cycling, 40,000 calories, 1500 km and 50 pee stops. An epic trip through beautiful countryside with a total of 12000m of painful ascents and some hair raising descents.

The arrival was spectacular as the whole Peleton rolled into town flanked by motorcycle out riders before being met by Boris Johnson.

We cycled down with some of the UK’s top clients and John Rudge and I enjoyed our first beer in Savilles tent!”

Make a donation to Jonathan's chosen charity - Over the Wall

Jonathan

Wednesday 17 March 2010

World record attempt

Former Salesbury Cricket Club Captain Jason Rawson will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the “Longest Bowling Approach” this Saturday at the club’s Ribchester Road ground.

As part of a fundraising run from Blackpool of more than marathon length (27.3 miles), Jason will collect the match ball and start his bowling approach in Clayton le Dale.  After a 1.6 mile uphill run up, he will then bowl the first delivery of a pre-season practice match at Salesbury Cricket Ground, which will mark the start of a landmark season for the club (2010 will be the first season in Salesbury CC’s 104 year history that they will play in the Ribblesdale League’s top division).

The world record attempt, which is being sponsored by the Capita Symonds Blackburn office, will see Jason raising money to help club funds in Salesbury CC’s first season in the Ribblesdale Senior League.  The club has made great strides (ho ho) over recent years in developing the junior section and improving the facilities at their Ribchester Road ground – surely one of the prettiest in Lancashire.

Jason said “I had planned for a while to help do my bit to raise some funds for the club by running from Squires Gate.  When it was mentioned that it could be a Guinness World Record™ attempt it really captured the imagination of the club’s members who were already excited at the prospect of Senior League Cricket this season.  With the help of Capita we have managed to Fast Track our application for our record attempt so that I can complete the run with sufficient time to recuperate before the start of the season.  I just hope that I can make it up the final hill and that I don’t deliver a ‘no-ball’!”

Anyone wishing to help Jason on his way with sponsorship should contact Andrew Green via chairman@salesburycc.co.uk    

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Jonathan Goring’s final day on the road to Cannes

Jonathan Goring is taking part in the Cycle to Cannes charity challenge, an annual six day 1500km cycling endurance event…

Eat, cycle, eat, cycle, sleep. . . That's all I've been doing for the past week.

1500km in five days, finishing today. Definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. We started with 90 cyclists all eager to push themselves to the limit and raise over 150k for charity. About ten crazy people will do the whole thing!!!

The scenery; mountains, vineyards and countryside, has been sensational. The weather has been awesome.

Thank you everyone who has supported my charity, over The Wall. Please check out my web site . . . And remember its not too late to donate.

Regards from Aix en Provence and I'll blog from Cannes.


Thanks

Jonathan


Links:

Friday 12 March 2010

Jonathan Goring’s first day on the road to Cannes

Jonathan Goring is taking part in the Cycle to Cannes charity challenge, an annual six day 1500km cycling endurance event - “…probably the closest an amateur cyclist will get to feeling like a "pro" having full support, rolling road closures and covering up to 300km a day.”

Here’s the latest from his trip…
“Well I survived the first day, relatively unscathed. Legs . . Check . . Bottom . . Check. Short trip 100k. . . Check . . Sleep . . . Oops. It's 4 am uk time and we are off again in an hour. Calais to Dijon, 300k. . . . I hope.”

Jonathan is raising money for Over the Wall, a charity which provides respite care for sick children and their families. Make a donation

Wednesday 24 February 2010

Capita Symonds at BSEC 2010 - Post 1

A brisk start to BSEC at its new home for 2010 at ExCel.

Putting aside the usual delegate complaints about travel problems getting to the Docklands venue, the first few hours have been well attended and emphasised BSEC's place as the conference/exhibition for school design, as it has been for the last few years.

Has the event lost anything in its move from Manchester Central (its 'bulging-at-the-seams' home in previous years)? The jury's still out on that one - its certainly larger but maybe that's not everything.

Highlights today include Capita Symonds' Richard Woods speaking at a live online debate today 2.30pm - Join the debate


We've put some photos on Flickr - have a look!

More photos and commentary to come over the two days.

Monday 22 February 2010

Jonathan Goring Cycles to Cannes

Dear All

I am taking part in the Cycle to Cannes charity challenge which is an annual 6-day 1500km cycling endurance event. It is probably the closest an amateur cyclist will get to feeling like a "pro" having full support, rolling road closures and covering up to 300km a day….

My chosen charity is Over the Wall, a small but incredibly deep reaching charity which provides respite care for sick kids and their families. OTW allows sick kids or their brothers and sisters to take a well earned break from the routine of hospitals and home visits which often rules their lives; it provides a wild time for kids to be kids in one of OTW's summer camps. Last year 600 kids and families benefited and OTW's plan is to increase this year on year and make a lasting impact on the lives of the 17,000 children with serious illness in the UK.





Find out more about Over the Wall on their website

Visit my charity web page to make a donation

Find out more about Cycle2Cannes

My aim is to raise at least £3,000 so your support would be greatly appreciated.

With best wishes.

Jonathan
____________________________________

We'll hopefully be keeping you up to date with Jonathan's progress via our blog. Watch this space.

Wear Red for RedR

The Cwmbran office raised £185 at this year’s Wear Red for RedR Day.

The original concept of RedR was to create a register of carefully selected and trained engineers who could be called on at short notice to work with front-line relief agencies, either on secondment from their regular employer or as a full time aid relief worker.

The charity, which started in the UK, has evolved into an international federation of RedRs that provide a host of specialist training and recruitment services for all the major aid agencies.

