Recent News
Rossall Point Observation Tower wins Considerate Constructor Bronze Award
The company's recently completed project, Rossall read more»Parkinson has been short-listed for 3 categories at the BIBA Awards 2013
The company is pleased to announce that we have be read more»
Rossall Point Observation Tower wins Considerate Constructor Bronze Award
The company’s recently completed project, Rossall Point Observation Tower in Fleetwood has won the 2013 Considerate Constructors Scheme Bronze Award at the National Site Awards ceremony.
Parkinson has been short-listed for 3 categories at the BIBA Awards 2013
The company is pleased to announce that we have been short-listed for 3 BIBA Awards in the following categories:-
- Medium Business of Year
- Employer of the Year
- Leadership Team of the Year
The first round of interviews take place in mid-May with the awards held in September at the Blackpool Tower.
F Parkinson Annual Review 2012
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University of Liverpool Framework success
The company has been successful onto yet another construction framework. We have been appointed to the University of Liverpool construction framework for projects up to £500k in value.
Parkinson appointed to the Bolton Council Construction Framework
The company is pleased to announce that we have been successfully appointed to the Bolton Council Construction Framework for both lots applied for, this includes projects ranging in value from £500k to £5 million.
Parkinson scoops Employer of the Year and Ambassador of Industry Awards
Parkinson attended the Blackpool and the Fylde College Apprenticeship Awards 2013 on Thursday 14th March and scooped a number of awards.
The company won the Ambassador of Industry Award for the construction sector and then went on to win the overall Employer of the Year award.
In addition, our joinery apprentice, Luke Pennington received the highly commended award by the judges.
The picture shows Contracts Manager, Simon Shearer who manages the company’s apprenticeship scheme in Blackpool and our award-winning joinery apprentice, Luke Pennington with the awards.
Parkinson appointed to Wigan Council Framework
The company is pleased to announce that we have been successfully re-appointed to the Wigan Council Construction Framework for a further 4 years for projects ranging in value from £50k to £5 million.
In addition to the above, the company has also been appointed to the Cheshire East Council construction framework for heritage projects up to £500k in value. This appointment follows a number of successfully projects in this work stream, such as Blackpool Winter Gardens, Platt Hall Gallery of Costumes and Altrincham Baptist Church.
Parkinson achieves BREEAM Excellent!
The company is pleased to announce that we have achieved BREEAM Excellent for the Heysham Health and Wellbeing Centre for Rushcliffe Healthcare.
Parkinson on BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire aired their afternoon show from Rossall Point Observation Tower on Sunday 10th February.
Site Manager, Steve Bather was interviewed for the show to discuss the project, the use of the building and the company.
You can listen to a clip of the interview here
Parkinson achieves CSCS Platinum Commitment
Parkinson has been awarded the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Certificate of Commitment Platinum which is given to companies that have illustrated a high commitment to improving competence in construction and has registered more than 90% of their workforce under CSCS.
Christmas Shutdown
Please be aware that all Parkinson offices and sites will be closed from 21st December 2012 and will reopen as normal on 7th January 2013.
All Contract / Site Managers will be contactable via mobiles and their emails will be monitored.
Merry Christmas and all the best for 2013 from all the staff at Parkinson
Corporate Social Responsibility at Christmas
As part of the company’s continuing commitment to CSR, Parkinson enlisted help from pupils at two schools where we are currently undertaking construction works, to design this year’s Christmas E-card.
Pupils from Seamer and Irton Community Primary School and AKEQM Junior School were involved in the competition. Pupils of all ages within each school submitted various construction related designs which made it very difficult to determine winners.
Both the winners and runners up were presented with their prizes in their assembly attended by our site team and at one school Isla Be Safe also attended!
The lucky competition winners had their design printed onto Christmas cards they could send to their friends and family, a printed canvas of their design to keep and vouchers. The runners up also received prizes which included an art pack and vouchers.
In addition to the Christmas card competition held at AKEQM School, we also organised an Isla Be Safe drawing competition with the winners having their designs printed onto the hoarding of the site.
