Renews issue 3 by Sonder

ReNEWS

FOR ALL YOUR SHANKS UK NEWS AND VIEWS

I WOULD RUN 1,001 MILES

How you’re shaping up: P8

THUMBS UP FOR RUBBISH ADVENTURE Ellie’s verdict: P9

TAKE YOUR RINGSIDE SEAT

GLOVES ARE OFF FOR LEE Pro fighter sets sights on new goal to turn waste into energy He has had a 25-year career that has seen him trade blows with some of the biggest names in boxing. World Champion Amir Khan has been on the wrong end of his right hook as a sparring partner. But now, after his ﬁnal big bout was thwarted by injury, Lee Kellett is preparing to go out on a high, before taking on a new challenge. Full story: page 3

W I N ! TWO DAYS’ ANNUAL LEAVE! SEE ENCLOSED LEAFLET

December 2014

PLUS

WIN A £150 SAINSBURY’S GIFT CARD SEE P12

TIME FOR ACTION Nearly 9 out of every 10 Shanks people in the UK had their say on the future of the business and their role in it. That’s a phenomenal 87% of you who completed the PULSE survey, which will help us shape a bright future for everyone in Shanks. Thanks to you, we now have a picture of how the business feels about our managers, working environments and the company as a whole. PRIORITY The key finding from PULSE was that 34.1% of Shanks people were committed to the company and engaged in their job. But a further 22% were not committed or engaged, and it’s that group that Sam Lock, Head of HR, wants to get onside. “Some of the comments were that people don’t feel appreciated by their line managers, and that is something we will address as a priority,” she said. “We have great talent at Shanks, so we need to ensure that by improving things together, we retain that small percentage of people who indicated that they don’t feel engaged.” Over the coming months, everyone will be split into groups of five or more, led by a line manager, to do the action planning sessions. Every team will examine both the positive and negative findings of the survey and will identify practical steps to improve or resolve them. They will then each draft an action plan to take their team forward. Sam said: “The aim is to create action plans to drive growth and success. By doing that, we hope to see increased personal enhancement and a tangible improvement in job satisfaction, which in turn leads to heightened commitment and engagement.” PULSE highlights: page 4

2 ❙ December 2014

PETER’S BLOG WELCOME

We’re already on issue 3 of ReNEWS and I’m hearing a lot of positive feedback about the newspaper. I want it to truly be owned by all of us, so if you have something you or your team would like to include about things you’re doing at work or at home, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Please also take the time to ﬁll in the survey enclosed to help us to further improve ReNEWS.

PROFITS UP

You might have seen that Shanks Group recently issued a profit warning for its latest ﬁnancial results. We are experiencing tough markets in some of our divisions, but the UK Division is performing well and reported a 13% increase in trading proﬁt – thanks to your hard work. However, we can’t be complacent and it is important that we all continue to work hard up to Christmas and beyond to deliver on our commitments.

SHARE!

The Shanks Journey, which you will have seen in issue 13 of Shanks Matters, defined our Purpose, Vision and Approach to ensure we all know why we are in business, where we want to be and how we will get there. The actions from the PULSE survey will help us on this journey. All of this is underpinned by our IMPACT values, so it’s great to see lots of these values demonstrated in this issue, from the passion of boxer Lee Kellett to the excellent teamwork between our Regional Health and Safety Advisors (above left). So keep sharing your incredible stories so that we can continue to recognise our values in action.

IMPROVING TOGETHER

As you’ll read elsewhere in this edition, reports from the PULSE survey are now being shared and action planning sessions being arranged. So be proactive and contribute to discussions because a key result of these sessions will be team-managed action plans, which will enable us to improve together. As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you for all your hard work in 2014 and I look forward to seeing you refreshed in the new year. Seasons greetings.

PETER EGLINTON

HAVE YOUR SAY

LIFESAVING… ON AUTOPILOT Quick-thinking duo hailed as heroes by customer’s family after severed artery drama Site workers Will Paton and Tony Prince turned lifesavers when a routine customer dropoff turned to disaster. Senior Site Supervisor Will was just emerging from his office when he came face-to-face with a bloodsoaked customer. The man’s frightening ordeal began when he threw the remains of a toilet into the container at one of our East London Recycling Centres without climbing the stairs. He caught his arm on the jagged ceramic edge, slicing through a main artery just above his wrist. PARAMEDICS The victim, ironically a first aider himself, quickly realised how serious his injury was and headed for the Frizlands Lane main office. “I was just coming out and saw him walking towards me covered in blood. It was very strange because I didn’t panic. I just went into autopilot and got on with it,” said a relieved Will, who has been with Shanks for 25 years. He shouted for Team Leader Tony Prince to help while another colleague dialed 999. Will said: “The customer looked pretty shocked and was gripping his arm. We led him into the office, sat him down and started applying pressure. “He was losing a lot of blood and we went through two bandages, so we called in the fire brigade, who, fortunately, are based opposite our site. They gave us a hand with providing more advanced first aid equipment.” After stopping the blood with a tourniquet and making the victim

SERIOUS OUTCOME The drama could have ended very differently but for the fact that Will and Tony had both recently undergone ﬁrst aid training. Will said: “It was great to know that the training was so useful and by the end of this incident, it sank in that we may have just helped our customer avoid a far more serious outcome.” The following day, the man’s family arrived at the Centre to collect his car and couldn’t thank the Shanks pair enough. Will added: “They were

I saw him walking towards me covered in blood. It was very strange because I didn’t panic. I just went into autopilot and got on with it

extremely grateful, but we were just doing our jobs really. It’s great that there are always a string of willing volunteers for ﬁrst aid courses on our sites. “If anyone is unsure about doing Shanks ﬁrst aid training, they really shouldn’t hesitate because, as we showed, you really can make a big difference to someone’s life just by being there and knowing what r u o y Contact er for to do.” g a n a line m ing in a tr r furthe

U ARE YOATE D UP TO A VE S TO ? A LIFE

(l-r) Tony Prince and Will Paton didn’t think twice to help save their customer

FIRST AID WILL BE AS EASY AS AED Colleagues at 11 of our sites will never be far from a piece of lifesaving equipment, thanks to a safety competition suggestion. Teams at our higher-risk sites will have simple-to-use deﬁbrillators within easy reach before Christmas, as part of a nationwide roll-out.

