Issue 21
Winter Edition 2023
A year of strength, innovation and spirit As another year draws to a close, we find ourselves celebrating the strong bonds and family values that have become the hallmarks of our Fagan & Whalley team. The last twelve months have brought their fair share of challenges and obstacles. Yet, through these testing times, we have demonstrated exceptional resilience and adaptability - and we couldn’t have done it without you. This year, as always, it’s our people who have been at the very heart of our success. So to everyone who has been
Drivers: don’t forget to check if you’re DVS compliant! The Direct Vision Standard requirements are now in effect in London. This is a quick reminder to our drivers to check that your vehicle is DVS compliant before entering Greater London and the South East.
Let’s get social Join our online community and stay connected with friends of F&W on our social media channels!
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a part of our journey, from every corner of our internal operations to our extended network of clients, partners and the local community - we’d like to say a huge thank you for your efforts and support. We hope you enjoy the read and have a fantastic festive season with your loved ones.
Sam Fagan & Dan Fagan Managing Directors
Setting new benchmarks for road safety Data shows that the UK has the second safest roads in the whole of Europe - with Sweden the only nation with fewer deaths per million inhabitants. This is reassuring news for those within the transport industry, but is it good enough for Fagan & Whalley? Absolutely not. Having launched our new state-of-the-art telematics system, Samsara, in July, we’re pleased to have seen a positive impact on our driving operations, signalling a shift towards an even safer future on the roads. It is also with pride that our Compliance Officer, Olivia Fagan, was invited to join a Q&A session at the Samsara User Group (SUG) held in Manchester during November. Here, we participated in various discussions about how this
technology can be used to enhance driver performance, increase operational efficiency and set new standards for road safety across the UK! A huge thank you to Olivia for your efforts, our dedicated drivers for their utilisation of the tool, and to our friends at Samsara, too!
Burnley Christmas Light Switch On
Celebrating our local community and heritage is of utmost importance to us here at Fagan & Whalley. For that reason, as we do every year, we were thrilled to donate a trailer for use as a stage at Burnley’s annual Christmas Light Switch-On. The event saw thousands of people gathered in St James’s Street on the 19th of November, where the stage we donated saw an incredible threehour show including music, dance, magic and a performance of the Ice Queen. “As always, the atmosphere was magical,” says F&W Brand & Marketing Executive, Chris Corrigan, “We wouldn’t be who we are today without the rich local community we have here in Lancashire, so a huge thank you to everyone who came along and contributed!”
Burnley Business Week highlights With strong roots and a rich heritage here in Burnley, this year, we’re particularly proud of our active involvement in Burnley Business Week 2023. Showcasing our commitment to community collaboration and industry insights. From September 25th to 29th, the event saw numerous local businesses come together to share insights, build new connections, and discuss hot topics. This year’s highlight? Our very own Laura Fagan, Systems Project Administrator, took part in the ‘Ask a Bondholder’ panel.
Facilitated by Dharma Kovvuri (Dean of UCLan Burnley) and joined by some fantastic other panellists across various industries, Laura was in great company and it was a brilliant chance for us to share what we know and connect with other local businesses.
A huge thank you to Laura for her participation in the panel - and to all of the organisers of Burnley Business Week 2023! Here’s to next year!
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Getting the most from your
Paycare Cash Plan
Whether you’re new to the team or a seasoned member of the Fagan & Whalley family, we want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your workplace benefits and perks! Step 1
Go to www.paycare.org/my-paycare
Step 2
Enter your policy number (sent to your personal email)
Step 3
Reset your password if you’ve forgotten it
Step 4
Access a wide range of well-being services including:
MyPocketGP (for 24/7 GP consultations) Up to 4 free counselling sessions
Step 5
Dozens of high street discounts Online health assessments Claim back money for medical treatments
That’s it - it couldn’t be simpler!
Remember, you can claim reimbursements for dental treatments, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, reflexology, physiotherapy, chiropody and more. If you still have questions or queries - please feel free to get in touch with us here at HR.
