Vox ­ March 2011

corporate responsibility: march 2011

Branching out New Halcrow Foundation

strategy engages employees

The Vox team Editorial Eloise Young, editor youngel@halcrow.com Anna Mann Haidee Harrison Richard Rhydderch Design Emilie Dadswell, art director dadswelle@halcrow.com

Featuring:

Red-letter day for Halcrow

Colin Johnston Tracy Newman Distribution Garry Whitaker whitakerga@halcrow.com

Company becomes patron of disaster relief charity RedR – 18

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Editor’s comment Welcome to this special corporate responsibility issue of Vox. In this edition we catch up with Halcrow employees and fundraisers working with their local communities, as well as reporting on projects that put people and the environment first.

The Halcrow Foundation is heading in a new direction and we discover what its refreshed strategy means for employees in our lead story. We also take a closer look at the relief work undertaken

by RedR and find out more about Halcrow’s role as a patron of the humanitarian charity.

Halcrow Foundation – 3 Building better lives with you New Halcrow Foundation strategy has employees at its heart – 3 Freewheeling fundraiser Charles Oldham cycles across Europe – 8 Best foot forward Foundation walkers’ fundraising hike – 10

Sustainable solutions – 12 Life’s a beach Halcrow leads the battle against coastal erosion – 14 Package makes perfect Bolstering flood defences in the UK’s Humber Estuary – 17

Giving generously – 18 Action man Wayne Farrell’s year of pain – 23

green vision for historic

bazaar

New homes for 25,000 people in epic redevelopment scheme – 13

Building better lives with you New Halcrow Foundation strategy has employees at its heart t first glance slum dwellers in Delhi, disabled Romanian orphans and homeless New Yorkers don’t have much in common. So it tells you something about the reach and range of the Halcrow Foundation that all three groups have been supported, and in many cases had their lives transformed, by foundation grants.

A

In the six years since the foundation was established 57 projects have been completed around the world and a further 14 are ongoing.

The results have been profoundly life altering – from helping to lift entire communities out of poverty and providing safe drinking water to building a brighter, more independent future for disabled children.

costs, but when volunteers’ time is added to the equation this figure swells to over £1.2 million.

A lot has been achieved in a short time. Now, with a clear nod to the future, the foundation is seeking to redirect its efforts into engaging and energising employees and offices around the world. Its recently launched five-year strategy heralds a seismic shift in the way the foundation works with Halcrow people to help those in great need.

Given the economic hangovers still pounding away in many of Halcrow’s markets, reducing the foundation’s dependence on its slice of company profits is a clear priority. “The foundation is quite heavily reliant on the 1 per cent of profits the company donates annually,” said trustee Malcolm Wallace. “We need to develop financial support on a much broader front if the foundation is to continue to grow – hopefully with grassroots fundraising really taking off and more people taking the lead in their local area.”

“We need to develop financial support on a much broader front if the foundation is to continue to grow”

The knock-on effects are equally significant – for example, helping children in developing countries stay in school has lasting benefits for their families and communities. In Asia alone, the four-year period up to the end of 2009 saw the welfare of 26,615 people improved as a direct result of foundation projects, with a further 18,581 indirectly benefiting.

Halcrow employees donate their time and the company picks up the tab for the foundation’s daily running, meaning a little can go a long way. By way of illustration, £856,000 has been spent on physical project

Employees already play a central role in identifying projects, applying for funding and then monitoring their implementation. “We have always tried to engage employees,” said trustee Anna Mann, “but we have barely tapped in to the vast potential of our thousands of people

Giving generously Halcrow Foundation

Local Halcrow employees donated suits and smart clothes to The HOPE Program, a project that helps marginalised New Yorkers find work and self belief

to make a difference in their communities.”

The problem is that, to date, the foundation has relied too heavily on committed individuals.

“What we want to see is groups of employees, or even whole offices, getting engaged with the beneficiary community to bring tangible and lasting change,” said chairman David Kerr.

A model project is The HOPE Program in New York. As well as receiving foundation funding for several years, the local Halcrow office has actively supported the charity, which helps disenfranchised and marginalised New Yorkers find work.

Support your local community Together with your colleagues, Match it! commit to fundraising for a project in line with Joint funding specific the foundation’s criteria and it could receive matched funding options at an agreed ratio

You identify a project that meets the foundation’s criteria and monitor its progress.

Aimed at larger schemes – £10,000 and above

Conventional funding model

Grants programme

Donate your technical skills and time to development projects on a voluntary basis and you can apply for travel and other living expenses up to £1,000

Spearheaded by Halcrow’s regional human resources director Kevin Kahn the office has held fundraising events, including a clothing drive, as well as mentoring a HOPE intern who gained invaluable hands-on experience working in an office environment. Many Halcrow employees have visited HOPE’s offices and shared their expertise, holding training sessions on interview techniques and helping to develop students’ skills. Even without foundation grants, it’s clear the New York office would continue to support the charity.

But this broad support – engaging a whole office in contributing to a local cause – is the exception rather than the norm. Most employees continue to view the foundation as a centralised grant-making body.

And it’s this perception the trustees want to change, as Malcolm explained: “We want employees to see the foundation as an 4

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enabler, playing a supporting role to Halcrow people working for good causes – those active in their communities, giving their time or raising money – as well as encouraging others wanting to do something positive locally.”

A refreshed package of funding models forms the operational structure of this increased focus on engagement and inclusivity.

A matched funding option will help broaden the foundation’s revenue base and create a greater sense of partnership.

“We’re hoping to get groups of employees working together to raise money for their chosen project, which the foundation will match up to an agreed ratio,” said fundraiser Kerry-Ann Francis. “If an application to the foundation includes an element of fundraising, the trustees are far more likely to approve it, providing it is aligned with the foundation’s criteria.”

Much of the know-how needed to get life-changing infrastructure projects off the ground in developing countries currently strolls through the corridors of Halcrow’s offices, from Derby to Delhi.

Getting this expertise for free could make an otherwise prohibitively expensive project affordable.

Through the recently launched grants programme, employees donating their own time to worthy causes can apply for funding to cover part of their travel costs and other expenses.

The UK’s Martin House provides hospice care for children with life-limiting illnesses

Working groups are an essential component of the foundation’s refreshed strategy – as well as being employee led, they help to engage other staff members.

Here in London we’ve been working to co-ordinate and run fundraising events as well as identifying a local project to support. We recently raised £2,400 from our Christmas party and raffle.

Sue Davies London working group

“And we have just received funding for our first local project.

Working with over 200 Londoners with varying degrees of disability, the Thrive Battersea Garden Project uses therapeutic horticultural activities to improve their quality of life.

“What’s great about the working group is that there’s a real sense of collaboration and pulling together to make a difference. We’ve got the flexibility to respond to the needs of our community, with the full backing of the Halcrow Foundation.”

I work exclusively for the Halcrow Foundation, rather than being a Halcrow employee giving up my time. This is really a statement of intent – where we had relied solely on donated time, we’re now able to dedicate resources directly to foundation activities without worrying about getting sidetracked.

The Navjyoti project in India empowers rural women through micro credit schemes and self-help groups, bringing lasting benefits to entire families

Two grants have been approved so far and the recipients are already making a tangible contribution.

Thomas Russell was recently camped out in Ecuador’s Imbabura region, helping to install potable water systems in remote mountainous areas. Now back in Inverness, Jonathan Appleby set the wheels in motion for a project to improve water security for drought-stricken communities in the Thar Desert, Pakistan.

Kerry-Ann Francis Halcrow Foundation fundraiser

“My role is to help and support employees in whatever fundraising activities you want to undertake. I’m here to provide advice and help you think through organising and promoting your event, whether it’s a raffle, quiz, cake sale or running a marathon.

“I’m also working to develop relationships with external partners and other charities to raise the foundation’s profile in the public sphere and drum up additional sources of funding.”

Developing partnerships with external organisations is a central plank of the new strategy. The foundation already works closely with several external partners, such as the Erach and Roshan Sadri Foundation and Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), and is currently in discussions with the British Asian Trust on partnering opportunities in South Asia. Looking forward, Halcrow recently became a patron of disaster relief charity RedR – and the foundation is exploring ways to support employees who want to get involved.