Text or email your story to us on:

EXCELLENT Teams in Barrow, Hespin Wood, BDR, South Kirkby, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Lochar Moss and Cumbernauld will be among the ﬁrst to

07860 021367

shanks@summersault.co.uk

raise his arm, the pair handed their patient over to the paramedics after the 15-minute ordeal.

This newspaper is produced by

get the Automated External Deﬁbrillators (AEDs). Colleagues at Jenkins Lane and Frog Island already have two of the portable devices, which check heart rhythm and can shock the organ back into life in the event of cardiac arrest. Kez Grimley, Head of Compliance, said: “Sudden cardiac arrest usually causes death if it is not treated within minutes. Using an AED may save a life. This is an excellent addition to safety equipment and I’m really pleased that an idea for the Group safety award will be used to improve our sites.”

Editor: Jim Levack, Sub Editor: Kate Feasey, Senior Art Editor: Emma Bramwell, Production Manager: Jo Malby. 23-25 WATERLOO PLACE, WARWICK STREET, LEAMINGTON SPA, WARWICKSHIRE CV32 5LA. WWW.SUMMERSAULT.CO.UK

December 2014 ❙ 3

LEE’S OUR KING OF THE BOXING RING From control room to cracking right hook, Lee’s looking forward to a change of direction

VITAL STATISTICS HEIGHT: 6ft 2” AGE: 36 s and 23 AMATEUR: 46 fights, 30 win ut cko by a kno r wins PROFESSIONAL: 13 fights, fou ws dra and two eL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: The ExC ing box but n, bee e hav ld Arena wou s lion mil of ce ien in front of a TV aud by d ree refe ng bei and ort on Eurosp American, Steve Smoger ir Khan BEST SPARRING PARTNER: Am n’ see r eve I’ve – ‘the fastest boxer At 36, his appearance on the undercard of last month’s Tyson Fury v Derek Chisora blockbuster should have been the pinnacle of a thrilling professional career. But the dreams of our Control Room Operator at Sowerby Woods MBT plant in Barrow were left in tatters as a trapped nerve in his back forced him to pull out of the showdown with Steve Collins Jr. “I was devastated, but I plan to do three more ﬁghts. If I train properly

LEE’S A KNOCKOUT

He’s still our number one even after injury blow forces late withdrawal from live television showdown for a year, I can hopefully end on a couple of wins,” Lee said. “I’ve fought some of the best and held my own since I started ﬁghting at 11, but lost my way a little in my late teens.” “I discovered other things apart from boxing, so yes, there are regrets, but it has been a decent career, although I know I should have done much more.” Father-of-one Lee, who combined a gruelling daily training schedule with his Shanks shifts, is looking to wind down his boxing career with some hometown bouts. He said: “I was gutted to miss the ﬁght as I’d trained hard, but I plan to have a couple more and then slow down a little to spend more time with my three-year-old daughter. “I began at Shanks in May and have just gone full-time. I really enjoy the job because it’s so

When I trained hard as a pro I won every fight, but there have been times when I was just paid to be knocked around by the main attraction… now I am looking forward to my new start with Shanks diﬀerent to what I’m used to. It’s like a new start for me.” Six-foot-plus Lee, who fights as a cruiserweight, is responsible for ensuring cranes move the waste to be shredded, from a central control centre. He works varying shifts and admits

the burden of training for the Collins Jr ﬁght was tough. “I was doing 20- to 40-minute runs each day, cycling for half an hour a day and doing 40 minutes of weights three times a week – that’s before two hours of sparring each day,” he said.

“The time is now right for me to focus more on my proper job and possibly do some coaching work with youngsters and adults in the community.” Lee turned pro in his mid-20s after a glittering amateur career and still holds coaching badges, but concedes the fight game could not offer him a stable lifestyle. He said: “When I trained hard as a pro I won every fight, but there have been times when I was just paid to be knocked around by the main attraction. Now I am looking forward to my new start with Shanks.”

GOING BANANAS FOR GAS

Ever wondered what happens to that banana skin once you throw it in the bin? Follow its journey through our Cumbernauld Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility. BACTERIA ARE ADDED TO THE MIX IN TEMPERATURECONTROLLED SEALED VESSELS

THE BANANA SKINS ARRIVE WITHIN THE OTHER WASTE

THEY ARE MACERATED, OR BROKEN DOWN, TO FORM A THICK SOUP

We are growing more efficient all the time at creating by-products, which underlines the power of creating energy from waste ROBERT ETHERSON, DIRECTOR OF ENERGEN BIOGAS, OUR JOINT VENTURE CUMBERNAULD AD FACILITY

BIOGAS, TYPICALLY MADE UP OF 60% METHANE AND 40% CARBON DIOXIDE, IS CREATED WE CREATE 180 LITRES OF FERTILISER FROM 1,000 KILOS OF BANANA SKINS

