RBLI Newsletter May 2024

SLEEP OUT SUCCESS

The Great Tommy Sleep Out has been a phenomenal success this year with 7,251 supporters taking on the challenge to sleep under the stars for one night or more during the month of March to raise awareness of the estimated 6,000 homeless veterans and to generate vital income to support our work with vulnerable veterans.

An outstanding £1.2 million has been raised from the campaign and this is all thanks to RBLI’s incredible supporters.

We saw more family, group and corporate sleep outs than ever before, as well as thousands of individuals embracing the campaign.

SLEEP OUT TOTALS OVER THE YEARS

Our passionate supporters took part around the British Isles and beyond with Sleep Outs held in all weathers and even as far as Canada and Antarctica!

We couldn’t have reached our goal without our community of incredible fundraisers and we are already thinking about next year.

CHAIRMAN’S SLEEP OUT

On 14th March our own Chair of Trustees, Steve Rowbotham invited 25 CEOs, managing directors, fellow trustees, and senior staff members from companies to join him at historic Fort Amherst in the wind and rain to take part in The Chairman’s Great Tommy Sleep Out.

Despite the cold, damp and windy conditions and lack of sleep, they all said they’d be back next year and would recommend it to business partners.

With a moving speech by RBLI’s emergency accommodation (Mountbatten Pavilion) resident, Luke, people gained a first-hand understanding of the importance of our work with homeless veterans and veterans like Luke who were at risk of becoming homeless.

Representatives from BAE Systems, which sponsored the event, were in attendance, and so far, The Chairman’s Great Tommy Sleep Out has also raised an incredible £50,000

NEWS FROM AROUND RBLI

SBMC celebrates

On 24 April, SBMC were presented with the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise, a written Royal Grant of Approval, and commemorative crystal by The Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, Colonel Peter McCarthy.

At the event, where SBMC also celebrated their 5th anniversary of transforming the lives of veterans and people with disabilities through social impact, Bear Scotland

pledged to spend £1 million with SBMC and Scottish Canals pledged £250,000.

Speaking at the event, Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, Tom Arthur MSP said, “Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Co is an excellent example of social enterprise, and I am delighted that they have received The King’s Award for Excellence, it is well deserved and recognises the impact of the work they are doing.”

All is ‘Good’ at Bradbury House

We are delighted to announce that Bradbury House has recently acquired a well deserved ‘Good’ rating following a thorough inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The ‘Good’ rating from the CQC is a significant milestone that reflects the high standards we uphold in ensuring the well-being, safety, and happiness of our residents. It acknowledges the exceptional quality of care we offer, our adherence to best practices, and our continuous efforts to improve and excel.

Coupled with a 9.7 rating on carehome.co.uk, this rating just shows the dedication of our team as well as the quality of our 24/7 care services.

Regimental Tommies go

into production

The first batches of cap-badge printed Tommies went into production in February at SBMC. Hugely popular with supporters, the new Tommies are now manufactured by David and the team in batches of 30 as soon as an order arrives from the RBLI shop.

New traffic signs printer

BBMC has recently taken delivery of a new traffic signs printer generously gifted by customer HW Martin.

The addition of the £30,000 machine increases BBMC’s digital print capacity by 50%, making a significant difference to the department.

Qualifications

all around!

Certificates in Health and Safety, Manual Handling and Fire Safety were issued in February. The awards ensure the team work safely when working in the factory and also boosts their CV. For beneficiary employees, the credits achieved build towards an NVQ Diploma in Manufacturing Operations.

London Landmarks Half Marathon

In a truly ‘landmark’ year for RBLI’s Team Brave, more than 60 supporters helped raise £30,000 for RBLI by running the famous 13.1 mile route.

The crowds, the energy and the atmosphere of the London run were as memorable as ever and our runners were cheered all the way by RBLI’s fantastic team of staff and volunteers.

D-DAY 80TH ANNIVERSARY

At daybreak on 6th June 1944, Allied Forces began their assault on the beaches of northern France. More than 150,000 troops, 7,000 naval vessels and 11,000 aircraft united to form the largest coastal invasion operation in military history.

Their monumental force changed the outcome of the Second World War.

Pete joined the Army Ordnance Corps in 1970 and is now a resident on our village.

The story of Pete’s father is just one of so many that took place on this fateful and historic day.

Eighty years on we must not forget the sacrifices made nor the courage shown. Thousands did not return from Normandy and many were maimed and injured. Their sacrifices helped secure our freedom.

Pete’s story

“My father, Arthur, was the type of man who, no matter what the task, gave it 100%, even if he didn’t like what he had to do. That’s what he did on D-Day. He didn’t want to be there. Who did?

“He said how horrible it was in the landing craft. All round they could hear the guns going off. The ramp lowered onto Sword Beach, and before they got halfway down, men were dropping as bullets showered them. As he ran, he saw so many men just dropping all around him.

“He noted “All I did was put myself over the barbed wire, as the guys couldn’t get over it. They were just dropping, and you could feel the bullets hitting your mates as they went over.”

Remember the sacrifices paid by the members of our nation’s Armed Forces on June 6th 1944. This entire collection is made or fulfilled by vulnerable veterans and those with disabilities employed by RBLI.

GET INVOLVED

Beacon Lighting

Thursday 6 June

6.30pm, Garden of Honour

Commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day with a special ceremony in the Garden of Honour from 6.30pm to 10pm, with the beacon lighting at 9.15pm.

There will be live music from 2 Bows, James Penny playing the saxophone, Lifeworks’ Kelly White singing and a piper.

Refreshments will be also be on sale.

This is an event for staff and residents to enjoy so please spread the word.

Fundraise

Join our D-Day fundraising campaign and run, walk or wheel 80km this June to raise money for those who have served.