As well as moving away from a centralised funding pot, plans are underway to progressively devolve responsibility for decision making to groups at a local level, as Malcolm explained: “Over time we intend for the trustees to take less of a hands-on role, responsible instead for steering and supporting the regional teams.

Before working for Halcrow, I had volunteered on water and sanitation projects in Kenya and built up relationships with several non-governmental organisations. To date the Halcrow Foundation has funded five projects in Nairobi, helping improve the lives of some of the capital’s poorest residents.

“It’s good to know that the company you work for provides opportunities to support employee-developed projects, and it feels great to go to the project beneficiaries and tell them your employer is supporting them.

“More employee-run working groups could start to take on additional responsibilities. The London working group is beginning to take a leading role in developing the foundation’s local base in terms of fundraising, office engagement and identifying projects to support. This model could be replicated in other offices if employees wish to pool their efforts and support local causes.”

Collectively, these changes will help pave the way for the foundation’s evolution as a responsive, people-led resource – supporting and encouraging those working with their local communities.

Rob Clarke Project sponsor

“I joined Halcrow because I wanted to be involved in projects that make a difference to the less fortunate, and I’ve managed to achieve this involvement through the Halcrow Foundation. It proves that even employees at a relatively low level can influence events.”

Meet the core team Chair David Kerr

Fundraiser Kerry-Ann Francis

Staff council Peter Sketch

Trustees John Martin Anna Mann Malcolm Wallace Andrew Yeoward

Accounts John Howlett Sam Jenks Sandra Pithouse

Administration Stephanie Costes

Halcrow Giving generously Foundation Halcrow better Building Foundation lives

All’s well that ends well The community school in Bakary Sambouya, a remote village in Gambia, is a victim of its own success.

Over the past few years the school has quadrupled in size, from 40 to 170 pupils, and the village’s existing well was evaporating under the strain. Rocketing demand coupled with the rapidly falling water table in sub-Saharan Africa caused the well to dry up two years ago. UKbased charity the Kambeng Trust, which has supported the village for six years, paid for the well to be deepened.

Previously, pupils helped collect water from the village well

With demand once again outstripping the excavated well’s capacity, the trust approached the Halcrow Foundation to finance an onsite supply for the school. The foundation’s £4,130 donation funded a 14m-deep well, solar pump, storage tank and irrigation hose, providing clean water for school use while also relieving pressure on the village well.

Construction was completed in January 2011.

Previously, all water for drinking, hand-washing and irrigating the garden – which supplements both pupils’ lunches and the school’s revenue – was transported from the village well by teachers and students. As well as helping to improve health and hygiene, the project diverts time and effort back into lessons that was formerly spent hauling heavy containers. Ongoing Digging deep: the new well under irrigation also construction removes the need to tend crops during the weekend and holidays, freeing up teachers’ time.

This is the third foundation-funded project to be delivered in Bakary Sambouya, following the success of a bee-keeping scheme providing financial independence for village women and a replacement community bus.

More than fun and games For anyone who thinks playing video games is a waste of time, the benefits for multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers in Swindon, UK, may convince you otherwise.

A £4,000 donation The existing gym will be kitted from the Halcrow out with specialised equipment Foundation is helping to fit out the Swindon Therapy Centre’s (STC) gym with specialist physiotherapy equipment, along with a Nintendo Wii console and fitness game.

The grant will pay for a plinth to aid user mobility during treatment, a tilt table to help wheelchair-bound people stand upright, and a fully adjustable occupational therapy table to improve balance, core strength and confidence. While intensive therapies are underway, those requiring less hands-on support can use the Wii Fit and large-screen television, also provided by the foundation, to regain their balance and stability.

The centre is the only facility of its kind within a 50km radius of Swindon, providing support to MS sufferers, their carers and families in the form of therapies to help manage their symptoms. The foundation has a long-standing relationship with STC, having previously donated £5,500 towards its new holistic therapy room.

Co-sponsor Kirsty Hayes said: “The project will empower people in wheelchairs to participate in exercise, which is often not otherwise possible. By working from a standing position they will achieve increased muscle tone and bone density, improved circulation, and greater confidence and self-esteem.”

For further information, visit msswindon.org.uk 6

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Ticket to Ryder Terminally ill people in Albania have better access to palliative care, thanks to fundraising efforts by the Peterborough office and a Halcrow Foundation grant.

One of the poorest countries in Europe, Albania’s healthcare service is acutely under resourced, with extremely limited care provision for people with terminal illnesses. Sufferers are frequently cared for at home by relatives with little or no external support, placing considerable pressure on patients and families. Many people die at home in pain without access to professional care or medication.

Ryder Albania, supported by UK-based charity Sue Ryder Care, runs two ‘hospice at home’ schemes in the capital, Tirana, the coastal town of Durres, and surrounding areas. Over 50 per cent of the patients who rely on these services live in remote areas, often accessible only by unsealed roads.

The Peterborough office applied for a £15,000 grant to buy a four-wheel drive vehicle, enabling Ryder Albania’s doctors and nurses to reach terminally ill people in rural communities. The foundation challenged the 70-strong office to raise £1,000, agreeing to chip in the remaining amount once the target was reached. Several weeks of food sales and sweepstakes later, the team hit the £1,000 mark.

Co-organiser Mandhy Senewiratne said: “The new vehicle will enable medical teams to help more patients every day. We’re delighted we were able to make a lasting contribution.”

Way up north: Patrick stands at the most northerly point of mainland UK

The cycle of life Having amassed 33 years of professional service at Halcrow, Patrick Hawker decided that toasting his retirement at 60 with a glass or two of burgundy wouldn’t quite fit the bill.

Instead, he decided to mark the ending of one major chapter of his life and the opening of another with a fairly epic challenge.

In just two weeks from 24 July 2010, the former Swindon-based project director pedalled over 1,700km, from Scotland’s John O’Groats to Land’s End in Cornwall, raising over £4,000 for the Halcrow Foundation and two other charities.

This distance was on top of the 2,500km he cycled in the preceding weeks while training for the big trip.

“The idea first occurred to me around ten years ago when I bumped into someone taking part in the challenge while holidaying in the backwaters of Herefordshire,” said Patrick. “When I started to think about how to mark my retirement I thought the end-to-end ride, as it’s known, would be a good way to do so.”

With an average distance of 113km a day, Patrick enjoyed the experience – especially the sections around Betty Hill in Scotland and England’s Shropshire. His only real ‘grumbles’ were some particularly challenging hill climbs in Lancashire and Glasgow’s treacherous cycle paths.

Having cycled the 20-minute route to work at Burderop Park from his Swindon home at least three days a week for as long as he can remember, Patrick was already fit when he decided to undertake the challenge. In preparation he began steadily building his stamina, often cycling 60km from his house to Bath for a spot of lunch and then all the way back again.

Pounding the pavement: Craig, Vasileios, Navjot and Raheel

Run for your money Footslogging fundraisers from the Birmingham office showed a nifty turn of speed when they took part in the Birmingham half marathon on 24 October 2010.

Raheel Khaliq, Vasileios Vernikos, Craig Wilkins and Navjot Kaur pulled on their running shoes on behalf of the Halcrow Foundation.

“The weather conditions were good and everyone performed exceptionally well time wise, even managing to beat the target finish times we’d stated on our entry forms,” said Navjot.

“Raheel did fantastically, achieving the fastest time of 1 hour 52 minutes. We also owe special thanks to Craig for joining the team at short notice and clocking up a brilliant time of 2 hours 21 minutes, with no training and a sprained knee! It was a great team effort.”

The team members raised an impressive £225 in sponsorship money and donations are still being accepted online: justgiving.com/HalcrowFoundation-Birmingham-half-marathon

A further bonus of his trip – aside from the immense feeling of satisfaction – was the fact he shed 5kg in the process; no mean feat considering his culinary journey sampling Loch Fyne kippers and haggis paninis but, much to his disappointment, “no deep-fried Mars bars”.