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Transaid’s 25th anniversary
Cycling from London to Paris In September, four brave members of our team completed Transaid’s 25th Anniversary European Cycle Challenge. Cycling 187 miles from London to Paris - Sam, Laura, Stephen and Graham were joined by over 40 fellow riders and raised vital funds for Transaids mission! The three-day adventure began at the Greenwich Observatory in London and continued through the English countryside to the coastal ferry before arriving in France via scenic cycling paths. The journey ended beneath the iconic Eiffel Tower, where the group enjoyed a very well-deserved celebratory meal and rested their (presumably very sore) legs! The journey raised a fantastic £65,000 for the charity, and we couldn’t be prouder of our team for their contributions to this!
What is Transaid? Transaid is an international development organisation that focuses on improving access to vital healthcare services in rural communities via vehicle training within Africa. Transaid is one of our chosen Partner Charities and has been for several years now. Our fundraising efforts contribute to their incredible mission, helping bring safer, more efficient transportation solutions to communities that need them the most.
John Durkin wins the
National Slimming World Award! Taking the time to celebrate our team’s personal milestones is just as important as celebrating their professional ones here at Fagan & Whalley. Earlier this year, we celebrated as Warehouse Manager, John Durkin and his partner Jo were crowned Slimming World’s ‘Couple of the Year’ 2023. Over the last two years, the couple have shed an astonishing combined weight of 17st and 3lbs – or, in relative terms, the weight of a giant panda! Inspired by the birth of his grandson and a desire to play a more active role in his life – the couple decided to swap their lifestyle of takeaways, chocolate, crisps and biscuits to one of the nutritionally balanced meals, healthy ‘fakeaways’ and regular exercise.
Support John as he runs the London Marathon
We’re exceptionally proud of John for his achievements. Having been a part of our team for over a decade - it’s been an honour to witness his determination firsthand. However, he’s not stopping there! John is currently training for The London Marathon on 21st of April... For those inspired by this story who are also looking to embrace a more active lifestyle, please check out John’s Walking Club on Facebook!
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We are family
Welcome to the world...
A peek into our
Newport Depot!
Ella Rae Barker
National Lorry Week Celebrations
Born: 19/09/23 Weight: 7lb 2oz Parents: Emma Barker and partner
October saw our Newport Depot receive a very special visit from the Road Haulage Association as part of National Lorry Week 2023.
Love is in the air Wedding bells have been ringing here at Fagan & Whalley! A huge congratulations to our Warehouse Administrator, Becca Entwistle, who married her partner, Thomas, on the 3rd of November at The Lawrence Hotel in Padiham. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!
We were also joined by Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East, and the day was a great opportunity to share the insights and stories that define our lives on the road. A huge thank you to those involved!
Welcome to the team, Christian! In August, we proudly welcomed the fantastic Christian Lewis into our Newport Depot team as a Driver Trainer. Christian began his career in the military with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers before moving into professional driving. With over 20 years of experience as a driving instructor under his belt and a wealth of accreditations to his name - we’re thrilled to have him on board!
Welcome to our new staff! Albion House: Kerry Stubbs Burnley Bridge Depot: John Shellard-Bradford Chatteris: Wayne Austen, Dean Ashton Coventry Depot: Andrew Rollason, Shaun Richardson, Shane Kennedy, Peter Cooney, James Emslie, Martin Osborne, Chris Flattery, Adam Latham, Valeria Tibrigan
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Thank you, Eddie, for a safer workshop! We’re a talented bunch here at Fagan & Whalley! A huge thank you to Eddie from our Maintenance department, who has designed, created and installed this incredible safety walkway barrier for our workshop facility. Safety is of paramount importance to us, and so is appreciating the unique skillsets and talents of our team. Great job, Eddie!
Over the last few months, we’re pleased to have recruited various talented team members into both new and existing roles. A warm welcome to the F&W team! Cwmbran: Clive Godfrey, Jonathan McCoan, John Morris, Richard Kemp Frontier Park Depot: Robert Procter, Corey Yates, Sean Maylor, Muhammed Vaid, Josh Lishman, Callum Linnane Newport: Matthew Moore, Shelley Carter, Mark Meade, Robert Scowcroft, Michael Hawkins, Christian Lewis, Ethan Hooper, Mark Phillips, Brian Cooper, Sam Poulton, James Alford, Geoff Thomas, Carl Williams, Andrew Williams,
Martin Rice, Stephen Taylor, Lee MacDonald, Simon Kilby, Carlos Correia, Harry Love, Leighton Orchard, Roger Freestone Padiham Depot: Robert Gluc, Charlie Aspin, Callum Linnane, Tomasz Derencz, Christopher Clark, Craig Marsh, Raymond Elliot, Jamie Davies, Michael Hodkinson, Peter Moorhouse, Joseph Ferguson, Andrew Holroyd St Helens: Graham Rollinson
Spook-tacular fundraising at Pendleside Pumpkin Trail
In the community
Supporting Blackburn Youth Zone and Promethean When Promethean, renowned for their interactive displays, came forward with a generous donation of furniture and pool tables to Blackburn Youth Zone, we eagerly stepped in to lend a hand.
