O’Brien Charitable Trust Receives Generous Offer of Donation from Southam Rugby Club

Everyone here at O’Brien would like to say a huge thank you to Southam Rugby Club for donating half of the proceeds from their “Party on the Pitch” event, taking place on Saturday 15th July in Southam.

The donation will be going towards O’Brien Charity Trust, which supports the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

Kelly Davis at O’Brien Charitable Trust, said: “We are thrilled with the donation and we encourage everyone to attend “Party on the Pitch”. A huge thank you to Southam Rugby Club for their support.”

Party on the Pitch Information

Southam Rugby club will be hosting its 8th “Party on the Pitch” event on Saturday 15th July. It will continue to raise money for Simon Adams’ Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) charity fund and Warwickshire Air Ambulance, which is the chosen charity of club member, Pete O’Brien of O’Brien Contractors Ltd.

In 2009, at just 46 years of age, Simon Adams was diagnosed with MNDA and immediately set about working his way through his bucket list. While some of the items on his list were very personal his real goal was to raise £1million towards MND research. Although Simon lost his battle with this cruellest of diseases in Oct 2011 his fund now stands at an amazing £550k+ with many events continuing in the Southam, Windsor and Plymouth areas in his memory.

This year’s Southam event will be supported by Kirsty Leahy, the bubbly presenter from local radio station Rugby FM, who will be interviewing the bands, organisers and crowds. Daniel Brocklebank, who plays the vicar in Coronation Street, will also be there to have a walk round, having photos with party goers and help raise the profile of MNDA.

The day is focused on family entertainment with plenty of activities for children. There is a raffle with fantastic prizes and a range of 5 local bands and artists from Southam and the surrounding area will be playing. Headlining at POTP will be a covers band ” Rock of Ages” who will be finishing the day with rock songs from the 80s.

The fun starts at 3:30pm and people can bring their own chairs and picnics (no glass please). A limited number of gazebo places are available for booking.

Full details of the whole event, including how to purchase discounted tickets via the website or at various locations throughout the town, can be found at  www.partyonthepitch.org.uk  or the Southam RUFC website: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/southam/news/party-on-th-pitch-2017-1807244.html.

Free car parking is available and free transport to and from Southam town centre courtesy of Catterall’s Coaches.

Making a Difference – Home of Hope Orphanage, Malawi

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O’Brien were recently thanked for their generosity in supporting the Home of Hope Orphanage in Malawi.

The donation will be an incredible gift for their vision of setting up the Vocational Training Centre and will make a huge impact on the lives of young people. The funding will go directly to the HOH, towards the purchase of new equipment and its staffing of the centre. The donations received will be combined with several other companies to ensure the overall gift is significant and makes a big impact to the project and its progress.

The Vocational Training Centre is the next stage in Home of Hope’s vision for equipping orphans and other vulnerable children to lead independent lives to the full, by providing them with vocational skills to enable them to enter skilled employment, or set up businesses of their own.

The project is grand: constructing the prerequisite infrastructure, sourcing the tools and equipment essential to the courses and employing staff. It is a long-term venture and it will be good to be able to see the progress that has been made over the past few years and the difference further funding will make for the future.

http://malawiorphanfund.uk/home-of-hope/vocational-training-centre/

 

Helping with Kier Construction’s community project just made Sense

Groundworks and civil engineering specialist, O’Brien Contractors, has proudly supported Kier Construction and Sense with a garden makeover that Alan Titchmarsh would be proud of.

We have proudly supported Kier Construction and Sense with a garden makeover that Alan Titchmarsh would be proud of.

Our team helped carry out the transformation at Sense’s King’s Heath care accommodation, following the invitation by Kier Construction Central’s office to support them with one of their local community projects.

O’Brien’s work, included: level reduction, a base for slab area, new slabs (200 in total), scrub removal and the installation of ducting across the garden.

Kier Construction Central had previously completed individual, small-scale community support activities related to their construction projects, but realised by combining their efforts, they could have a greater impact if targeted in the right direction.

A garden refurbishment at a property owned by Sense in Kings Heath was identified as a suitable type and size. The property is the home of four adults who all have varying impairments, and require 24 hour care.

Adam Ewing, Project Manager, Kier Construction, said: “Our objective was to improve the whole outdoor experience of the garden, including: safety, access, aesthetic, sensory and maintenance aspects.”