Now fully rested and with saddle sores and muscle cramps a distant memory, Patrick is embracing the joys of retirement. Having sailed around the Portuguese coast for a month and finding time to finish off a Halcrow project in Iraq, the North African charms of Morocco will soon beckon for another holiday with his Zimbabwe-born wife, Pippa.

And it is the current plight of many Zimbabweans that inspired him to select the Homes in Zimbabwe charity as one of the recipients for his fundraising efforts, alongside the UK-based Centrepoint which supports homeless young people.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their incredible generosity in sponsoring me,” added Patrick.

Patrick and fellow cyclists approach the finish

Andrew (left) and Robin (centre) at the ceremony

Andrew Lowe and Robin Wood attended the official opening of the Anburse Anjulo School rain water harvesting project in Ethiopia on 20 December 2010.

Funded by the Halcrow Foundation, the project provides clean water for drinking and handwashing. Andrew and Robin were joined at the inauguration by project co-ordinator Fekadu Aleka from local non-governmental organisation EDA, which implemented the project.

Speeches were made, the ribbon cut and gifts exchanged – Andrew, Robin and Fekadu received traditional clothes and in return gave footballs, volleyballs, a volleyball net and soap for the children to wash their hands.

g n i l e e Freewh r e s i a r d fun s across Europe The UK’s Charles Oldham cycle Foundation to raise money for the Halcrow or most new arrivals to a foreign city an observant “You really look like you could use a shower” from a well-meaning local would be met with, at the very least, a disbelieving stare.

F

Rather than being affronted by this disarmingly honest statement from a group of students, Charles Oldham and son Peter gratefully accepted the proffered directions and set off through Istanbul’s traffic-clogged roads and crooked alleys in search of their hotel, clean clothes and the aforementioned shower.

Straddling two continents and fusing vestiges of ancient civilisations with modern influences, Turkey’s business and cultural capital was the final destination in the Oldhams’ two-wheeled intercontinental journey – a 28-day slog from London to Istanbul to raise money for the Halcrow Foundation.

The wheels were initially set in motion in the form of a flippant dare, as Charles recalled: “Peter had been reading Mark Beaumont’s account of the European leg of his global journey and said ‘How about it?’ followed by the provocation ‘or are you too old?!’” And so it began, with the Oldhams planning a route that followed in Beaumont’s tyre tracks, the 27-year-old Scotsman who is the current record holder for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by bicycle.

Preparations and training stepped up a gear as Peter completed his final university exams and the departure date, 12 June 2010, approached. The finalised itinerary would take them across Europe – through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and finally into Turkey – while avoiding the continent’s snow-dusted peaks. A six-strong peloton departed from the meridian line in Greenwich, with elder son James and Halcrow’s Matthew Wernham and Chris Bennett joining Charles and Peter on the cycle to Dover.

After covering 490km in three exhausting days they arrived in Germany and followed the Rhine River through the eponymously 8

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named valley to the industrialised outskirts of Frankfurt, where the satellite navigation system was first put to the test – with mixed results. “We gave up on the sat nav and, deciding to break the rules, set off on a banned road,” said Charles. “We were soon accosted by an outraged motorist dressed in very clean-looking cycling gear who pulled over to give us his views. Something like ten minutes of ranting ensued, with threats to phone the police and much arm waving. Peter and I just stayed cool and let him get on with it. Pity he didn’t offer to show us a good route!”

The green fields and fertile farmland of central Germany beckoned with Wurzburg, Seligenporten and Regensburg providing much needed fuel and recuperation. Following the Danube, Charles and Peter progressed through Austria and then on to Hungary, and its capital, Budapest – the stately calm of Buda and heady abandon of Pest perched on opposite banks of Europe’s great river.

After traversing Hungary’s great, flat plains – 322km later – they prepared to cross the border into Serbia. After failing at the first attempt – the crossing was for locals only – the hunt for an international border continued. “We followed the advice of the border guard and arrived at the motorway,” said Charles. “What to do next – ask a friendly copper. His advice: go along the motorway, but you must walk, not ride. Novel but effective, we followed a well-trodden path along the edge of the hard shoulder causing no surprise as we turned up in a queue of cars arriving by motorway.”

In Belgrade, a local Mr Big took Charles and Peter under his fleshy, well-muscled forearm for rounds of vodka and lessons in the art of man-kissing greeting, Serbian style. They also learnt that Serbian masculinity is inextricably linked to the ability to eat half a kilo of meat at each meal – a challenge for carbohydrate-starved cyclists.

On to Bulgaria, where Charles recalled: “Once we’d negotiated the gaping potholes near Etropole conditions were fairly enjoyable, until Peter swerved, knocked me off my bike and retreated down the road!

guy who fixed Peter’s wheel for nothing; the Belgrade policeman who phoned our hotel for directions; and offers of coffee and encouraging toots in Bulgaria and Turkey.”

Somewhat taken aback, I heard him yell ‘bees’. Sure enough, he had seen a swarm around a car abandoned on the road. I then found out by personal experience that retreat was sensible as a number of angry bees discovered me and took chase. Strangely, two people then came out of an apparently abandoned house in full bee-keeping clothing and proceeded to drive the car, with attendant bees, away – very odd!”

After almost a month of frenetic pedalling, Istanbul’s imposing hills and great mosques finally loomed into focus. Time for two tourists to enjoy the sights just like ‘normal’ people – but with a bigger than average sense of satisfaction at having got there.

In addition to the hugely varied scenery, the richness of human interaction left a lasting impression on Charles and Peter. As they moved through the European Union’s more recent additions, talk invariably turned to the pace of social and economic change in the former Soviet bloc.

“Finally, a big thanks to our supporters and those who have been kind enough to donate a total of around £3,500 to the Halcrow Foundation,” said Charles. “That we were able to help other people as well as face our own challenge added another dimension to an absolutely fantastic experience.”

s c i t s i t a t s e h t – l u b n a t s I o t n o Lond

Other changes were evident as they passed through the young republics – infrastructure improvements, regeneration, development and tourism, but with many communities living in abject poverty. “It is hard to believe a few short years ago they were under totalitarian rule and, in the case of Serbia, at war,” Charles observed. “The resilience of the people is fantastic.”

ly one Remarkably on

“As we moved east we noticed people in general became more welcoming and helpful – often volunteering to show us the way when spotting us on a street corner. That’s not to say that some people weren’t helpful at the western end, but there was much more of a tendency to be impatient among hooting Belgians and ranting Germans. We experienced many acts of kindness from strangers: the boy in Bečej who cycled across town with us to show us a hotel; the

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Best foot forward Foundation walkers’ fundraising hike

W

hen Halcrow Foundation fundraisers set their minds to a task nothing will stop them – not even one of the biggest construction projects in the south of England.

Got any snacks?: Karen and Emily Harrison make friends

The walking team from Halcrow’s London office had been tramping over the Surrey Hills for a couple of hours on 4 September 2010 when they ran into major works associated with the A3 realignment at Devil’s Punchbowl near Hindhead.

“The footpath was closed so we went off in search of an alternative route,” said walker Dan Harrison. “When we found the uprooted path sign lying on the ground we soon realised that this must be closed too.”

There’s nothing foundation fundraisers enjoy more than a challenge so, checking to make sure the coast was clear, two walkers (who wish to retain their anonymity) wriggled round a security fence and scrambled up an embankment to reconnoiter an alternative route.

After glimpsing the enormous earthworks associated with the new A3 tunnel on the other side of the embankment, the walkers did a quick back-of-the-envelope health and safety assessment and unanimously decided on a detour.

Expert help from Charlie Beausire and his array of navigational aids led the team of walkers to their lunchtime rest point at Grayswood, leaving them well set up for the second leg of the journey.

“A field of playful young llamas provided a welcome distraction from the aching and tiredness that had now begun to set in,” said Dan. “We started to lose our bearings a little about a mile from the end, at Hambledon Common, but fortunately technology came to the rescue once more.

“We proceeded wearily to the finish with a huge sigh of relief having completed the 32km walk in a little over nine hours. Even more importantly we raised £460 for the foundation, beating our own target of £400, and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us.”

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The hikers take a break

No such thing as a free lunch?

