Boho X Handover

We’re delighted to share the recent project completion of Boho X in the North East. Working with Galliford Try, the project began in September 2021.

Constructed with 7 floors, this 60,000 square foot of space will be an attractive facility for a wide range of digital businesses to expand and grow in the North East area. Situated in Middlesborough between Gosford Street and Feversham Street, in what is now becoming known as the Boho regeneration area.

Over two visits, our works package included:

Visit 1

• 7 storey slipform core
• Supply and installation of PCC stairs
• Foundations
• Drainage
• Ground floor slab

Visit 2

External Works including:

• Installation of PC terrace seating
• Hard landscape works

Prison leaver opportunities

A drive to increase employment opportunities for prison leavers in construction.

Did you know… reoffending is estimated to cost the UK £18bn per year? Like most things, this money could be better spent elsewhere if we could help break this relentless money pit cycle. Latest research from the Government shows:

• Only 17% of ex-offenders manage to get a job within a year of release
• 81% of people think that businesses employing ex-offenders are making a positive contribution to society
• 86% of employers of ex-offenders rate them as good at their job
• 92% of employers say diverse recruitment has enhanced their reputation, helping them win new contracts

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unlock-opportunity-employer-information-pack-and-case-studies/employing-prisoners-and-ex-offenders

As part of Kier’s Social Values initiatives, we’ve been supporting a particular focus on the implementation of work opportunities for the rehabilitation of ex-offenders and prisoners on Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL). These opportunities involve industry workshops, ROTL placements and employment of prison leavers as part of their Making Ground programme.

Currently at one of our MoJ sites at HMP Millsike, we have two ROTL guys and one ex-offender that have been working on site for several weeks. They were both hired as labourers with a view to become a dumper operator / apprentice groundworker. Their CSCS cards are acquired through the prison, where they can then progress to get their dumper roller license and shadow the groundworks carried out. Below, is one of our ROTL guys who is looking after a Silt Buster unit by checking its levels.

We’ve had great feedback by our management team, citing,

“They’ve settled in really well and are making a positive impact on the project”

John Murphy, Site Manager.

The hiring process can involve different methods of recruitment. Firstly, offering this kind of employment is only applicable to CAT D prisons, where there might be a careers fair, followed by an interview from a subcontractor such as ourselves. A risk assessment is then processed by Kier. This is further enabled by the New Futures Network (NFN), who are a specialist part of the prison service that brokers partnerships between prisons and employers.

Opportunities for serving prisoners 

Employers can set up training and production facilities in a dedicated space within the prison estate. Workshops run by external organisations benefit from a dedicated workforce made up of serving prisoners. NFN find out what will suit your business needs and helps prisoners gain valuable skills and qualifications which will increase their likelihood of securing employment after release.

Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) 

Release on Temporary Licence, or ROTL, is a scheme which allows risk-assessed prisoners who are within two years of release to work while on day release from prison. This can be for a full working week or part-time. It allows for training and work experience to a serving prisoner while you assess if they are right for your business, before possibly offering them a job on their release.

Employment on release 

Upon release, individuals can work and have full employee rights. NFN can also help to arrange interviews with prospective candidates before they are released, so that you a business can choose the right candidate.

TreeApp Partnership

This month we are delighted to share the launch of our new partnership with Treeapp. As part of celebrating our 25 years in business milestone, we’ve taken some initial steps to becoming more environmentally conscious starting with donating to tree planting projects worldwide.

Treeapp is a mobile app which enables anyone to plant a tree for free, everyday, in less than a minute. The trees are funded by eco-conscious organisations who advertise their products and services on our platform. The app is available for download in the United Kingdom and Ireland here.

     

The planting activities are performed by local tree-planting partners, who make sure every single tree they plant benefits endemic species and local communities. Treeapp has partnered with tree planting partners to plant trees around the world. All have met the internal criteria surrounding ethical tree planting, transparency and use-of-funds. All tree planting activities not only have environmental benefits, but also a social and economic impact by working closely with local communities.

To date, Treeapp has funded the planting of over hundreds of thousand of trees:

• Africa: Madagascar, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mozambique, Kenya
• Americas: Brazil, Peru, Haiti
• Asia: Nepal, Indonesia

Over the next 12 months, we have pledged to plant 1 tree a month for each employee, which equates to around 1200 trees during this time frame, and based on each tree’s full lifetime absorption capacity, will offset approximately 130 tonnes of carbon.