The event took place on the 14th of October and saw dozens of families make their way through the woodland trail for a Halloween-themed festival filled with live entertainment, face painting, crafts, rides and activities.
Our team volunteered their time and vehicles to ensure the safe transport of these donations between Promethean and Blackburn Youth Zone. The result? The charity was delighted to receive the furniture, which will be reutilised to create spaces and experiences for young people to develop their skills and assist their personal and professional development.
This year, Laura Fagan, our Systems Project Administrator, was honoured to participate in the Pendleside Hospice’s 5km sponsored Halloween walk at Towneley Park.
We’d like to thank our team members for their hard work and also pass our appreciation on to the team at Promethean for their generosity in supporting our local community.
We are always keen to support the mission of Pendleside Hospice, which exists to promote and enhance the quality of life for people with lifelimiting illnesses, their families and their carers.
Helping to keep Burnley warm this winter We were pleased, once again, to support the mission of Burnley Together and The Calico Group. Each year the fantastic group of charities and businesses run a campaign to bring warm clothing and practical support to the most vulnerable members of our community. Over the last few months, our team have been busy collecting our old waterproofs, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets to help keep Burnley warm this winter. F&W Brand & Marketing Executive, Chris Corrigan, explained, “The cost-of-living crisis over the last couple of years has meant that many members of our community are struggling more than ever. As
a family-run business, people are at the very heart of what we do, and we’re proud to contribute to providing warmth and comfort to those who need it most this winter!” A huge thank you to all of our team members for their charitable contributions and donations. We couldn’t have made such an impact without you!
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Top 10 bridge strike locations Last year, Network Rail revealed that bridges across Britain were struck 1,833 times by drivers. Further research revealed that 32% of drivers admitted to setting off without being aware of the height of their vehicle, with 56% not considering low bridges at all when planning their journeys. Bridge strikes are not only a significant financial burden, but they can also result in the death and serious injury of road and rail users. The top 10 most-hit bridges between 2021 - 2022 are as follows...
1. Stonea Road, near Manea, Cambridgeshire - 33 strikes
6. Harefield Road bridge in West Ruislip, North West London - 12 strikes
2. Lower Down’s Road in Wimbledon, South West London - 18 strikes
7. Station Road in Berkswell, West Midlands - 12 strikes
3. Harlaxton Road in Grantham, Lincolnshire - 17 strikes
8. Station Road in Langley, Berkshire - 12 strikes
4. Abbey Farm in Thetford, Norfolk - 15 strikes
9. St John’s Street in Lichfield, Staffordshire - 11 strikes
5. Stuntney Road in Ely, Cambridgeshire - 12 strikes
10. Coddenham Road in Needham Market, Suffolk - 10 strikes
Whilst these figures are worrying, we’d like to thank our dedicated drivers for their continuous commitment to safety and vigilance whilst on the roads! If in doubt...
Top marks for our Burnley Bridge and Frontier Park warehouses! We’re pleased to announce that following a recent audit of our Frontier Park and Burnley Bridge sites, we have retained our AA-grade rating from the Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS). As the highest grade available, this demonstrates our compliance with strict food safety and hygiene standards, providing peace of mind for our clients and end-consumers alike. A huge thank you to our brilliant team for their dedication to upholding our high standards across the board. We couldn’t do this without you!
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01282 771983
enquiries@faganwhalley.co.uk
www.faganwhalley.co.uk
Fagan & Whalley Ltd. Mead Way, Shuttleworth Mead Business Park, Padiham, Lancashire BB12 7NG