According to UNICEF, one in three of the world’s malnourished children lives in India. The situation is even more acute in the drought-stricken Medak district of Andhra Pradesh – part of the country’s ‘hunger belt’ where emergency food assistance is routinely required.

Suman helps serve lunch in school

In a region characterised by chronic unemployment and starvation, many children go to school hungry. Their concentration levels and ability to learn are adversely affected, and pupils often drop out of school to contribute to the family income.

To help alleviate this desperate situation the Halcrow Foundation has pledged £16,000 to support a school meal programme providing nutritious lunches for 2,000 primary school pupils. For many, it will be the only full meal they eat on a regular basis.

The scheme will be implemented by the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which runs the world’s largest school meals programme feeding over 1.2 million children in India.

This scale means Akshaya Patra is able to produce hot, healthy meals for just five rupees – six pence – per portion. The organisation’s immediate goals include expanding its reach to feed 5 million children.

In reducing poverty and starvation and encouraging primary education, the programme directly supports the UN’s millennium development goals.

Studies show that education is the single most influential factor in lifting entire families out of the crippling cycle of poverty, hunger and illiteracy.

Positive changes are often evident within a single generation.

Project sponsor Suman Chattopadhyay, based in Halcrow’s nearby Hyderabad office, visited the centralised kitchen facilities where food is prepared before it is transported daily to participating schools. He also spent time at several schools and met the young students set to benefit from the scheme.

The lunch programme helps children concentrate and learn, as well as encouraging attendance. “Providing free lunch will boost enrolment and means parents can afford to keep their kids in school,” said Suman. “This is especially important for girls, who are most often the first to be pulled out of lessons if families are struggling financially.”

Doctor, doctor

No pain, no gain

Impoverished people living in Delhi’s slum communities will soon double their access to healthcare when a second doctor, funded by the Halcrow Foundation, begins his rounds.

It’s not exactly a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park.

The foundation has supported the Savera medical centre Delhi for several years, with an existing grant helping to pay for essential medicines.

On 12 September 2010 Lee Kirby pounded his way across 10km of Richmond Park in south-west London in the London Duathlon. Next, he hopped on his bike for a 20km ride which took him up and down some of the park’s punishing hills.

Just what the doctor ordered: the Savera medical centre

A non-governmental organisation established more than a decade ago, Savera provides outpatient care to residents of the sprawling slum districts, particularly women and children. Specialist dental, gynaecological and ophthalmic clinics operate from the centre and via mobile vans that make weekly visits, enabling more people to be reached. As a result the centre’s only doctor is currently being pulled in several directions.

When the doctor is out on call or giving a neighbourhood health talk, patients seeking medical attention at the centre must be turned away. An additional doctor will allow Savera to maintain consistent outpatient and outreach services, reducing waiting times and improving care. The grant will also help to expand the mobile healthcare programme, allowing more frequent visits to additional neighbourhoods within the slums. All this adds up to greater visibility in the community and increased opportunities to address health and hygiene issues at a grassroots level.

“Halcrow employees have been showing their support for Savera over the past two years,” said project sponsor David Birch. “A donation box is kept in the Delhi office – which is just a few kilometres from the centre – and the collected money and medicines are passed on every month to supplement Savera’s limited budget.”

And if all that wasn’t enough, he rounded off the afternoon with a final 5km run.

“It was an amazing day,” said Lee. “It was my second London Duathlon in Richmond Park and I’d been training for several months.

The high point was crossing the finishing line, but the hills were especially hard.”

Fortunately, even when the going was at its toughest he knew that his suffering was not in vain. He raised £200 in sponsorship money with half going to the Halcrow Foundation and the other half going to the Foundation for the Relief of Disabled Orphans (FRODO), a UKbased charity which is supported by the Halcrow Foundation.

Lee winds down after the race

Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands

Keeping a weather eye

Scots’A low-carb ppr ove diet gets royal d approval

Floods lead all natural disasters in the number of people affected and resultant economic losses. In many cases, rainfall is the main cause of flooding worldwide.

As much a part of its national identity as tea, queuing and having a grumble, rain is something the UK has perhaps more than its share of – as the heavy floods of 2007 testified. In the wake of this, and disasters further afield such as the recent catastrophe in Pakistan, the pressure is on to find ways to manage the threat of such devastation.

Being able to spot and mitigate approaching trouble is key. In the absence of an accurate crystal ball, Halcrow is leading a training programme to help those responsible for flood forecasting better identify and manage the risks posed to UK communities, businesses and the environment.

Every little bit counts, as any dieter will tell you.

So when Halcrow’s Scottish offices put their travel strategy on a low-carbon ‘diet’, they took a long, hard look at everything on their plate.

Video conferencing replaced travel to meetings, employees were encouraged to get out of their cars and on to their bikes, and innovative parking charges were used to fund bus tokens. With the offices also taking part in Halcrow’s spring into action initiative, the carbon ‘calories’ just melted away.

Months of discipline paid off in June 2010 when the offices were presented with the highly commended award for sustainable travel at the annual UK awards for excellence held by Scottish Business in the Community, one of HRH Prince Charles Duke of Rothesay’s charity’s in Scotland.

The awards, which were held at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace, highlight practical examples of programmes that make a real difference to the community, marketplace, workplace and environment. They celebrate businesses that have shown innovation, creativity and a lasting commitment to responsible and sustainable business practice.

Halcrow’s regional director, John Walker, collected the award from Prince Charles at the event which was attended by several of Halcrow’s major clients, including the Scottish Government, Scottish Power and a number of local authorities.

The judging panel said that Halcrow’s entry was “of an exceptionally high standard and included many best practice and innovative elements which clearly identified it as a leader in the field.

Boscastle, Cornwall, UK: devastating flash flooding in 2004

“Reducing the impacts of commuting and business travel is part of Halcrow’s core business strategy and the company shows strong commitment and clear leadership in delivering sustainable and measured improvements.”

The course provides training in hydrometeorology – a discipline which combines meteorology and hydrology to create optimised solutions. Meteorological products can be used to improve flood forecasting reliability, while data from a broad range of hydrological applications can be used and compared to give greater confidence in developing forecasting, prediction and warning solutions.

In 2009, hydrologists from the UK’s Environment Agency and meteorologists from national weather service the Met Office were brought together under the umbrella of the Flood Forecasting Centre (FFC) in an operational 24/7 environment. The partnership found that specific training was required to bring each member of the FFC team to the level of operational hydrometeorologist. Halcrow’s extensive hydrometeorological knowledge and thorough understanding of user requirements made it the perfect choice to develop a 12-month training programme, led by Exeter-based Murray Dale.

The contract followed previous work scoping the extreme rainfall alert service with the Met Office and Environment Agency.

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HRH Prince Charles presents the award to Halcrow’s John Walker

green vision for historic

bazaar

New homes for 25,000 people in epic redevelopment scheme

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hen the spiritual leader of Bhendi Bazar’s Dawoodi Bohras community witnessed residents’ crowded living conditions, he was mobilised to action.

Easy, breezy: the staggered towers are designed to save on air-conditioning costs

Current living conditions are cramped and run down

cluster redevelopment policy, plans to complete the work in five phases over seven years.

With the local community’s support, the project involves the relocation of the current occupants into temporary housing. They will eventually be resettled into free ownership flats, more than doubling their living area from an average size of 14m² to 32.5m².

This is significantly bigger than the state government’s regulations for household size within a cluster development. The £215 million project will be financed by the sale of four additional residential skyscrapers at market rates.

Buildings will be aligned north to south to avoid direct sunlight, saving on air-conditioning costs. They will be staggered in height from seven to 50 storeys so that every flat catches optimum breeze from the south.

Murtuza Ali Rajkot Wala, a member of Syedna Mohamed Burhanuddin’s designated planning team, commented: “This is going to be a philanthropic project and will be entirely funded by the trust based on a no-profit, no-loss model.’’ (Times of India Mumbai, 16 June 2010).

The 99-year-old Syedna spearheaded a redevelopment plan for the historic bazaar in South Mumbai, India, which will see 25,000 people lifted out of cramped, dilapidated housing. And Halcrow is set to play a key role in its realisation.