Make a donation

Give now to support RBLI’s efforts to ensure veterans receive the support they need, when they need it.

To find out more about the various ways you can support RBLI during this anniversary, visit rbli.co.uk/dday80

BEACON LIGHTING

Thursday 6 June

6.30pm, Garden of Honour

Commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day with a special ceremony in the Garden of Honour from 6.30pm to 10pm, with the beacon lighting at 9.15pm.

There will be live music from 2 Bows, James Penny playing the saxophone, Lifework’s Kelly White singing and a piper.

Refreshments will also be on sale.

HR CORNER

Employee Assistance Programme

We are delighted to confirm that we have renewed our EAP provision for another year. This confidential service is available for all RBLI employees for free, providing a range of services including Virtual GP, Legal Advice and Counselling.

Staff Survey

A huge thank you to those of you who responded to RBLI’s staff survey. Around 60% of staff took the time to complete it which will help the charity review our activity over the coming months.

We are currently reviewing the results of the survey and working on an action plan. As soon as this has been finalised, we will share these with you all.

Long Service Awards

Just as a reminder, the new Long Service Awards Scheme was introduced on 1st April, recognising significant workplace milestones and celebrating dedication and loyalty to RBLI.

Monetary awards at 5, 15, 25 and 35 years of continuous RBLI service.

Additional days holiday at 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of continuous RBLI service.

Staff Forum

The staff forum has been in place for well over a year now, delivering some important initiatives for RBLI.

We recently met to review the success and future of the group and will reconvene at the next Staff Forum to decide on what it will look like in the future.

More details will be sent after the upcoming meeting.

Volunteering Opportunities

We have some exciting new volunteering opportunities available in BBMC both in the Signs, Sales and Dispatch, as well as local delivery drivers.

If you know someone who wants to help us make an impact on the lives of those we support, please ask them to call 01622 795924 or e-mail Dawn Pedder at dawn.pedder@rbli.co.uk.

Disability Confident

We were delighted that we have been awarded a renewal of our Disability Confident Leader Status (Level 3) until 19th March 2027. This is the highest level within the Disability Confident Scheme for employers and we continue to promote disability confidence with other organisations.

INSIDE RBLI

We are launching a new app on 31st May for staff to help keep up to date with the latest happenings across the charity.

Just like a social media platform, ‘Inside RBLI’ will improve communication and engagement through the sharing of articles, images and updates in an easily accessible platform.

Content leads across the organisation have already been trialing the app ahead of launch.

Please speak to your manger for more details and keep a close eye on further updates!

AWARDS

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

JANUARY 2024

Donna Sears RBLI Care Agency

FEBRUARY 2024

To be announced soon...

INSTANT REWARDS

21 members of the RBLI team have received instant rewards so far this year with each of them receiving a £25 Love2Shop voucher.

BBMC/SBMC

Phil Wilkinson

Julia Moorehouse

Steve Clutton

Aleks Tumasevics

Anil Gurung

Neil McPhail

Jasmine Vuatalevu

Damian Webley

Hannah Jameson

Matt Moses

FUNDRAISING/MARKETING

Kerry Locke

Robin Henderson

MARCH 2024

To be announced soon...

APRIL 2024

Nominations are being counted

RETAIL

Dylan Murray

Hannah Qureshi

LIVING

Gloria Wilson

Donna Sears

Louise Philips

BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Jack Wilson

Nick McDonald

Jacob Routen

Cameron Lewis

You can nominate your peers for an instant reward by requesting a form from our HR team and submitting it to the line manager of your chosen nominee.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

STARTERS

BBMC

Andy Ray – Business Development Manager

Aliona Urbanovic – Junior Graphic Designer

FINANCE & PERFORMANCE

Carol Knight – Project Accountant

LIVING

Abiola Amzat – Healthcare Assistant

Frankie Beckett – Property Services Coordinator

Robert Bitton – Catering Assistant

Marie Cahill – Vocational Assessor

Toni Cullen – Catering Assistant

Rachel MacLaren – Healthcare Assistant

Amanda Martin – Domiciliary Carer

Allen Nyanuwona – Healthcare Assistant

Nicole Phippen – Healthcare Assistant

Jessica Pocock – Healthcare Assistant

Jennifer Uzodimma – Healthcare Assistant

Hannah Wilson – Housekeeping Assistant

Nimya Xavier – Healthcare Assistant

CHANGES

BBMC

Julia Moorhouse: from Head of Customer Service - BBMC to Head of Client Services

Kamlesh Nayee: from Production Support

Operative to Sales Estimator & Production Support Operative

Geoff Streetley: from Interim Managing Director of Social Enterprise (Commercial ) to Chief Commercial Officer

CHANGES (CONT.)

LIVING

Cara Randall: from Deputy Home Manager to Registered Manager

Alex Brown: from Head of Commercial Operations to Interim Assistant Director of Care & Commercial Operations

Darren Edwards: from Assistant Chef to Assistant Lead Chef

Samantha Flarry: from Healthcare Assistant to Team Leader

Teneka Mannering: from Catering Assistant to Domiciliary Housekeeper

SBB

Robin Henderson: from Digital Marketing Officer to Digital Marketing Manager

SBMC

Julie Scott: from SBMC Training Manager to Training & Development Manager

LEAVERS

GOVERNANCE & COMPLIANCE

Joe Wharton-Birch – Cloud Engineer

LIVING

Michelle Boorman - RGN

Alex Emery – Step-In Officer

Carol Hall – Domiciliary Carer

Tarnia Harrison – Registered Manager

Dani Penglase – Housing Officer

Layla Towner – Healthcare Assistant

BRAND NEW APP FOR ALL STAFF

Inside RBLI

Available for everyone to download and use for staff communications

Launching 31st May

Speak to your manager for more information