THE SKINS PRODUCE 150 CUBIC METRES OF BIOGAS – ENOUGH TO CREATE 1,000KW OF ENERGY TO OUR HOMES EACH YEAR (the average home uses 3,000kW a year)

4 ❙ December 2014

KEEPING OUR FINGER ON THE

Our PULSE survey revealed some interesting statistics

7.2

22%

ENGAGEMENT COMPARED TO BENCHMARK AVERAGE OF 7.3

Our lowest scores WORK GIVING ENERGY OPINION COUNTING AT WORK APPRECIATION

Erica masters the Masters Office Manager Erica Bagshaw is a Jack of all trades, but when it comes to masters, there are only two on her mind right now. That’s because Erica, who helps keep our BDR operation ticking over, is helping two Sheffield Hallam University graduates to progress in life. They are signed up to mum-of-one Erica on a mentoring scheme to give them a head start in the world of work as part of their masters degrees. She has already successfully steered two graduates into high-profile jobs, thanks to her diverse knowledge of managing people. REWARDING She said: “A lot of the graduates are brilliant academically, but when it comes to the big wide world, they need some guidance. I help them identify where they are, where they want to be and then work through how we are going to get them there by setting them targets.” Erica, whose two previous mentees are now working in the retail sector as a manager and at a London property firm, said: “It’s very rewarding sharing my knowledge of management practices and giving them the confidence to use it in their own fields. This scheme shows the softer side about how to manage.”

PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT COMMITTED OR ENGAGED – A GROUP WE’RE TARGETING

34.1% PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEIR JOB AND SHANKS… NEARLY 4% HIGHER THAN THE BENCHMARK AVERAGE

7.4

COMMITMENT COMPARED TO BENCHMARK AVERAGE OF 7.7

Our best scores WORK BEING IMPORTANT BEING PROUD OF WORK TEAMWORK

7.5

OUR LOYALTY SCORE COMPARED TO THE 7.6 BENCHMARK

POWERING THE NEXT GENERATION Surplus Shanks kit will aid research into waste to energy creation Energy engineers of the future are spreading the word about our groundbreaking work as part of an exciting new partnership. Students at one of the world’s most innovative universities will learn how to make more from waste as a result of the pioneering link-up, which has involved us providing surplus anaerobic digestion (AD) equipment to create a pilot facility line to divert up to 10 tonnes of food waste from landfill each year. RESEARCH The partnership is underway at Cranfield University, one of the UK’s leading academic institutions, renowned for its innovation in the environment, management and manufacturing fields. Food waste from the Bedfordshire campus will be treated and turned into biogas for renewable energy generation. The scaled-down version of an AD facility will save up to five tonnes of carbon dioxide and produce up to eight tonnes of fertiliser each year. Students will use the facility to understand how the AD process works

The AD line at Cranfield

and in turn help with large-scale research and development projects. Two people have been taken on to run the facility, which has supported more than 20 small and medium-size businesses in the east of England since its launch in October. The new facility will: ● allow Shanks access to the data from the projects and research that comes out of it ● help students gather research to make our plants in Cumbernauld, Westcott Park and Wakeﬁeld even more eﬃcient

● create a partnership with Cranfield that will give us information on the processing and optimising of diﬀerent types of waste ● give us the potential to provide useful back-up to our future tenders and our ongoing operations. INVESTING The link-up will also give us access to ongoing research at Cranﬁeld, including the addition of enzymes to incoming waste to increase gas yield and work looking at the benefits of deploying digestate to agricultural land. Other potential markets could also open up to us as a result of the initiative. Students visiting the facility will learn about anaerobic digestion and investigate factors that could create greater amounts of energy. Peter Eglinton, UK Managing Director at Shanks, said: “By supplying this kit, we are investing in learning and development in our industry. I look forward to working with the university to review the progress of the facility and see students learn how to make more from waste.”

PARTNER POWER

10 TONNES

OF FOOD WASTE WILL BE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILL AT CRANFIELD EACH YEAR

Eight

TONNES OF BI0 FERTILISER WILL BE CREATED EACH YEAR

December 2014 ❙ 5

PAINT THE TOWN GREEN The day an unexpected hit squad, armed with paintbrushes and passion, moved in to give our sites a dramatic new makeover

It was a highly rewarding day, really worthwhile and a great deal of fun. We all went home at the end of the day feeling we had really achieved something

When some of our Scottish sites needed a bit of TLC, a dedicated task force of grafters was assembled. But instead of our teams in Argyll and Bute having to roll up their sleeves after a hard day’s work, the reinforcements came in an unexpected form. Managing Director Peter Eglinton joined Mike Turner, UK PFI Director, Sam Lock, Head of HR, and other members of the Management team on a gruelling shift covering six of our Argyll and Bute sites.

MIKE TURNER

containers, weighbridge cabins, railings SURPRISED and highlighting the HWRC bay ends The Scottish sites are part of one of our with high-visibility paint. oldest PFI partnerships, so needed a makeover to keep them in good shape. LOVING CARE Peter Eglinton travelled to our Westlands facility on the Isle of Bute By dusk, the HWRC sites at Moleigh by plane, ferry and minibus, armed in Oban, Bogleha, Westlands and with his paintbrush. Roading in Campbeltown had The other 40 managers were been given a fresh new look, along split into working parties at each of with our sites at Dalinlongart the sites, where they were handed and Lingerton. Gail said: “Argyll and a list of jobs. Gail Orr, Contract Bute is one of our best Operations established PFIs, as Manager for they’ve been with Argyll and us since 2001. Bute, said: Some of the “They all sites were in really mucked need of a little bit of tender in and got on with it. I think some of the guys who work here loving care. were a little surprised when “As well as they saw who was working looking better, the works nearby.” helped to segregate Group IT Director Their list of jobs for the areas better for the George Slade gets day included strimming, public to separate down to work at and brightening up material, while the Westlands