The 7ha site is one of the most densely populated areas in the country. Alongside residential buildings are a plethora of commercial establishments and religious structures. But Bhendi Bazar’s supporting infrastructure – much of which dates back to the early 20th century – has failed to keep pace with its rapidly growing population.

Over the coming years the area’s run-down buildings will be replaced with multi-storeyed structures sporting green credentials.

Some 270 buildings and 2,000 commercial establishments will be redeveloped with a total construction area of 500,000m².

The Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, a community group responsible for implementing the project under the government’s

Halcrow’s scope of work involves complete structural engineering services for all the new buildings, peer review of the structural design for transit accommodation, and inspection and retrofit advice for the religious structures. The project will be delivered by the Mumbai property team, supported by Toronto-based colleagues with expertise in designing tall buildings.

According to the Syedna’s representative the idea was not only to provide better homes and roads, but a “milieu that supports human development to its fullest potential’’. A sentiment echoed

by Halcrow’s regional director Mital Shah when he said: “The project’s aim of improving the lives of residents strikes a strong chord with Halcrow’s own purpose of sustaining and improving the quality of people’s lives.”

Going green • almost 50 per cent of the area will be reserved for open spaces and green areas • solar-powered lights for streets and public areas • double walls to reduce heat absorption in buildings, reducing air-conditioning costs • green lawns and plants on building terraces for heat insulation • rainwater harvesting • on-site sewage treatment plant to recycle waste water • recycled construction material

Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands

' h c a e b a s Li fe st coastal erosion

Halcrow leads the battle again

s sea levels surge and increasingly powerful waves pulverise the world’s shorelines, beaches are set to play a central role in protecting people and property – either as the sole barrier to coastal flooding and erosion, or as part of an integrated system incorporating cliffs or manmade defences.

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Beach management helps maintain natural coastal defences

Updated guidance on beach management, led by Halcrow and published by the UK’s Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), presents structured, best-practice approaches for maintaining natural coastal defences.

Commissioned by the Environment Agency, the Beach management manual (second edition) picks up where the existing materials, published in 1996, left off. Joint authors Halcrow, CIRIA and HR Wallingford began work on a scoping study in 2007, the results of which informed the revised manual. Building on the previous edition, the updated publication aims to balance information on major improvement schemes with structured guidance on routine beach management – the latter having been identified as an area requiring additional focus.

Providing relevant information for all those responsible for safeguarding the coastal environment, the peer-reviewed manual is tailored for local authority and Environment Agency coastal managers, regulators, beach designers and practitioners. Its broad scope covers guidance and case studies on beach monitoring and maintenance, and the design, procurement, execution and ongoing care of beach improvement schemes. As well as focusing on coastal defence requirements, the practical toolkit considers other drivers such as environmental protection and recreational use.

The updated manual was launched at a series of road show events in late 2010, with the Halcrow editorial team on hand to field questions, as well as being presented at several industry events in October and November. A promotional poster, designed by Halcrow associate director and lead author Jonathan Rogers, took home the prize for best poster at the Environment Agency’s flood and coastal risk management conference at Telford in July, providing a preview of the revised content.

Jonathan commented: “Our involvement in what is essentially the last word in beach management can only serve to improve Halcrow’s standing in the industry. We’ve already trialled some of the techniques and approaches on recent projects such as the Chesil beach management plan, ensuring we remain at the forefront of current best practice.”

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Finding a path With the cost – both economic and environmental – of physical coastal defences set to spiral to unaffordable levels, the UK government is exploring alternative approaches to managing flood risk and coastal erosion.

Halcrow’s UK-based planning team has hit the midway point of a pioneering initiative, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which takes a fresh look at how businesses and communities can adapt to impending coastal change.

The Waveney Pathfinder project is one of 15 dotted around the coast of England and Wales, aimed at testing out different coastal change policies. Halcrow’s work centres on two frontages at Corton and Easton Bavents in Suffolk – a rapidly eroding coast that will not be defended beyond 2025.

The team is currently evaluating the various options for managing coastal erosion, along with ways of alleviating the negative effects felt by the community. Next steps include producing viable business adaptation plans, designed to help local communities sustainably plan for the future.

Community participation underpins the project, with public forums and opportunities for feedback enabling stakeholders to take ownership of the scheme.

Engaging the next generation in the fight against coastal erosion, Halcrow kicked off its schools’ programme in November. Lessons and art workshops encourage pupils to consider the issues involved in coastline management.

Homeward bound Imagine coming home from work one day to find your home has been bulldozed.

engineering works, which include the provision of flood defences, bridges, roads, utilities, landscaping and environmental services.

Your understandable distress at this situation may, however, be lessened by the discovery of a palatial mansion standing in place of your humble abode.

As part of the landscaping and engineering designs a range of habitats will replace those lost during construction, increasing the area’s biodiversity. These include reed beds, ponds and vegetated ditches to accommodate the local water vole population.

Halcrow’s Bob Antonini has helped deliver this scenario for the great crested newts, badgers, reptiles, water voles, kingfishers and bats living in the UK’s Hoe Valley floodplain, ensuring these endangered populations are re-housed in new and improved habitats.

Hoe Stream in Woking, Surrey, is prone to frequent flooding and many local properties have been affected in recent years. Woking Borough Council, in partnership with the Environment Agency, has commissioned a £60 million flood alleviation scheme to address this perennial problem.

Bat boxes erected in trees and within bridge structures will provide secure spaces for roosting, while trees felled to make way for construction are being installed as log walls.

These create ideal replacement habitats for small reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates such as stag beetles.

Halcrow’s Bob Antonini (left)w ith Deon Scholtz of Volker Fitzpatrick

A significant wildlife corridor linking the town of Woking to the wider countryside, the Hoe Valley is home to a variety of protected species. The wider area will be redeveloped to include residential housing, relocation of a leisure centre, improved infrastructure and the provision of landscaping and wildlife habitats. Contractor Volker Fitzpatrick appointed Halcrow as consultant designer for the civil

Crawley-based Bob has led Halcrow’s on-site ecological services – described as ‘excellent’ by the Environment Agency during a review of the environmental management plan – and is set to provide ongoing support as the ecological clerk of works.

“Although we’ve had to remove a number of trees to accommodate the works, we have been able to reuse all the materials to recreate habitats on site,” said Bob. “This not only complements the ongoing habitat creation but also cuts the amount of waste being removed from site, which in turn reduces the scheme’s carbon footprint.”

Let’s get STARTed HRH Prince Charles had a close-up view of some of Halcrow’s key sustainability initiatives when he visited Glasgow in September 2010.

Halcrow was taking part in the UK launch of START, The Prince of Wales’ new initiative which works with businesses and private sector organisations to encourage people to find simple ways to lead more sustainable lives. The Scotland launch was held in Glasgow’s central railway station.

employees’ efforts have given Halcrow a platform to show clients that we are leaders in sustainable business – an area of rapidly increasing importance.”

The launch was attended by senior representatives of several of Halcrow’s clients, including the Scottish Government’s minister for transport, infrastructure and climate change, as well as Glasgow City Council, Network Rail, IBM and various water companies.

Regional director Donald Bell and graduate planner Nicola Blaney were introduced to The Prince of Wales – known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland – and explained the company’s commitment to sustainable business and commuter travel.

Donald said: “We were delighted to accept the invitation from Scottish Business in the Community to support this initiative. Our

Donald

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Donald Bell an

and Nic ol of cyclin a discuss the fin g with H er points RH Prin ce Charle s

Sustainable solutions It’s in our hands

Getting to grips with garbage Halcrow is set to carry out a commercial waste system study for the City of New York’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY); the body responsible for all five boroughs’ residential solid waste.

Rubbish generated by the city’s thousands of businesses is collected and disposed of by private waste contractors, which are in turn regulated by the DSNY to meet demanding environmental goals and maintain residents’ quality of life.

“Most existing waste generation calculations are fairly basic, involving spreadsheets that simply assign a ‘tonne per year’ value to businesses based on their size and sector,” said Gary Ostroff, who will manage the project’s technical elements. “The level of spatial and sector detail that we will be introducing to the model is unprecedented; nor has such a model been built for a city the size of New York.”