For further information about Capita Symonds' involvement with RedR contact David Price

Friday 19 February 2010

Sponsored walk for Haiti

Carwyn Davies from our Glamorgan office recently took park in a sponsored walk to raise money for Haiti.

Carwyn was part of a group of intrepid walkers who climbed Penyfan, Cribyn, Corn De and Fan y Big in the Brecon Beacons.

The climb, which took four gruelling hours in extremely foggy and cold conditions, raised over £1000 (including a £300 contribution from Capita Symonds).


Thursday 4 February 2010

Capita Symonds' Blackburn office sponsor Accrington Stanley Centre of Excellence

The next generation of Accrington Stanley football players have secured a new strip thanks to our Blackburn office. We are the first major sponsor of Accrington Stanley Centre of Excellence and are committed to supporting its Under 16’s team.


The Centre, which is currently in its third season, has already produced ten players who have graduated to the apprentice professional ranks. 


Martin King, Director at Capita Symonds said “We are keen to support the communities in which we work and were particularly excited about supporting the Centre of Excellence. The team train at Accrington Academy which is a project we are heavily involved in and it is a pleasure to know that we will also be providing training facilities which will continue to develop the team.”


Phil Hackney, Director of Youth at Accrington Stanley said “Capita is the first major sponsor of an ASFC Centre of Excellence team and this tremendous gesture will not only enable young players to receive first class coaching but also hopefully provide the ‘conveyor belt’ of players to make the professional ranks.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the sponsorship deal and look forwards to working together in the future”



Picture shows: From back left: Ian Darlington, Philip Schofield, Duncan Clement and Martin King (all Capita Symonds); Jack Sargent (Centre of Excellence Player); and Phil Backhouse (Centre of Excellence Manager).
Front: Kian Richardson (8) Accrington Stanley Football Club supporter




Friday 22 January 2010

Video from RCIS Property Hustings event


Video's from RCIS's recent Property Hustings event, 19th January 2010:



Sarah Teather:





Nick Raynsford:





Grant Shapps:

Friday 8 January 2010

Bristol office annual charity golf event

Capita Symonds Bristol’s recent annual golf event raised over £5,300 for charity. Held at the Kendleshire Golf Club, the event featured over 100 participants from across local businesses.
Two worthy charities benefited from the event - £1,340 was donated to the Portishead Junior Football Club to help them with their work with local youngsters, while £4,020 was given to The Meningitis Research Foundation which funds research to prevent meningitis and septicaemia, improve survival rates and outcomes, promote education and awareness to reduce death and disability, and give support to people affected by the disease.
The cheques were presented by John Wormald, Regional Director for Capita Symonds, to John Shaddick, Chairman of Portishead Junior Football Club, who was accompanied by a number of the club’s players. Emily Waller represented the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Capita Symonds has played a key role on a number of major projects in the area in recent years, including Merchants’ Academy, Cabot Circus, Oasis Academy Bristol, SS Great Britain and Bristol University.


Left to right back row – Helene Bailey, Teresa Osgood, Emily Waller (Meningitis Research Foundation), John Wormald, John Shaddick (Portishead Junior Football Club)

Left to right front row- Jared Ford, Mattie Twiggs, Luke Osgood, Alex Twiggs, Harry Ford

Tuesday 5 January 2010

New Health and Safety Training website launched

To safeguard the welfare of your staff and ensure that your business fully complies with all relevant legislation Capita Symonds provides a full range of Health and Safety training courses - including NEBOSH and IOSH-accredited training. The courses are widely recognised for their quality and practical application.

All our courses have been developed by Martin Barnard, Director of Health and Safety at Capita Symonds. Martin was previously a Principal Construction Specialist Inspector in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and is recognised as one of the leading authorities on Health and Safety in the UK.

Courses are provided at venues across the UK, or can be delivered in-house within your company.

Our new website, allows you to view our scheduled courses, book online and find out more about our team, presenters and training locations: www.capitasymondstraining.co.uk


Click on the course titles to find out more, and see dates and locations:



Why choose Capita Symonds for your health and safety training?
  • We have been delivering quality Health and Safety training for over 20 years 
  • All courses are developed by Martin Barnard - one of the leading authorities on Health & Safety in the UK. 
  • Being part of Capita Symonds - one of the UK's largest property consultancies - we fully understand Health and Safety and it's practical application on a construction site and in the workplace. 
  • We deliver our courses at venues across the UK 
  • We're accredited to teach IOSH and NEBOSH courses. 
  • We can also tailor our training to meet the exact needs of your company or organisation. 
  • Our presenters are all recognised Health and Safety experts, with vast industry experience. 
  • We're very friendly, so if you want to discuss your training needs, just get in touch! 

Monday 4 January 2010

Tuk-Tuk Tales



Jamie Muir Wood from Capita Symonds’ Procter Street office is currently piloting an autorickshaw - ‘The Gin Express’ - from Pokhara in Nepal to Kochi in Kerala, Southern India (via the Taj Mahal) to raise money for charity.

The rickshaw is painted in the colours of a World War II spitfire (with lemon and lime influence) and the team (Jamie plus two of his friends) are donning flying hats, goggles and jackets (at least whilst in the frozen north).

They have already raised £1,000 for the adventure's nominated charities - Mercy Corps (India) and Maiti Nepal, a Nepalese charity which helps repatriate women trafficked to India

The team are also raising funds for the NACC (The National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease) whose work has enabled Jamie to participate...

To make a donation go to http://www.justgiving.com/extragin

Depending on the team’s access to technology during the trip, you may be able to follow their progress at http://rickshawrun10w.theadventurists.com/theginexpress