(l to r) Stewart Love, Alistair Brookes, Andrew Bate, Nick Blake, Danny Tadd and John Hodder are joined by a representative from contractor Bay Construct

(l to r) Steve Bullock, site staff Peter McKirdy and Richard Brooks, Jo Lewis, Adele Lievesley and Peter Eglinton at Westlands Transfer Station & HWRC on the Isle of Bute

new pedestrian path and high-visibility paintwork improves safety. It also showed our client that we care about the sites from the bottom to the top.” TEAMWORK An exhausted Mike Turner said: “It was a highly rewarding day, really

worthwhile and a great deal of fun. We all went home at the end of it feeling we had really achieved something.” Peter added: “A key attribute in our new set of values is teamwork. By working together we were able to improve how the site looked and show our people, our client and the

local community that we take pride in our sites and are committed to making a diﬀerence.” The day ended with dinner with representatives from Argyll and Bute Council, SEPA and the contractors who helped provide materials and skilled labour during the day.

minutes with…

Nenette Scrivener, UK Financial Controller

Q I’ve been with Shanks for six months. Tell us about your job and immediate priorities.

I work with my team and the financial controllers to gather the month-end financial results from around the business. We deal with statutory and tax reporting, audits and financial controls, and look after the balance sheet and cash. We make sure our customers pay us, that our suppliers are paid on time and that the cash is in the right place. My immediate priorities are reporting the next month-end results, the five-year plan and the next forecast, then before we know it, the budget will be upon us. It’s all

about knowing what is in the pipeline, planning for it and then making sure everything lands.

Q I enjoy being outside, so you may find How do you relax away from work?

me battling with the undergrowth in either the garden or the allotment, where I’m generally surprised by the things I grow – two-foot long parsnips at the moment. I also enjoy hill-walking and

We have bought the cottage next door, so we have some exciting times ahead doing it up and joining the two

exploring. When it’s raining, I’ll revert to the kitchen, where I make chocolates.

Q I’m more than happy where I am – in our thatched cottage in a village in

Where would you like to live?

the south Leicestershire countryside. We have just bought the cottage next door and so have some exciting times ahead doing it up and joining the two together.

Who are your two heroes of past or present and why?

Winston Churchill was an inspirational leader, who allowed the nation to believe in winning in the face of extraordinary challenges, a person with very human

qualities who everyone could relate to. Carol Klein, TV gardener, because she is approachable and makes gardening fun and easy.

Q Relaxing in the garden with a glass of What is your idea of happiness?

wine and a good book or a neighbour, after a productive day tending the flowers and vegetables.

Q Happy, industrious, honest.

Describe yourself in three words.

Q Learning new things and also having the time to properly do things What do you value most?

that I really enjoy.

6 ❙ December 2014

THE COMPLIANCE TEAM ARE DAVE LEATHAM, QHSE ADVISOR, WAKEFIELD AND BDR

“I’ve been spending a lot of time on the new BDR site, making sure the facility complies with safe working procedures. That includes traffic management, assessing how the new machines work and training people on Site Operating Procedures. “In Wakefield,

I’m ensuring that everything is ‘compliance’ ready for when we start operations at South Kirkby. “This involves assessing fire risks and spotting compliance issues that need attention, while also keeping an eye on the ball at all of our other Wakefield sites. “Much of what I do is preventative. We’re getting 60 to 70 Close Calls a month, so awareness of prevention, rather than reacting when it’s too late, is really taking off.”

CHRIS WALKER, QHSE ADVISOR, CUMBRIA, AND DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY “Health and safety aren’t boring words in Shanks and Kez (Grimley) is driving an enthusiastic culture where the sites actively want to work with us. “Previously, they might have thought ‘oh no, the safety bloke’s here’, but now they want us to support them and they work with us because they see it’s in their personal interests to stay safe. “We listen to what individual sites need and work with them to get where they want to be. That’s much easier to do when they are on board, which our sites are. “I look after the sites in

Cumbria and Dumfries, supporting the team there and liaising with the regulators. “We’ve had challenges with odour, but by working with all the parties, leading site inspections and ensuring we’re compliant, we are winning. “The HWRCs are subcontracted in Cumbria, so I make sure they are operating to our business standards by supporting their Safety teams. “It’s all about inspecting, auditing, training and being the visible face of the department.”

JILLIAN MCRURY

CHRIS WALKER

ARGYLL AND BUTE

CUMBERNAU

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY DAVE LEATHAM

YOUR LIFE IN THEIR HANDS A magnificent seven Shanks experts are working non-stop to ensure our people, customers and contractors get home safely. A split second’s complacency could spell tragedy, so here’s how they keep us safe

CUMBRIA

BD DERBY

ELS

WESTCOT

December 2014 ❙ 7

RE READY TO WORK WITH YOU LUCILLE STANLEY, QHSE ADVISOR, ELWA AND ELSTOW “Don’t tell the others, but my region has the highest Close Call statistics – that’s brilliant because it means we have a culture, thanks to the Safety Passport, where people are actively preventing accidents. “We have a proactive health and safety culture now where people aren’t afraid to report things. We’ve moved away from finger pointing to a more positive approach and that’s great. “I deal with regulators, identify and source new training, and have been supporting a lot of the work surrounding the Frog Island fire. “If we have an accident, I find the reasons why and try to eradicate, mitigate and abate against the chance of it happening again by changing the environment and behaviours.”