Successful audit of the Integrated Management System (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001)
The company’s Integrated Management System (IMS) was audited by certification body, ISOQAR in November. The IMS system is the combination of the company’s three ISOQAR Accreditations; Quality ISO 9001, Environmental ISO 14001, Health & Safety OHSAS 18001).
The audit included a check of both office and site processes and procedures.
The company is pleased to announce that the audit went very well with no non-conformances found. The auditor made a special comment on the site set-up of the Arnold King Edward School project stating how impressed they were with the site, noted all documentation was present and correct as well as all sub-contractors and suppliers had been through our Quality Management System vetting process.
Parkinson Achieves Investors in People Gold!
Parkinson is pleased to announce that it has achieved the highest possible accolade for its continuous commitment to employee learning, development, and satisfaction.
The Gold Investors in People accreditation represents excellence in People Management practices with less than 1% of holders of the standard achieving Gold status. Parkinson is one of the first SME Construction companies to achieve this recognition.
The standard places a high emphasis on best practice and has proven to support growth, profitability, and efficiency within organisations.
Following the assessment by an external auditor, Parkinson was particularly commended on its exceptional customer centred approach, its effective people management practices and supportive team culture.
Harriet Whiteside, HR Manager, said: ‘We are delighted to have achieved this prestigious recognition for our commitment to our people. The accreditation is a true reflection of Parkinson as a ‘great place to work’’.
2012 Apprenticeship Placements
We understand that the construction industry is heavily reliant upon skilled people and we are committed to playing an active role in the training and development of individuals who have an enthusiasm and desire to develop a career within our industry.
Our established Apprenticeship programme has been running for over 35 years and many of our Apprentices have gone on to progress and develop within our company. We are proud to maintain a high level of in-house trade skills.
Our Apprenticeship scheme integrates what we believe to be the key aspects to a successful Apprenticeship programme; education, the work environment and personal development.
Joining us in Autumn 2012 was;
Jamie Edmondson– Joinery – Blackpool Region (as pictured far right)
Karl Osborne - Joinery - Manchester Region
Daniel Lockwood – Joinery – York Region
We also pleased to confirm that during 2012, three of our apprentices became fully qualified and achieved an Advanced Apprenticeship in Carpentry & Joinery.
Community Award Winner!
We are pleased to announce that the company has won the Community Contribution Award for SME’s at last night’s Lancashire Business Environment Awards 2012.
The company put forward the path project at Cherry Tree Gardens for the award, further details on this CSR initiative can be found at http://http://fparkinson.co.uk//2012/04/new-path-paves-the-way-for-community-involvement/.
Award Short-list!
We are pleased to announce that the company has been shortlisted for the Community Contribution Award for SME’s at the Lancashire Business Environment Awards 2012.
The company put forward the path project for the award, further details on this project can be found at http://http://fparkinson.co.uk//2012/04/new-path-paves-the-way-for-community-involvement/.
The award ceremony will take place on the 18th October 2012 at Ewood Park, Blackburn.
Night-time charity bike ride raises £250 for the British Heart Foundation
7 members of staff from the company’s Blackpool office took part in the 52 mile bike ride from the Trafford Centre, Manchester to Blackpool Promenade to help raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
Company Planner, Paul Dixon added “a very successful ride was had by all and the 52 miles were covered in just under 4 hours.”
The team are already discussing another bike ride challenge for 2013; a coast to coast ride from Morecambe to Bridlington which is 170 miles in 2 days!
Team Parkinson – 3 Peaks Challenge has begun!
Today a number Parkinson staff from the company’s Bury office are undertaking the 3 Peaks Challenge!
The challenge consists of climbing the 3 highest mountains in 3 countries, Ben Nevis Scotland, Scafell Pike England and Snowdon in Wales. This equates to 3 Mountains, 3 Countries, 24 Mile of walking, 10,000 feet of ascent, 450 miles of driving in under 24 hours.
The team are looking to raise £2800.00 for their chosen charity Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and have set up a just giving web site. You can still donate or view the amount raised so far at www.justgiving.co.uk/parkinson3peaks .
The challenge will be funded by the team so all donations will go direct to the charity. Your support would be greatly appreciated on what is a very tough challenge.