Geographic information systems (GIS) mapping will underpin the study, with each individual business operating within the city’s confines recorded in the database. Additional information including population density, zoning and proximity to major transit routes will flesh out this resource, and the resulting model will be based on correlations between a business’s characteristics and the volume and type of waste it generates.

in-depth look at the waste collectors’ routes and schedules to identify inefficiencies.

Awarded to Halcrow over two years ago after a monumental bidding effort, the £3.2 million study was subsequently a victim of recessionary belt-tightening despite the DSNY’s best efforts. Its revival stems in part from a recent city council solid waste bill requiring a comprehensive study of the entire commercial waste management system.

Janine Witko will project manage the study, while Danielle Hartman and Victor Acosta will carry out much of the GIS work with support on hand from Florida and UK-based teams.

“Once complete, this generation study will provide an unparalleled picture of the city’s commercial waste, enabling the DSNY to move forward with its waste management and recycling strategies,” said Gary. “We won against heavy competition because the DSNY felt that our understanding of and ability to carry out the scope were clearly superior.”

Alongside the GIS-based exercise, the team will carry out a field study to better understand companies’ attitudes and behaviour when it comes to recycling, as well as an

Lakehead LEEDs the way Lakehead University students need only look up to be inspired by the latest addition to their expanding campus.

Artist’s impression of Lakehead University’s new building

Over half the modern academic building’s roof area has been installed with natural ground cover, with this visible feature contributing to the facility’s unprecedented environmental rating.

Part of the initial phase of the university’s modern Orillia campus in Ontario, Canada, the £27 million building achieved leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) platinum status. The entire campus is on course for this level of certification once completed – reportedly the first in North America to meet LEED platinum standards.

Working to a demanding schedule Halcrow Yolles provided structural engineering 16

Vox | march 2011

concrete mix helped reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint, while the sweeping green roof controls water runoff and provides insulation.

“We are delighted with the new building because it realises every hope we had,” said Kim Fedderson, dean of the Orillia campus. “We have a particular philosophy of education at Lakehead that is inquiry based and interdisciplinary. This building was designed with that in mind – it’s student-centred.”

services for the 6,100m2 facility, which officially opened in September 2010. The state-of-the-art building is home to lecture theatres, laboratories, library collections, classrooms, lecture halls and faculty offices.

Structural design components were instrumental in landing LEED certification.

Substituting slag – a byproduct of metal smelting – for Portland cement in the

Further curbing the carbon emissions normally associated with operating a building of this scale, the ambitious project incorporates a geothermal heating and cooling system to slash energy demands. A rain-water retention pond accumulates water for use in non-potable water functions such as toilet flushing. Once complete, the site’s student population is set to swell to 7,000.

Package makes perfect Strategic project to bolster flood defences in the UK’s Humber Estuary ith rising sea levels predicted to raise water levels within Yorkshire’s tidal Humber Estuary by up to a metre over the next century, flood defences in the area are being beefed up to protect low-lying communities.

Halcrow is the lead consultant for all appraisal, design and construction supervision services for the Environment Agency’s £34 million Humber Package 01, working with framework partners Black and Veatch, Birse Civils, Jacobs and Arup.

In packaging the seven projects together the Environment Agency hoped to reap efficiency savings and, with Halcrow supervising construction of all schemes, the reality has far surpassed this intention. “A common resource pool across the package has enabled us to share lessons learned as we go,” said site supervisor Mike Hastings, “improving construction working methods and reducing the potential for costly delays. Collaborative working across the framework team ensures the projects are being delivered ahead of programme and under budget.”

Grouped together to drive efficiencies, the package comprises seven flood risk management schemes across the estuary’s tidal plains.

Once complete, the projects will collectively reduce flood risk to over 20,000 homes. The most recent scheme funded and constructed under this umbrella, at Swinefleet, officially opened in June 2010.

Demonstrating the project team’s exemplary performance, the package schemes have consistently topped the Environment Agency’s national table of performance measures for consultants on its national engineering and environmental consultancy agreement (NEECA2) framework.

Designed to improve the standard of tidal flood protection to the village of Swinefleet and surrounding areas on the estuary’s south bank, this scheme provides a one-in-200 year standard of flood protection, accounting for predicted increased sea levels over the next 50 years.

The Humber package was heralded as a best practice example of delivery at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) annual flood management conference for 2010, and the individual projects have also elicited positive feedback from local residents and key stakeholders.

Led by coastal engineers from Halcrow’s maritime team, design proposals for the package’s schemes – all of which are in environmentally sensitive locations – placed sustainability at their heart, as design manager Ian Taylor explained: “A range of engineering options were assessed to ensure the most cost-effective solution was selected, while meeting the client’s requirement for low maintenance. Our designers sought to increase the level of recycled and recyclable materials and, where possible, the contractors managed earth fill requirements across the projects to achieve cost savings and reduce the amount of waste material taken to tip.”

Project director Andy Parsons commented: “The Humber package is an excellent example of Halcrow working in an alliance with our framework partners to deliver major packages of flood risk management works for the Environment Agency.”

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Seeking to build on this success, Halcrow intends to continue working with the Environment Agency and its framework partners as the Humber Estuary flood risk management strategy – a 100-year plan for flood risk management around the estuary – is fleshed out and delivered.

Seven projects, one goal The Humber Package 01 covers: • Tidal flood defence improvement schemes at Stallingborough, Swinefleet, Halton Marshes and Brough • A managed realignment site at Donna Nook • New tidal defences at Gunness on the tidal Trent • A fluvial flood storage scheme at Western Drain, West Hull

Construction works at Stallingborough, Halton, Brough and Swinefleet

RedR trainees at a skills workshop

Red-letter for Halcrow Company becomes patron of disaster relief charity RedR

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ne year on from the 2010 Haiti earthquake and, for the million people surviving in tent cities that have sprung up near Port-au-Prince, recovery has been painfully slow.

Cholera outbreaks have claimed over 4,000 lives and huge swathes of the population are still without access to treated water or basic toilet facilities. And yet amid this uncertainty, glimmers of hope suggest the reconstruction effort is finally gaining traction – thanks largely to the tireless efforts of local and international aid workers.

Disaster relief charity RedR mobilised its response team in the days following the 7.0 magnitude quake. As aid organisations streamed into the country and decamped, RedR began to identify technical areas requiring more manpower, expertise or training. Were there enough potable water specialists available? Did local workers have the right skills to help? What emergency sanitation measures were most appropriate in high-density urban areas that had been completely destroyed?

Over the following weeks and months RedR worked closely with international and local aid workers to roll out an extensive fieldlevel training programme. It’s this sharing of technical skills that characterises the charity’s approach to relief and reconstruction – one into which Halcrow will gain in-depth insight, having recently become a RedR patron.

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Explaining the potential opportunities for Halcrow employees, chief executive Peter Gammie said: “RedR offers a number of avenues for people to get involved. While overseas missions grab the headlines, the most valuable resource RedR can draw on is the knowledge of its members. If you’re a technical expert in your field you could offer guidance and advice which would then be passed on to response teams on the ground. Individual RedR membership means you’re part of an active register of carefully selected and trained professionals available to work for humanitarian agencies around the world.”

Mirroring the metaphor about the life-long benefits of teaching someone to fish, the benefits of supporting local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are undeniable. Workers from the affected country are able to carry on the rebuilding effort after the international agencies have returned home, often at lower cost.

The cathartic benefits for entire societies also shouldn’t be underestimated. Providing a sense of ownership and purpose, handson involvement helps heal traumatised communities and can speed up the recovery process.

Over 150,000 Haitians were recruited by the various aid agencies working to stem the tide of human casualty. However, the majority of these workers had little or no specific disaster experience. A partnership between RedR and French training agency Bioforce developed the skills of over 1,100 people – predominantly Haitian

day relief workers from international agencies including Oxfam, UNICEF, Haitian Red Cross and Tearfund. These trained staff members then passed their new-found expertise on to other employees and volunteers. Similarly, over a six-month period in Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake, RedR trained over 2,000 local aid workers and technical personnel. The multinational agencies eventually leave, but invaluable knowledge and engineering skills remain.