JILLIAN McRURY, QHSE ADVISOR, ARGYLL AND BUTE/CUMBERNAULD “As well as supporting my region, carrying out regular checks and ensuring procedural compliance, I’m currently working on launching an Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Working Safely programme for all our operators, which we hope to launch in March. “I’m busy organising that, updating fire audits, looking at emergency procedures, and checking on-site design and layout, which is important in reducing the risk of accidents.”

KELLY TAYLOR

RNAULD KELLY TAYLOR, QHSE ADVISOR, PROJECTS

“I provide compliance support for all the new builds and look after key projects internally within the department. “We’re in the commissioning phase for the new BDR project at the moment, so it’s full-on making sure all the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted. “I visualise what is written in the early designs, visit the site to see it in practice, and liaise with the principal contractors and construction firms to make any changes. “I’m currently working on a Management Systems review, which will devolve a lot of the documentation to our facilities across the UK and streamline our processes.”

WAKEFIELD BDR

RBY

ELSTOW

STCOTT

ELWA

LUCILLE STANLEY

EUAN HOUGHTON-BELL, QHSE ADVISOR, WESTCOTT AND DERBY “It’s great to be able to influence safety at such an early design stage, which will help in the long term. “Recently, we signed a contract called Entropy, a new software system that will help our compliance monitoring processes and document control. I’m going to be helping to build this ready for its launch in April. “My interests are all things related to quality and continuous improvement, and I really enjoy giving the team a helping hand when we are under the spotlight during audit time.”

CLARE MOLYNEAUX, COMPLIANCE ADMINISTRATOR, MILTON KEYNES “Oh, they said I did their dirty work did they? It’s not quite like that, but I am the single point of contact for the advisors and take care of all things admin-wise for Kez. “I’ve been with Shanks for 11 years, so I point them in the right direction if they need information or to arrange training courses. “I have quite exacting standards, so being the glue that holds things together is the perfect job for me.”

8 ❙ December 2014

THE RACE IS ON

Alison Mpouki grabbed a selfie after stepping up to the plate

I would walk 1,001 miles… and run, cycle and kick!

More than a dozen teams from Shanks’ sites around the UK are battling it out in a fiercely competitive Tour of Britain Fitness Challenge. The teams are walking, running, cycling and even skating in a bid to be the ﬁrst to clock up the 1,001 miles – the total distance between each of our UK sites. Many teams are already more than halfway there and each one is completing a weekly spreadsheet to document their team members’ amazing achievements. BOOST Hana Bajerova’s team have had a boost because the Resource and Recovery Executive uses a hotel gym whenever she’s away from head oﬃce. The Black tag in tae kwon do also Steve Pryor-Jones wants to be leader of the pack

has Heidi Brown on her side… an advantage because she’s training for the London marathon. SELFIES But it’s all about having fun, working together and improving communication – and, of course, taking selﬁes along the way – to try to hit the 1,001 miles before the end of March. Kirstie Slade, PA to the Directors, said: “It all started at the Leadership Event in September, when we were looking at ways of bringing our people closer together. “We chose 1,001 miles because that’s the distance between our sites, but if a team get there quickly, we will extend it to our European sites.” The competition is hotting up, with Senior Project Manager Steve PryorJones cycling and running his team towards the magic number. Alison Mpouki, our Project Co-ordinator in Capital Projects/ Lifecycle, opted for a warmer approach and racked up thousands of steps using her Wii Fit in the comfort of her living room. Meanwhile, Dawn Coupe, Agresso Development and Support Manager, went for a colder challenge by notching up the miles on the ice skating rink.

Heidi Brown with friend Kirsten at the Oxford Run or Dye 5k event

Dawn Coupe found an ice way to boost her team’s mileage at the local skating rink

Keith Sinfield is clocking up the miles, with encouragement from his two biggest fans

CHALLENGE Hana said: “We want to reach the target, but we won’t stop there. We’d like to carry on and expand our route to Holland and could row over the 30mile stretch of sea. “This challenge has engaged those taking part and brought us closer together. I can see it having a positive impact on communication and, as a result, ConnectUS is being used more often.” Other Shanks’ sites that are not yet included in the challenge have shown interest in getting involved, so watch this space.

1,000 people can’t be wrong Nearly 700 people applied for 20 jobs at the Rotherham arm of our new BDR facility. It meant that almost 70% of the 1,000 people who attended a recruitment day at a local library applied to join us. The library normally attracts 300 people a day, but job-seekers were arriving 45 minutes before the doors even opened. The HR team were seeking to fill 20 vacancies across ﬁve diﬀerent role profiles at the event in Wath-uponDearne in South Yorkshire. Leanne Pullen, HR Advisor, said: “We

were amazed by the number of people. It shows that they view Shanks as a forward-thinking, progressive company they want to be part of. “We’ve made a couple of oﬀers so far and most vacancies are still in the process of being shortlisted.” The HR team also recently held another very successful recruitment event in South Kirkby, which we’ll showcase in the next ReNEWS. Meanwhile, some new starters are already shining bright after coming through the interview process.

Hello! We caught up with some of the new starters at our

BDR facility to find out their first impressions of the site… and Shanks

NAME: Darren Hebb AGE: 41 JOB TITLE: AD Plant Multi-skilled Operative

Q The new plant, the technology it contains What attracted you to Shanks?

and the way it is treating waste to make energy, as well as the chance to develop myself by learning new skills.

NAME: Andy Butcher AGE: 43 JOB TITLE: AD Supervisor

Q I was attracted to this job with Shanks by the What attracted you to Shanks?

prospect of a 25-year contract at a brand-new facility.