You can follow our progress throughout the challenge on Twitter @F_Parkinson_Ltd and on www.trackmytour.com/VDhWC .
We would Like to thank all our sponsors to date and a special thank you to Hiregate who have provided the transport.
North West Regional Building Excellence Award Finalist
The Festival House project was a Finalist at the North West Regional Building Excellence Awards in the Commercial Category. It was recognised for its “high standard of design, construction and workmanship”.
Parkinson Summer Newsletter 2012
Read the latest Parkinson news by clicking the link below…
http://http://fparkinson.co.uk//2012/06/parkinson-summer-newsletter-2012/
Parkinson Summer Newsletter 2012
North West Construction Award Winner!
We are pleased to announce that the company, in conjunction with Manchester City Council and the other Framework partners won the Integration and Collaborative Working Award for the Ghyll Head Outdoor Centre at the North West Construction Awards held in Manchester.
In addition, the project also won the Local Economic Award (Cumbria) which was chosen by the Constructing Excellence Cumbria Club.
Fleetwood Health and Wellbeing Centre staff receive an induction and tour by the Parkinson team
The new multi-million Health and Wellbeing Centre on Dock Street in Fleetwood was formally handed over to the client in April 2012.
On the 23rd May 2012 the company held an induction day for the NHS staff that will soon be moving into the facility, the event provided them with basic knowledge of how the building services work and function as well as a tour of the building.
All attending NHS staff were also issued with a User Guide drafted by the Parkinson contract team and key members of our supply chain.
Charity generosity from a “considerate” site team
Site Manager, Franc Parziale and his site team on the Wyre Operating Centre kindly donated their Considerate Contractor Scheme incentive to Brian House Children’s Hospice, Trinity Hospice and Cancer Research after the project scored over 34 points. To support their kind gesture the company rounded up each charity donation to £100.
Apprentice of the Year
The company held its annual Apprentice of the Year award on Monday 2nd April. All company apprentices and trainees attended the event at the Village Hotel in Bury.
The winner is selected based upon College feedback, comments from their Site Manager and other colleague’s comments.
This year’s winner was Luke Pennington, who was chosen due to his continual enthusiasm, commitment and standard of work produced.
We currently have 8 joinery apprentices, fully indentured with 4 enrolled each year. All have our full support and encouragement to gain their trade skills. We work with local colleges in furthering their training and are committed to assisting local colleges and other educational organisations to promote construction as a career.
New path paves the way for community involvement
At Cherry Tree Gardens in Blackpool, members of the local community and pupils from St Georges School are working together to create a new path which will benefit all.
The company has provided the materials for the new path, Managing Director Ray Eyre said: “As a company we always like to help the local community and this is a worthwhile project that everyone was involved in and everyone will benefit from.”
Blackpool Council’s Community Volunteers leader Neil Froggett has developed the Cherry Tree Gardens project from small beginnings seven years ago.
St. George’s Acting Head Mr Dan Berry said: “The whole project has been fantastic and this has transformed this area. We’re going to keep this going because the social value is immeasurable.”
Parkinson Annual Review 2011
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Annual Review 2011
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The company is ‘on the ball’ with it’s CSR commitments!
As part of our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, the company sponsored a new Year 11 football strip at Whitby Community College, where we have recently completed the £120k refurbishment of the gym, dance and changing rooms.
Regional Director Steve Jackson said “From my own experience of playing, managing and coaching teams, I know how difficult it is to find sponsors, especially in the current economic climate. The regular construction work that the company undertakes through the North Yorkshire County Council’s Framework allows us to give something back to the local community”.
Lancaster & Morecambe College students visit our Heysham site
Year 1 and Year 2 Construction Diploma Students from Lancaster and Morecambe College visited the Heysham Primary Care Centre project over the course of 1 day.
The students were given a site tour by the Site Supervisor and then given a short presentation on the project by members of the construction team followed by a question and answer section with the Site Manager. Staff from various disciplines attended the event and spoke to students regarding construction techniques, company procedures we have in place, matters of programming and the various stages of a project.