We hope working with TreeApp will help us identify other ways of addressing our carbon footprint in order to help generate and sustain a positive environmental impact.

     

Adding Social Value

This week it’s Community Garden Week! Supporting the local communities we work in is highly rewarding for all involved. Recently, we were delighted to donate some picnic benches to the Parish Council in Fangfoss, a small village in the East Riding area of Yorkshire. This is to help kickstart some improvements to their children’s play area, inspired by our client’s initiative of adding social value in the surrounding areas to our sites.

A short distance away in Starbeck in the North Yorkshire area, we created and installed several large planters repurposed from scrap timber. On behalf of another client, we were introduced to the lovely people at Fern House Homeless Accommodation Centre who were in need of some garden functionality. As a charity run business, they can look forward to bringing these planters to life for the benefit of their wellbeing.

  

We believe several acts of kindness go a long way to making a positive and lasting difference, and hope to continue these initiatives whenever and wherever we can.

Women in Construction week

Over the course of several years, the Women in Construction movement has acquired an annually dedicated week of recognition and debate. It has highlighted the lack of females in the industry worldwide, yet also serving as an inspiration for young women looking to start their successful careers in this industry. 

In the UK, it has been reported that only 14% are employed within the construction industry, with the majority being made up of administrative and office roles. An even smaller number accounts for women working out on the sites. It is hardly a surprising stat founded in a heavily male dominated industry. However, this percentage is marginally higher than our European neighbours, and with the demand for new jobs in the industry, employment is expected to rise rapidly. These factors may prove to be a great combination of opportunity particularly for women looking to fulfil their potential across the construction field.

We’d like to take this opportunity to shine a light on one of our female site workers, who has spent the last 12 months training as a Project Manager based on the Aire Park project in Leeds City Centre – currently one of our largest active sites. Tanisha has been paving her way in this industry and hopes to be a great role model for other women thinking of a career in construction. Read on to learn more about Tanisha’s journey with us.

Becoming a Project Manager

Background & Study Profile

1. Education institute: Distance Learning
2. Course name: Construction and the Built Environment (Access to higher learning course – Moving onto a Degree at Leeds College of Building).
3. Course length: 1– 5 years
4. Employment: Joined Moortown in February 2022.

Why does this vocation appeal to you?

Firstly, this vocation appealed to me because of my interest in infrastructure and property. I believe construction is more than just the process of erecting a building, it is the creation of a home, the hub of a business, and forming a piece of history. I enjoy executing projects from inception to completion, and doing so as efficient as possible. My start-up company experience required me to work on tight budgets while producing quality outcomes. This alongside my vast experience in operational and project management meant that the role felt like a natural fit. I also think it is important to have a varied and open perspective within the construction and any industry.

Name one thing you enjoy most about the role? 

The main thing I enjoy about this role is the holistic and diverse nature. I can be learning extensive health and safety on the construction site as well as risk and staff management. It can include learning site logistics, engineering and also design. No day is ever the same.

What is the hardest aspect about this role? 

I came to this role with little to no experience of construction, as I had just started my course and initially it was a little hard not understanding things such as the plans, designs and construction terminology. However, within this short period of time I have noticed how my knowledge has developed rapidly and the team I work with on site have been extremely helpful and supportive. I am now competent in BlueBeam software, with a broad understanding of the building processes including groundwork remediation, offsite and pre-fabrication methods. I am now SMSTS trained, a certified mental health first aider and fire marshal.

What advice would you give to someone looking to progress as a Project Manager?

1. Organisation
   There are a lot of moving parts within this multi-disciplinary environment, the projects you will lead will have a programme and timescale that has been created to fit a strict budget, so being as prepared as possible will help you to be structured and efficient.
2. Communication
   As a Project Manager working in a collaborative environment, it is essential that you are able to communicate clearly with your team and clients to ensure that the correct instructions, updates and direction are understood.
3. Flexibility
   Although it is necessary to adhere to a programme and follow structure, things may not always go to plan so it helps by being adaptable and resourceful.

We are delighted at Tanisha’s progress and development, and we’ll be continuing to support and provide further training and site experience to ensure she can achieve her full qualifications.

Moortown Memories – Looking back over 25 years in business

We’ve dug deep into our old photo archives to discover and relive the golden moments achieved over the years. Our staff retention numbers have remained high over this period, evidenced by the many faces who still work here today.