NAME: Andrew Massey AGE: 44 JOB TITLE: AD Plant Multi-skilled Operative

Q I was made redundant recently and the What attracted you to Shanks?

prospect of a good job at Shanks, which is close to home, really appealed to me.

Q I was working at an in-vessel composting

Q Before I came to Shanks I was working at a local Q tyre recycling plant, where I was a team manager, Prior to this I was a team leader and a drove mobile plant and operated machinery, including

Q It’s a really professional and friendly

Q My first impressions of Shanks have been great. Q Shanks seems to be really good. The team The people are really friendly and there is a great

What were you doing before?

plant in Derbyshire, which processes organic waste to make compost. First impressions of Shanks?

environment, where staff are valued and treated fairly.

Glad you joined… If so, why?

Yes, Shanks is taking the time to train us. I’m enjoying working for Danny Tadd. He’s a good, approachable manager, who really makes time for you.

What were you doing before?

shredding and granulating equipment.

mobile plant driver for a tyre recycling company in the area.

First impressions of Shanks?

sense of teamwork.

are friendly and the company is investing lots of time in training us all up.

Glad you joined… If so, why?

Yes, I’m very glad I joined Shanks. Everything I hoped for about the job is coming true.

Glad you joined… If so, why?

I’m glad I joined so far, ask me again in a month!

NAME: Neil Kershaw AGE: 51 JOB TITLE: Engineering Technician

Q I’ve been doing similar work and it was good What attracted you to Shanks?

to find a company locally with a good reputation.

Q I was an electrical shift charge engineer What were you doing before?

in a local colliery.

Q Very good. I’m impressed with the time and First impressions of Shanks?

training they are investing in me and their dedication to developing people. The employees here (BDR) all seem to be treated well and it’s the little things, such as the tea and coffee, the canteen and the company pension, that reflect what a caring employer Shanks is.

Glad you joined… If so, why?

It’s a good working environment. I’m impressed with the idea that waste is being used to make energy. It’s the way forward.

December 2014 ❙ 9

Ellie Wheawall (centre) and her classmates inspect the trommel, a sieve-like tube that sifts waste into different sizes

BIG FUN AT MINI PLANT Youngsters see first hand how waste is only the start It’s not every day children are urged to rifle through a black bin bag to find a load of old rubbish. But that’s exactly what these schoolchildren did when they visited a working model of our new state-of-the-art £750 million Manvers facility. Pupils were encouraged to dig out the useful waste to discover what it contained and to decide whether it could be reused to create any useful by-products. BUDDING The It’s a Rubbish Adventure project, a joint initiative between us and BDR Waste Partnership, is running at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham. Workshops and school outreach sessions give children aged from 7 to 11 hands-on experience of using conveyor belts, air blowers and electromagnets that separate the waste to see how it can be turned into something useful.

1 tonne

THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THE AVERAGE FAMILY THROWS AWAY EVERY YEAR Shanks Contracts Director Colin Fletcher said: “The children have loved seeing how recycling works and learning about engineering. Some have even asked about it as a career choice.” The sessions, supported by a £28,000 Royal Academy of Engineering grant, are part of a public education scheme aimed at encouraging budding engineers of the future.

(l-r) Paul Mocroft, WRAP Communications Consultant; Matt Bell, Group Manager, Barnsley Council; Karen Hanson, Head of Service, Doncaster Council; Cllr Ken Wyatt, Rotherham Council and member of Community Liaison Group; David Packham, Chair of Community Liaison Group; Colin Fletcher, Shanks Contracts Director; Beth Clarke, BDR Manager; and Abi Cox, Shanks’ Community Education Liaison Officer

I love it. We recycle everything we can at home, we’ve got different boxes for different things, and it’s great that rubbish can be made into something else Ellie Wheawall

We’re getting bigger, better and faster Our teams are to get a helping hand from new technology, as the UK ICT team carry out a refresh. The upgrade, early next year, will mean new equipment, including laptops, desktops, larger screens and new servers, with the emphasis on smaller, thinner, lighter and more powerful hardware to support the

business’s growth. The £500,000 project addresses areas highlighted by the recent PULSE survey. The project will introduce Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2013 too, which offer many benefits, especially towards making office and remote working even more productive and secure. Other significant projects being

delivered by the team include a complete mobile phone and Blackberry replacement programme – being replaced by Android devices – and a printer and scanner refresh. ● For more on these initiatives and other IT projects, visit the United Kingdom IT community on ConnectUs.

MUDDY MARVELS That’s Nick Blake’s view on his Cumbria team Nick Blake after a 10k mud run

A lot has changed since Nick Blake left Shanks a decade ago. The Athens Olympics were about to get under way, the government unveiled the smoking ban and Shanks was in the process of selling its landfill business. Following the sale of the former landfill business to Terra Firma, South of England Operations Director Nick was TUPE’d across. But 10 years on, the father-of-two is back, this time as Contract Director for our Cumbria operations… and he’s amazed at the changes. He said: “I spent 11 years with Shanks from 1993. Now I’m back and, while there are some familiar friendly faces, the business couldn’t be more different. “The emphasis now is on being the most respected waste-to-product company, with particular focus on fuel production, which wasn’t even on the agenda when I was last here.”

Nick, an avid Norwich City supporter and keen extreme fitness fan, is determined to strengthen the contract with Cumbria County Council. “We’re in our sixth year of a 25year PPP contract, at a time when local authorities are under signiﬁcant austerity pressures,” he said. “It’s imperative we work with the council to identify savings and develop new opportunities to make the local authority more efficient, while improving on our service delivery.” Nick added: “The Cumbria team are very focused and we’ve left last year’s environmental issues behind to learn valuable lessons and make great improvements, but there’s always room for more. We are a stronger team now. “Our people are committed to Shanks’ new direction, so my job is to make sure we drive growth and bring benefits to our customers and our people.”