Parkinson are ‘Wyred Up’
On the 14th March the company gave a short presentation at the local Wyred Up business networking event which meets every quarter in the Wyre area and is supported by Wyre Council.
Wyred Up is for Business and encourages local companies to trade with each other and take advantage of significant inward investment opportunities that are coming to Wyre.
Managing Director, Ray Eyre and Business Development Manager, Mike Tyler discussed the local projects the company has undertaken in previous years, the projects that we are currently constructing in the Wyre area and our commitment to local employment and local the community.
“Meet the Contractors” event for the Rossall Point Observation Tower Project
Parkinson donate football tickets to local Primary School
As one of 127 proud sponsors of FC United of Manchester, Parkinson has purchased 2 adult season tickets and 4 children season tickets; which are given to members of the local community on a rota basis.
The Club is unlike any other football club as it is fully owned and democratically run by supporters, on a one member one vote basis.
Parkinson chose to support FC United due to their excellent work within their local community.
We recently donated the tickets to local Primary School, St Edmund’s Roman Catholic Primary School. The Headteacher, Mrs Clinton, organised a competition with the pupils asking them to write a letter to state why they should win and why they should receive the FC Utd Tickets.
The Winner, Scott Dolan “a massive football fan” took one of his school friends along to watch the home match.
Headteacher, Mrs Clinton expressed her thanks to company “Many Thanks, you have made 2 boys and their families very happy!”.
Stockton Central Library “turns a new page”
Following the extensive refurbishment undertaken by the company, Stockton Central Library was formally reopened by Best-Selling Author, Philippa Gregory.
Four decades since its first opening the new-look library now incorporates a new Customer Service Centre on the ground floor offering local residents a single point to find out information, apply for services and make payments to the Council.
Councillor David Coleman, Stockton Council’s cabinet member for access and communities, said: “By putting many of our services under one roof, we are creating a one-stop-shop which means residents will no longer need to visit several council offices.”
In addition to the existing library facilities, there is now a specialist technology suite for blind and visually impaired people, another suite is dedicated to local and family history and a multi-media conference facility caters for up to 100 people.
The picture shows our Regional Director, Steve Jackson (Right) talking to Councillor Paul Baker (Left), Lord Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees at the official opening of Stockton Central Library.
Festival House Official Opening
On Thursday 15th December local VIP’s got their first look inside the iconic Festival House – Blackpool’s newest wedding and celebration venue located on Blackpool Promenade.
The event, which was sponsored by the company, was to mark the official opening of the new venue.
The first ceremony is due to take place on January 12th 2012 however over 100 bookings have already been taken for weddings in the new year.
The event was well attended by the local press and appeared on BBC North West Tonight along with an interview with our very own Business Development Manager, Mike Tyler. The news report can be viewed by clicking on the click below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b0185qf6/?t=18m58s
Members of the public are invited to take a look around the new venue on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th December 10am – 4pm.
Festival House Open Day!
Why not take a look inside Festival House?
Blackpool’s newest building on the Promenade is almost open for business and you can take a sneaky look inside.
The register office will be available for people to look around as it hosts open days in December.
An open weekend for the public to take a first look around the building will take place on Sat 17/Sun 18 December.
Blackpool & The Fylde College Students visit Parkinson Site
28 Construction Diploma Students from Blackpool and the Fylde College visited the Fleetwood Primary Care Centre Project over the course of 1 day.
The students were given a site tour by the Site Manager and then given a short presentation on the roles within the construction industry. Staff from various disciplines attended the event and spoke to students regarding construction legislation, company procedures, types of construction methods and the various stages of a project.
The company received some great feedback from the students who attended:-
“It was interesting and informative, shed light on a lot of questions I had”
“Good trip. Interesting to see how building sites operate and function”
“Great trip. Useful information and would like to go on another trip when its complete”
“Good trip. Helped answer some questions that helped me have a better understanding of what goes on, on a site”
“By going on this trip I got more of an understanding of how on site construction takes place and the many different aspects involved”
“Useful trip!”