From the first machinery ever purchased, to the evolving brand image, here are some snap shots of our history…

First dumper purchased and owned by the company.

First crane purchased.

Site cabins and hoarding with old branding.

Our Pat Stapleton is still with us today (far right side).

Building up our Plant, a newly bought excavator joins the fleet.

Working in our old offices, Aiden McManus, Managing Director.

The founder of the company, Tom McManus.

Happy 25th Birthday to us!

   

We are celebrating a momentous achievement in the evolution of our company. The Moortown business started 25 years ago and was established by Tom McManus, growing steadily under his leadership into the company that exists today.

Experience and expertise has shaped our reputation for delivering high-quality projects across several industries including Commercial, Government, Health and Education Sectors.

It has been an incredible journey and a journey that hasn’t been without its periods of hardship, but those hardships have been invaluable in shaping the business into the formidable operation that it is today.

  

Our Team tries to positively bring value to the communities, districts and cities wherever we work in and to keep developing and demonstrating our values continuously.

It’s great to see our colleagues enjoying a company birthday lunch together and being able to share it with some of our earliest employees like Pat, who did the accounts from day 1 when the company started in the attic of Tom and Geraldine’s house.

Thank you to everyone for supporting us throughout the years and being a part of our journey.

  

National Apprenticeship Week

“Finding the right skills and talent, matched with the right opportunities, helps encourage a better approach to long term recruitment. Apprentices can learn the ropes from the bottom to the top if they are driven to succeed. We’ve always maintained a high staff retention record and we fully believe in nurturing the next generation to become part of this established family business.”

Operations Director, Richard Mitchell, Moortown Group.

We were thrilled to be invited back to York College to engage with the current students studying a T Level Construction course. Our Operations Director, Richard Mitchell attended the College to educate and create further discussion surrounding different ways into the industry. As a company, we have good links with the College by taking on apprentices and providing work placements.

We’re looking for people who love a bit of adventure in their work, who enjoy working outside and don’t mind getting their hands dirty. People who love knowing how things work and how to fix them before they are broken. People who are fascinated by learning how to use new systems and tools and most importantly, people who work best as part of a team.

     

At different points in the year, we offer initial taster days where students are given a tour around a selected site to see first-hand the various types of work and expertise in action. We’ve had many successful candidates in recent years, who are really excelling and putting their skills into practice when they’re out on site. This is a long-term goal for us to maintain, where we attend local career fairs and events to engage and promote construction careers. This allows the students to put their theory into practice, giving them the chance to live and breathe the discipline they have chosen in the working world. We’ve had great feedback from the College, who support this initiative as it allows students to broaden their network and visualise their career prospects.

“York College was extremely pleased to welcome Moortown Group onto campus to talk to our T Level Design Surveying and Planning students.  We are grateful for their insight into working in the construction industry as well as their local Industry Placement opportunities. Introducing our students to the range of roles and opportunities in the industry is important. We are fortunate to have such supportive and proactive employers, like Moortown Group, who recognise the value of engaging early with their potential workforce of the future. “

Ashley Stokes, Head of Curriculum – Construction, York College

     

We offer Apprenticeships for Engineers, Quantity Surveyors and Groundworkers. An apprenticeship with Moortown Group is a good way into the industry. Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider. You could complete an apprenticeship in Construction and the Built Environment to start you on your career path to being a setting out engineer. You could then do more specific setting out qualifications on-the-job once you gain a permanent position.

The College is hoping to secure several opportunities for their students before Easter 2023, and we look forward to meeting the future talent that comes our way.

For more information on how to enrol, please visit our Apprenticeships page.

New Project win for Mental Health Hospitals

New Mental Health unit set for Derbyshire Hospital with IHP

We are thrilled to have won recent projects worth a combined £12m with IHP on the new £80 million facility at Derby and Chesterfield.

A new purpose-built facility will replace the Hartington Unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, but will remain fairly close to the old unit.

This 54-bed acute mental health facility will help expand the capacity of The Trust to deliver much needed mental health care and services across Derbyshire.

The design and layout of the build will provide patients and staff to operate efficiently and accommodate their needs. The creation of garden spaces will also be included, along with a safe sky garden on the upper floor.

Works have begun at the Chesterfield Hospital, with the substructure, drainage and slab preparation already underway. Works on the Derby development will commence later this month and continue till around June 2024.