“We’re delighted to welcome Halcrow as a RedR patron,” said chief executive Martin McCann. “Patrons and their employees or members are vital to RedR’s work, providing the essential financial backing we need to prepare for, and respond to, future disasters. You can make an invaluable contribution to our work by participating in events such as Wear Red for RedR, by becoming a regular donor, or by using your expertise to respond to queries sent to RedR’s technical support service.”

Halcrow is currently developing internal channels to support employees wishing to donate their time and expertise, and these will be announced later in 2011. Also playing its part in helping Haitians rebuild their lives, the Halcrow Foundation is investigating a project to replace schools destroyed by the quake.

Ian Smout, RedR chair, explains the vital role engineering skills play in developing countries: “Engineers have long been essential in helping disaster-hit communities get back on their feet. Although emergencies are often unexpected or uncontrollable, appropriate engineering reduces the risks and impacts of these events.

“Founded by engineers more than 30 years ago, RedR knows only too well that engineering solutions can help communities prepare for and recover from disasters. In Haiti, RedR trained over 1,100 relief workers in the six months following the quake, most of whom had little prior knowledge of disaster situations.

“And therein lies the challenge. We know engineering skills play a vital role, yet we are facing a serious shortage of those skills in developing countries worldwide.

You can get involved: Become a member The skills, knowledge and expertise of RedR members are crucial to ongoing humanitarian efforts worldwide. Become a member and you’ll be the first port of call to support the international community’s response when disaster strikes.

You’ll need at least five years’ professional experience, of which two should be in an overseas field environment with either a development or humanitarian focus. You’ll also need to demonstrate the personal attributes required to cope with disaster situations. The rigorous process includes a face-to-face interview and other assessments.

If you want to get involved but don’t have the requisite experience, RedR offers training and mentoring programmes to help individuals gain specific knowledge.

Offer technical support When humanitarian teams contact RedR with an urgent query – the best way to install an emergency water treatment system on unstable ground, for example – the charity immediately turns to its technical support service expert group. Specialist members submit solutions which are cross-referenced and validated before being collated and rushed back to support the relief effort.

“We need to fill that gap by deploying professionals, yes. But ultimately we need to invest in engineers at a local level, requiring training, support and financing.”

For further information on how you can get involved, contact Rose Papararo at rose.papararo@redr.org.uk

Gain field experience to support future efforts Providing invaluable field experience, RedR’s future relief workers scheme can help you on your way to becoming a humanitarian worker. Successful applicants are placed on a development project, rather than an emergency situation for which they are not yet equipped. The programme is aimed at people with less than four years’ professional experience but who are interested in getting involved in disaster relief missions.

Giving generously Spread a little happiness

Helping people – with purpose “Come and see what we’ve built.” For a moment Halcrow’s Jim Sly was puzzled by the invitation, quietly offered by the young man standing in front of him. They walked a short way down the path, and all became clear. The young man pointed proudly to a concrete water tank. “You taught us how to do that,” he said.

The Melbourne-based principal engineer remembered his visit to the same village a year earlier, when he and two fellow Australians had come to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to build two 20,000 litre concrete water tanks and, in the process, pass on the skills and knowledge required to the local community. The new structure showed that the lesson had been well learnt.

Jim is a long-standing member of his Rotary club in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, committed to the principles of service locally and internationally. The trip to PNG was an expression of his belief that knowledge and skills should be shared, to the great benefit of all. That knowledge is soundly based: in his professional life at Halcrow Jim draws on 30 years’ experience in the investigation, design, construction and project management of water supply, sewerage and drainage works.

terrific scenery with the road sweeping along the coastal cliffs and challenging climbs.”

As well as promoting the Rotary organisation at every opportunity, the event raises money for the cause through individual sponsorship efforts. Jim’s Rotary district generated some £34,000 (AUD$55,000), contributing to the combined total of more than £500,000 (AUD$800,000) raised by the 2010 ride.

Building water tanks in remote parts of the Pacific and cycling hundreds of kilometres for a good cause might sound like laudable contributions on their own, but Jim also helps to manage the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment, which runs weekend events at a youth camp in the hills just outside Melbourne.

The camps, which cater to year nine and ten school students, offer a mix of activities and speakers designed to help young people make life-defining decisions and develop a sense of community service.

For someone as busy as Jim, all this adds up to a major time commitment and requires a good deal of understanding from his family. Is it worth it? “Undoubtedly,” is Jim’s response. “There’s so much reward in helping other people; the appreciation they show is absolutely fantastic.”

Work under way in Papua New Guinea

At the weekend, however, he can be found slipping early out of ary cyclists Jim with fellow Rot the house and pedalling his way through the woods and hills east of Melbourne. His motivation stems not just from a desire to keep fit, but by the prospect of being part of a team prepared to cycle some 750km over a week to raise money for research projects funded by Australian Rotary Health – a cause which Jim’s local club has been supporting for nearly 25 years.

“The 2010 Rotary Ride for Research Dollars was held in February,” said Jim. “We enjoyed some

Velo voyage Most people travelling from London to Paris board the Eurostar beneath the vaulted Victorian roof of St Pancras International, disembarking at Gare du Nord some 2.5 hours later.

Halcrow’s Charlotte Hart decided to bypass the conventional route, opting instead for self propulsion. The Exeter-based graduate hydrologist and her friend Anna cycled the 400km separating the European capitals in June 2010 to raise funds for WaterAid – a nongovernmental organisation working to improve access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.

Charlotte already had a bike courtesy of Halcrow’s cycle to work scheme and, having decided to take on the four-day challenge, began training in April. “We cycled every weekend First glimpse of the Eiffel Tower

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including some local charity rides to test ourselves, but nothing was quite like the big one,” said Charlotte.

From London, the green threads of the UK’s national cycle route and cuckoo trail helped signpost the way to Newhaven and the waiting ferry, while Avenue Verte provided a scenic route on the other side of the Channel.

Charlotte is already looking ahead to her next pedal-powered jaunt, with a Venice to Rome cycle on the cards for 2011. “A huge thanks to all the friends, family and colleagues who sponsored us,” she said. “We raised almost £400.”

e it!

Mad

g n i o g e h t n e Wh gets tough

An early morning cuppa and a brief chance to rest weary limbs

Fundraising update Employee efforts from around the world Middle East

Home straight: the Seven Sister

s

There are endurance events and there are endurance events.

London

And then, there’s the Photoplod Midnight Challenge. It’s 64km long. It snakes up and down the steep escarpments of the South Downs in Sussex. But worst of all, as the name suggests, it starts at midnight!

Amazingly, the Chichester office managed to produce nine masochists who were prepared to undergo this nocturnal torment. With two of their partners joining them on blister duty they gritted their teeth to raise £1,500 for children’s charity Action Medical Research.

Sunrise over Sussex

“The group did some training walks over the preceding weekends to get into practice,” said ‘plodders’ Lucy Morris and Lindsey Freestone.

“We were walking between 16km and 37km at a time, which was good fun and a way of getting to know the team a bit better.”

Winners: Kyle Goddard and Mark Honey

The London team held a festive fundraiser on 16 December 2010, raising over £2,400 for the Halcrow Foundation. Elms House’s restaurant, Forty3, was transformed into a buzzing hive of activity, with food, drink, music and dancing. Donated prizes were raffled off, including an iPad, laptop, Cirque du Soleil tickets and crates of wine, and invited bands kept the crowd on its feet.

India

Starting at Steyning in West Sussex and finishing at Birling Gap in East Sussex 16 hours later, the event involved 35 teams. With torches lighting the way, the walkers cut a dramatic sight as they snaked up hill and down dale.

“All of us seemed to have a different part of the walk that we found hardest,” said Lindsey. “For me it was the last 30km when the sun had risen. The final section from Seven Sisters to the finish was very difficult as it seemed to go on forever.”

Following catastrophic flooding that washed away entire villages in Pakistan, the Middle East staff council organised a Halcrow Foundation appeal to support the recovery effort. Banding together, the regional offices raised £4,243 and the foundation is now investigating potential projects to help communities rebuild.

Still smiling: Lucy, Lindsey, Chris , David and Marcus

Despite their blisters and exhaustion the entire team managed a very respectable 16th position out of 35 at the finishing line. Overall, the event raised a total of £52,000 for Action Medical Research, which supports key medical research for babies and children.