“It was a good trip, now able to visualise what goes on, on site easier. It will be helpful when it comes to assignments”
“Very intellectual trip, helped me understand the different roles in the construction industry and the different aspects of construction methods”
“Enjoyed the trip a lot, was good to speak to the Site Manager and Health & Safety Inspector and to how they got to where they are. It gave me a better perspective of what I need to do in my career”
Tower Festival Headland Building Handover
Members of the Parkinson construction team, Blackpool Council, the Registrar and
the Architect were all in attendance for the handover of Festival House on Blackpool’s Promenade.
Superintendent Registrar, David Hill and project Architect, Saskia
Koopman from dRMM Architects officially handed over the new wedding
chapel by the cutting of a wedding cake.
Special thanks were given to Parkinson by Blackpool Council and the
Architect for the delivery of the quality project; with a special
mention to our Site Manager, Steve Bather.
The new facility provides a focal point for visitors with a Tourist Information centre occupying the ground floor with Registrar office and ceremony hall located on the first and second floor. The building also provides a panoramic view of Blackpool’s famous promenade.
Successful Recertification of the Company’s ISO Standards
The company is pleased to announce the successful completion of the 3 year ISOQAR re-certification audit of our IMS (Integrated Management System) which compiles of the following Standards; ISO 9001 Quality, ISO 14001 Environment & OHSAS 18001 Health & Safety.
The audit took place over the last two days and involved the auditors checking company procedures and documentation of all departments as well as a site visit to our Heysham Primary Care Centre project.
Below is an extract of the ISOQAR audit findings.
A well received visit with an IMS which is operating effectively with good commitment by those involved on the audit. The evidence presented over the two days recertification audit demonstrated the company’s approach and commitment to Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety beyond merely compliance and towards continual improvement. This approach is exemplified by the level of auditing and transparency shown on site with four types of auditing present which has been recently introduced: 1) Internal 2) D. Evans / Consultant 3) 2nd Party Consultants and 4) 3rd Party auditing. The depth of audits is also good with site audits covering fourteen separate areas: Policy, Asbestos, Waste, Storage, Emergencies, Site Plan, Site Documentation, Drawing Control, Sub Contractors, Purchasing, Direct Employees, Calibrated Equipment, Hired Equipment, Small Tools, Management, Inspection and Training. Legislation regarding the Environment and H & S was also referenced on the documentation: In addition a more detailed document is also in use that is used as a check list and is an example of good practice. Employees spoken to were to very helpful and approachable during the audit both on site and head office. Process controls are well maintained via the well established practical documentation on site which is reflected in the electronic data held at Head Office. There was very good evidence of improvements and forward thinking demonstrated at the opening meeting and when viewed alongside visits 4 and 5 show a high level of commitment to the three standards and improvement.
Winstanley School Handover
The partnered project at Winstanley Community Primary School was successfully handed over to the staff and pupils in September.
The scheme involved the construction of a new build extension and a refurbishment to various parts of the existing school.
Various Corporate Social Responsibility were also undertaken during the contract duration; the company’s Health and Safety mascot Isla Be Safe attended their school assembly to promote site safety and to inform the school pupils of the works. We also involved the pupils in a poster competition with the winners receiving prizes as well as a the posters being framed and displayed around the site perimeter. As part of our legacy we have supplied the school with a much needed football kit.
Site Manager Franc Parziale was presented with various Thank you gifts from Winstanley School staff and pupils.
Apprentices 2011
The company is committed to the training and development of its workforce and currently employs 8 apprentices across all regions.
Every year the company commits to employing further apprentices in the joinery and carpentry trades working alongside local colleges and Construction Skills.
Joining us in September 2011 was;
Olivia Bradley – Joinery – York Region (as pictured)
Joshua Butler – Joinery – York Region
Jack Cook – Joinery – Manchester Region
Harry Hargreaves – Joinery – Blackpool Region
To further encourage our Apprentices we hold an “Apprentice of the Year Award” annually, the selection is based upon College feedback, Site Manager feedback and colleagues comments. This year’s winner was given a new laptop to help him further his studies, with all other apprentices given a £30 tool voucher.