SHATTERING THE MYTHS 10 ❙ December 2014

One of our sites threw open its doors to give its neighbours a real taste of the Shanks process

Families living near one of our sites had a few misconceptions shattered when they attended our recent open evening. Several dozen people enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look to see the operation at our Lingerton Landfill, Composting and HWRC site in Argyll and Bute, which has just had a facelift of a pedestrian path and new bays to improve employee and visitor safety. But it was the work we do that surprised visitors, who had no idea what happens to their waste. Gail Orr, Contract Operations Manager for Argyll and Bute, said: “They were impressed by what they saw. Most had no previous knowledge and were amazed that we turn their household waste into compost, which helps grass grow at landﬁll sites. “We also invited councillors to help build relationships with them and show that we are part of the community and want to be good neighbours.”

Next time you see one of these, you will know the driver has been through our training

AHEAD OF THE GAME Safe and economical are the watchwords for our drivers Every one of our drivers has recently completed a rigorous training programme to ensure that they are our ‘ambassadors of the road’. The commercial drivers who make sure all waste gets moved to where we need it completed the Certiﬁcate of Professional Competence training in September. AMBASSADORS So when you see one of our 3.5-tonneplus vehicles, you can be certain that the driver knows his or her stuff. Many will have undergone ﬁrst aid training, as well as been schooled in driving safely and economically. But that’s not the end of it – the rolling programme means they are now straight on to the next phase to meet European Union legislation.

(left) Michael Harvey shows a family the compost we create from their waste and (right) Steve Bullock trains a young fan on the JCB

Chris Byrne, our UK Plant and Vehicle Manager, said: “Making sure our drivers are compliant is a small but vitally important part of my job. “It means they are safe and skilled, which is important when they are out on the roads where they are eﬀectively ambassadors for Shanks.” The next phase of training starts in February, with our 39 drivers at our main sites undergoing 35 hours of professional driving modules. “Our main concern as a business is that our drivers get home safely at the end of each day, but we also have a duty to other road users,” said Chris. “Key competencies are ensuring our people drive economically and securely because it helps the business. If we don’t, we risk losing our Operator Licence, so that’s why we want to stay ahead of the game.”

A day in the life of… Chris Bradley, Senior Supervisor, Wakefield Chris Bradley makes no excuses for ‘mixing things up’ now and again, as he monitors safety at our sites across Wakefield. Despite being delighted by the increase in Close Call reports and a drop in accidents, he still likes to keep his teams on their toes. “I have a routine and inspect all the facilities once a day, but sometimes I rotate the order so that they’re not expecting me,” he laughed. The surprise tactic seems to be working, with the teams well on top of their game when it comes to ﬂagging up potential safety issues at our HWRCs.

the chance of avoiding accidents.” Chris is currently based at Calder Vale Road, but will be moving to the new South Kirkby site in February. After starting work at 7am each day, he visits each site to carry out secondary inspections after the teams have ﬁnished theirs.

Chris said: “I’ve got to say they really are hot on it, which makes my enforcement role a lot more positive than it could be.

“We are always moving towards the holy grail of zero accidents and an increase in Close Call reporting. The more near misses recorded, the higher

RETRAINING Chris said: “The team are usually really good at checking site procedures, so when I go in, it’s all about looking for anything they’ve missed. “If they have, I instigate toolbox talks, look into retraining and go through the things that need to be done contractually, before downloading all my ﬁndings on to a database.” As well as making sure his teams and customers are safe, he also ensures that every opportunity to recycle is seized.

RECENT INNOVATIONS INCLUDE: ● mattress and carpet skips at the Calder Vale Road site ● ramps up to skips for trailers to be oﬄoaded directly ● walk-in containers ● an improved ‘meet and greet’ feel for visitors unsure how to separate their waste. “The priority is always safety, so the teams are there to meet the public, to educate them and to make sure they deposit their waste in the right place,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of good feedback about how our sites are being run at the moment. “The fact that we double man them now means customer service has improved and the team can manage people throwing things into skips and children getting out of cars.”

December 2014 ❙ 11

“I’M NO HENDRIX” Engineering and Performance Manager plays down his talents For a man with his own recording studio and some of the world’s best guitars, John Morgan is adamant: “I won’t be bringing an album out anytime soon.” In fact, our Engineering and Performance Manager is keen to play down the fact that he’s in any way a musical genius. Since moving from his native Scotland, John has lived in Slovakia and various English counties before moving to Milton Keynes, where he has gradually built up a £10,000 studio at his home. LEGENDARY From there he can be heard belting out Black Sabbath and AC/DC classics, as well as penning his own distinctive tunes. “Before you ask, it’s a detached house, so the neighbours don’t have to endure my music,” he said. “Since school, as an 18-year-old with hair halfway down my back, I’ve been into guitars, motorbikes and heavy rock, but now new technology makes it possible to record at levels only professionals could achieve a few years back. It’s become a really interesting hobby.” John, whose inﬂuences include Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads, has ﬁve guitars, including a legendary Gibson Les Paul, at his home studio. He said: “It’s only been in the last

There is a technical aspect to both my job and my hobby, but my ambitions to improve Shanks’s performance are far greater than my musical aims few years that I’ve started to get into the recording side of things. “It’s fascinating because the software available now allows you to lay down multiple tracks and add to them using additional effects such as orchestra, keyboards, drums and bass. It’s interesting to hear my own distinctive sound develop.” IMPROVING But John has no plans to take the hobby any further: “I’d like to think I could get some decent tracks together, but I’m no Jimi Hendrix.” When he’s not busy fine-tuning his new amplifier, the 48-year-old is doing the same to our engineering and maintenance performance to ensure we are constantly improving. He said: “There is a technical aspect to both my job and my hobby, but my ambitions to improve Shanks’s performance are far greater than my musical aims.”