“I’d love to do the walk again next year and so would most of the team,” said Lucy. “It was a really great way of raising a substantial amount of money for charity and completing it gave me a huge sense of achievement.”

The walkers were: Ian Anderson, Marcus Polley, Lucy Morris, Matin Bayat, Chris Weedon, Cate Bell, Matt Dyer, David Morris and Lindsey Freestone.

Pooling their collective footballing talents, employees from Halcrow’s three Indian offices took part in an event organised by the Magic Bus Centre on 22 January. The local charity runs sport development programmes for children living in slum communities. The team raised the £740 tournament entry fee which will be used to expand the charity’s reach, helping to empower and engage more young people.

The Halcrow team

Giving generously Spread a little happiness

Breath-taking achievement If Peter Cummings looks a bit out of breath, it’s hardly surprising.

Peter at the finish line

He is pictured just after finishing his first half marathon in an impressive 1 hour 44 minutes.

No less impressive is the £626 that Peter raised for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a charity dedicated to promoting awareness and researching undiagnosed heart conditions in young people, which cause an average of 625 deaths in under35s in the UK every year.

Peter was inspired to take part in the 2010 Glasgow half marathon by the memory of a friend who died in 2007, aged 21. “My friend was a really active young guy who played football four times a week, played tennis and also went running,” he said. “CRY is a relatively unknown charity but its bereavement support is vitally important to many young people and their families.

“I decided to enter a half marathon after completing the men’s health 10km in June with fellow runners from Halcrow. I’m really grateful to all my colleagues who gave me such great support.”

Bitter winds, snow and sub-zero temperatures don’t fit most people’s image of Africa.

Arwyn and Kerry

But up on Mount Kilimanjaro, the continent’s highest peak, these testing conditions are the norm. Cardiff-based engineer Arwyn Norris discovered the mountain’s extremes when he climbed ‘Kili’ in October 2010 with his partner, Kerry. Together they raised £5,000 for Scope, a charity that supports people with cerebral palsy.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done and ever will do,” said the fitness enthusiast, who regularly plays rugby, squash, basketball and baseball. “I’d done a lot of training and spent most of my weekends up whatever mountain I could find, but nothing can really prepare you for the actual climb.”

Ain’t no mountain high enough

The five-day challenge initially took the climbing team from a lush tropical base camp to a bare desert-type landscape. From there it was upwards into a freezing icy terrain of rubble and screed where the walkers had to fight for every breath.

Charity events don’t come with much loftier aspirations than the Munro Challenge.

“The weather was horrific, with hail, rain and bitter winds. It was literally a matter of putting one foot in front of the other,” he said.

“Our group was like a line of the walking dead. At night it was too cold to sleep.”

Each year the challenge aims to simultaneously put teams of walkers on top of all the mountain peaks in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales over 3,000 feet (915m) high.

Two teams from Halcrow’s Glasgow office were among the 2,000 people who took part in the challenge on 12 June 2010 to raise funds for WaterAid. The charity helps the world’s poorest people gain access to safe water, improved hygiene and better sanitation. Altogether a whopping £160,000 was raised throughout the British Isles, with several hundred pounds coming from the two Glasgow teams.

The team celebrates at the summit

Snows of Kilimanjaro

Organiser Sandy Hutcheson said: “Our teams climbed Meall Glas and Sgaith Chuil in Glen Dochart near Crainlarich. We made it to the top of both peaks and were lucky enough to have near-perfect weather.”

Buoyed by the success of reaching the summit during the night, the party set off on the descent in darkness and found that it was almost as difficult as the climb up. “It was a hard walk all the way down with the ice making it treacherous,” he said.

“That mountain is huge and commands so much respect,” he said. “It was definitely a challenge and I’m happy to have had the chance to do it.

“It was an amazing experience and I pushed myself beyond the limits and then some. I’ve said it is something I wouldn’t do again, but I may forget all the bad bits and attempt another climb in the future.”

The challenge, which is run every couple of years, takes its name from Sir Hugh Munro who in 1891 compiled the first full list of all suchsized peaks.

The view from the top

22

Vox | march 2011

Wayne descends in the Paras

Wayne Farrell’s year of pain ayne Farrell clearly doesn’t do things by halves. After initially signing up for a triathlon towards the end of 2009, the Tees Valley-based engineering technician threw himself into a rigorous training regime – hitting the pool most mornings at 6.30am, interspersed with sessions on the bike and treadmill.

W

10

Lyke Wake Walk

Strike a pose: clownin g around in training

Wayne’s dedication and exposure to chlorine fumes soon paid off and, with his technique and stamina rapidly improving, his daily workouts began to intensify.

“Some days I’d be swimming in the morning, hitting the weights straight after work and then going for a run or cycle in the evening,” he said.

With the April 2010 race day looming, Wayne decided to put his newly acquired peak fitness to the test and fundraise for local charity Zoe’s Place, which supports terminally ill children under the age of five and their families. His 2010 calendar quickly filled up with an array of endurance events – nine in total – ranging from sprint triathlons through to a 65km slog across the North Yorkshire Moors.

First up was the cartilage-crushing Cleveland 26 Mile Survival Challenge – the equivalent of a full marathon winding through the heart of the moors. Organised as a fundraising event for the local search and rescue team – which kindly offered to retrieve any missing participants – the orienteering-based race saw competitors navigating from point to point around the precarious 41km course.

Just a week later Wayne was back in action, zipping up his wetsuit for the first of three triathlons.

The next few months flew past in a blur of training, knotted muscles and endorphin-fuelled exhilaration, culminating in a gruelling seven-day stretch in September.

“I signed up for the Paras’ 10, one of the tests for those hoping to join the British Army’s parachute regiment,” said Wayne. “It involves running 10 miles (16km) over rough, hilly terrain in under 1 hour 50 minutes – while wearing military boots and carrying a 16kg backpack!”

Although he’d planned on racing in running trainers and without the laden backpack, Wayne changed his mind right before the event and decided to have a go at the full challenge. “I’d never run with weights or with boots on before in my life, so when I attempted the race, making the required time with ten seconds to spare, I was absolutely over the moon. The only downside to that achievement was the fact that my body was in tatters for the Great North Run the following week, so I was unable to put in a decent time.”

Clearly bitten by the endurance bug, Wayne is already planning a crammed schedule for 2011.

Alongside some repeat events from 2010, he’s pencilling in the London and Blenheim triathlons, and a full marathon.

As his blisters healed and aches subsided, Wayne reflected: “I don’t pretend to have enjoyed every second of it – at some points I was in immense agony and wondered why I kept doing it to myself.

However, raising money for charity, completing the challenges I set myself and the immense support of friends, family and colleagues made it all worthwhile.”

Transition in the Stockton Triathlon

Race calendar • Cleveland Survival Challenge, 27 March 2010 • Humber Sprint Triathlon, 4 April 2010 • Darlington Sprint Triathlon, 16 May 2010 • Redcar Half Marathon, 13 June 2010 • Lyke Wake Walk, July 2010 • Stockton Sprint Triathlon, 22 August 2010 • Middlesbrough 10km Run, 5 September 2010 • Paras’ 10, 12 September 2010 • Great North Run, 19 September 2010

Over 300 million people living in poor urban communities do not have access to clean water. Over 400 million do not have access to adequate sanitation.

Halcrow is a founding member of Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), a not-for-profit partnership between non-governmental organisations, the private sector and academia.

These grant-funded schemes often serve as a catalyst for city-wide projects and policies, helping improve the health and wellbeing of thousands of slum residents.

For people forced to walk several kilometres to fetch water and lacking even the most basic toilet facilities, WSUP’s work can be profoundly life changing. WSUP supports local service providers in delivering improvement programmes.

Since 2006, WSUP support for projects in Africa and South Asia has provided safe, affordable water for over 127,000 people and improved hygiene for some 120,000.

If you're interested in working in developing countries and have relevant experience delivering water and sanitation projects for the urban poor, contact John Martin.

Contact

John Martin martinjc@halcrow.com +44 (0)1793 816 465