Parkinson Spring / Summer Newsletter 2011
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Parkinson Fylde Supplier Day
On Thursday 22nd September the company held its annual Fylde Supplier Day at the Parkside Stand at Fleetwood Town FC.
The Parkside Stand is one of three recent projects the company has undertaken in Fleetwood, of which many of the attendees at the event helped to create.
The important local event was aimed to provide attendees with a brief overview of what projects the company is are currently undertaking, what the future holds and how we can help each other moving forward within the industry.
The event was well attended by over 45 companies whose offices are located on the Fylde Coast and has generated some great, positive feedback, see below;
“I very much enjoyed the event, & especially the opportunity to hear first hand, the very clear message being sent to your supply chain.”
“I would like to say thank you for such an excellent event in which You and your team delivered a most impressive message i.e. you care about this area and want to support the local chain.”
“Thanks for inviting us and we look forward to being part of your future success.”
“Very useful informative event and good to see a high turn out. Well organised and good venue.”
“Excellent presentation and interesting insight into developments in Blackpool.”
“Very informative event, well organised. Interesting to hear of the social responsibilities that the company undertakes.”
“Found it very interesting and informative, thank you for the invite”.
Lord Mayor re-opens the Arndale Bridge
The company has recently completed the refurbishment of Manchester’s iconic Corporation Street bridge. The bridge, which links the Arndale with Selfridges and Marks and Spencer, was encased in scaffolding while repair work – including replacing huge glass panels – was carried out over the summer.
The picture shows Lord Major, Harry Lyons officially reopening the bridge.
Picture From Left: Mark Higgins (Arndale Centre Operations Manager), Steve Williamson (F Parkinson Regional Director), Glen Barkworth (Arndale Centre General Manager), Lord Mayor Harry Lyons and David Leigh (F Parkinson Site Manager)
Students get ‘hands-on’ experience at local sites
We provided work experience placements for 2 students from Montgomery High School who were interested in a career within the construction industry.
The two students were mentored and accompanied on site by Parkinson Joiners who demonstrated and taught them how to undertake various joinery tasks.
Joshua Crowe was mentored at the multi-million Fleetwood Primary Care Centre project while his peer, Austin Aldred was busy onsite at the Ponden Mill refurbishment in Blackpool Town Centre.
Construction Students visit the Tower Headland Building
Year 10 students who are interested in a career in construction attended a site visit to the Festival Headland Building on the 5th and 6th of July.
The event was organised by the Western Skills Centre in conjunction with Blackpool Council and the four schools from Wigan which attended.
The format of the day consisted of the students visiting the new tram depot, the Comedy Carpet and the Festival Headland Building.
Students were given a brief site tour before having a presentation on the project by the Site Manager, Steve Bather. Steve explained the construction process, materials used on site and gave handouts with CGI images of how the building will look once completed.
Steve Williamson appointed as Regional Director
Steve Williamson has been appointed to the position of Regional Director for the Manchester region. Steve has taken his position with immediate effect from his former role of Regional Manager.
Steve has made a significant contribution to the company and has secured a strong professional relationship with a number of public sector and private clients, which has strengthened our presence in the region.
Insect Homes Constructed at Newall Green
Insect Homes, which provides a natural habitat for ladybirds and other insects in winter, were recently constructed and installed at Newall Green High School where we have just completed the construction of a single storey extension located over an existing pond and linked to the main school building, project value £842k, client Manchester City Council.
The new extension is a dedicated learning area for children with Specialist Educational Needs (SEN).
The Insect Homes were made from wood remnants off another project, St Catherine’s Hospice, where we are currently on site undertaking a number of phases to upgrade and refurbish the Hospice totaling in excess of £3 million.
The company has had an onsite presence over a number of years and has assisted in several fundraising events for the Hospice such as Moonlight Marathon walk, Fire Walking and Go Ape.
The Insect Homes fulfills part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility commitment to leave a lasting legacy as well as assisting St Catherine’s Hospice in their carbon footprint.
Isla says ‘Thanks’
Company mascot, Isla Be Safe congratulated David Turner and Chris Mitchell for winning the mascot naming competition.
Both winners were presented with gift vouchers of their choice.