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07860 021367

shanks@summersault.co.uk

It’s only rock and roll but I like it… as a hobby and nothing more, says modest John

PEDAL POWER TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE Shanks-backed scheme wins top cycling award More than 2,000 youngsters have learned how to repair and recycle, thanks to an award-winning scheme backed by Shanks. Children aged from 11 to 18 have renovated bikes that were once destined for scrap under the project run by a new leisure company. But the project wouldn’t have got off the ground without the help of ELWA and our Frizlands Lane team. ACTIVE Senior Site Supervisor Will Paton played a major part in starting the project, which spans four London boroughs. Prior to our involvement, only a steady trickle of bikes were being renovated by the not-for-profit Trailnet, a business launched to encourage youngsters to get active outdoors. But since Shanks started sending bikes to the Barking and Dagenham arm of the scheme in February 2013, the recycling teams have handled a staggering 12 tonnes of bikes. The project has been such a success, it won Grassroots Project of the Year at the recent London Cycling Awards. James Kirkham, Waste and Recycling Officer at ELWA, who passes the bikes

The recycling team with two of the Shanks-supplied bikes to Trailnet, said: “Previously, these bikes would have been stripped and melted down for scrap. Now we are teaching young people how to refit and refurbish a bike and letting them keep it when they’ve finished.” RELIABLE Trailnet Director Geoff Fletcher said: “Thanks to Shanks, we have a good, reliable source of reasonable bikes

that can be refurbished and others that aren’t in such good condition, which we get parts for. As well as the Bike Build workshops, we sell good-quality bikes for between £10 and £50 that otherwise might have fetched £1 in scrap value.” He added: “The best bit is seeing the children’s faces when they realise they’ve created something new out of something broken, and it’s a skill they will have for life.”

TAKE A BREAK

12 ❙ December 2014

WIN!

JUST FOR FUN! 7 2

4 7 4

3 3 2

4 3

9 1

2 4 1 7 5 6

6 3 2 4 1 7

5 1 8 2 7 4

SOLUTION

OUT THIS MONTH 8

AT THE CINEMA

3 9 6

Take 9 8 6a 7break 5 2 4 and 1 3 try our sudoku puzzle. 4 2 5 1fill 9 in 3 7the 8 grid 6 Simply so that every row, column 3 1 7 4 6 8 2 5 9 and 3x3 box contains the numbers one to nine 6 9 1 2 7 5 8 3 4 only once. There’s no prize as such, just the 5 7 4 3 8 9 1 6 2 satisfaction you’ve cracked it (the 8 3 2 6 1 4 of 5 knowing 9 7 solution 2 4 8 9 is 3 on 1 6 the 7 5 right if you need any help!).

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Lucille Stanley, QHSE Advisor at ELWA, won a Bose speaker for correctly completing last edition’s wordsearch

into the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and is now a qualified accountant. … Cake queen Clare Molyneaux and office colleagues raised more than £600 in a bake-off for the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which treated her. GOOD ED … Amy Pitch (right), MBT NEWS FE Operations Manager at Frog Island, was delighted by her surprise baby shower party.

… s w e n t a e r G … Yasir Iqbal in Derby has been accepted

TEXT: 07860 021367 EMAIL: shanks@summersault.co.uk

Terms and conditions: The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. ReNEWS reserves the right to change the prize without prior notice. The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. Closing date is Monday 19 January 2015.

5 4

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Q. How many people applied for a job at the Rotherham arm of BDR? Q. What is the target mileage for our Tour of Britain Challenge teams?

See in the new year with a spending spree

After all the expense of Christmas, what better way to spring in to 2015 than with a £150 booster in ReNEWS’ competition? It couldn’t be easier to be in with a chance of winning – just answer the two simple questions to the right, text or email us your answers and contact details, and we’ll draw the winner from the correct entries. The answers all appear in this edition of the newspaper. Closing date is Monday 19 January 2015 and we’ll draw the winner at the end of January.

A £150 SAINSBURY’S GIFT CARD

GOOD READ

AT THE CINEMA

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

Released: 12 December For the third Christmas in a row, cinemagoers will be treated to a trip to Middle-earth to team up with Bilbo, Gandalf and the gang for the final helping of the famous Hobbit trilogy. With the very future of our heroes’ communities hanging by a thread, they must conjure up one last effort to keep the evil dragon Smaug at bay. An action-packed conclusion to a special adventure.

DUMB AND DUMBER TO

BAD BLOOD BY CASEY KELLEHER

Can you believe it’s been two decades since we met dim-witted duo Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dune for the first time? With Lloyd locked in a psychiatric ward for 20 years as part of the longest-running gag in history, Harry has been fending for himself. When the pair get back together, they discover that Harry fathered a daughter. So, in a classic comedy storyline, the clueless pair embark on a hunt to track her down.

Feared by the baddest in Soho’s organised crime ring, former boxer Harry Woods enjoys the unquestioned respect of everyone he meets. But when Harry is rocked by his wife’s sudden death, he discovers a series of untold truths that begin to unravel in front of him. Desperately trying to juggle his search for answers with protecting his children, Harry’s strongest bonds are tested… with potentially dangerous consequences.

Released: 19 December

Published: 16 December

07860 021367 Y SA R U O Y E V HA

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