The garden in its original state was very basic, run down, un-safe and not a suitable for the residents.

“The new garden will open the space up and provide residents and their visitors with a wonderful place to meet up, relax and enjoy being outdoors.”

Tony Mitchell, Operations Manager, O’Brien Contractors, said: “We didn’t hesitate to get involved when asked by Kier to support them. We are a family run business, built on a tradition of making a positive impact on the lives of people in and around our operations.

“Sense really does a fantastic job providing people who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs, with a more independent lifestyle and everyone involved felt that their contribution, however big or small, will really change people’s quality of life for the better.”

Adam Ewing, added: “O’Brien’s assistance was pivotal to the success of the project and their support throughout was a key factor. I would like to thank the team for all their help on behalf of Kier Construction Central.”

Team O’Brien hikes across the Malvern Hills to raise money for Help for Heroes

Staff from West Midlands based groundworks and civil engineering specialist, O’Brien Contractors, has raised £6,500 for Help for Heroes.

Staff from leading groundworks and civil engineering specialist, O’Brien Contractors, have strapped on their hiking boots to raise money for wounded service men and women.

Led by managing director, Peter O’Brien, the 25-strong team hiked across the Malvern Hills raising just over £6,500 for the charity Help for Heroes.

The Malvern Hills Challenge is a team or individual walk in the Malvern Hills with a choice of routes: 15km ‘Long Walk’ & 7km ‘Short Walk’, with both taking in Black Hill, Pinnacle Hill, Jubilee Hill and the Worcestershire Beacon, before descending at Sugarloaf Hill towards the finishing line in Rose Bank Gardens.

Peter O’Brien, Managing Director, O’Brien Contractors, said: “Each year staff undertake fundraising events to generate money for local charities. Last year we took on the Wolf Run Challenge, a demanding 10k muddy assault course near Leamington and our fundraising generated just over £2,115 for the Alzheimer’s Society. The year before, we raised £2,026 for Cystic Fibrosis Trust and British Heart Foundation by entering the London Nightrider, an exciting moonlit 100km cycle ride through the capital city. This year, we wanted to go one better and felt the Help for Heroes Malvern Hills Challenge would help us realise our goal.”

Peter has also been impressed by the backing of the team on and off the Malvern Hills, saying: “We’ve had fantastic support from our supply chain partners, friends and family, who have donated very generously. In the office and onsite, the staff I’ve spoken to feel very proud of their efforts and they should be.”

After recovering from the hike, staff have now turned their attentions to next year with plans to raise even more money for good causes.

If you would like to donate to Team O’Brien’s Help for Heroes Malvern Hills Challenge 2016 JustGiving webpage, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/malvern-hills-challenge

O’Brien Contractors sponsor road safety for another year!

Birmingham based civil engineering and groundworks specialist, O’Brien Contractors, has sponsored a Warwickshire road safety scheme

We have once again agreed to sponsor two local primary schools as part of the Warwickshire Road Safety Club. Membership of The Club is available to all primary schools in Warwickshire and is organised by Warwickshire County Council’s Road Safety Team.

The importance of road safety was highlighted by the Department for Transport’s latest research, released in June 2016, which found there were 22,137 people seriously injured in reported road traffic accidents across the UK in 2015, with 1,910 being children aged 15 or younger.

O’Brien’s Director Mike O’Brien will be visiting Our Lady & St Teresa’s this week to find out how road safety education can benefit the local community. Mr O’Brien, said: “O’Briens is a successful, family run business, with a culture of supporting our local community and charitable initiatives. Having seen the excellent work the Warwickshire Road Safety Club do in teaching young pupils how to stay safe on the roads, we were only too happy to sponsor the schools for a second year.” Mr O’ Brien and his brothers all attended the school on Windmill Hill.

The schools will run a series of road safety initiatives throughout the year including the Kerb Safe pedestrian training for 6 – 7 year olds.

Cubbington Primary School will also benefit from the sponsorship again this year.

Eleni Jenks, Assistant Headteacher of Cubbington CE Primary School, said: “The Road Safety Club is a great way to engage with our pupils and get them thinking about road safety. Through the scheme, they learn vital skills that will help prevent accidents and equip them with lifelong skills. We really appreciate the support provided by O’Briens.”

O’Brien Sports make a splash with British Blind Sport

Birmingham based civil engineering and groundworks specialist, O’Brien Contractors, has sponsored Warwickshire based British Blind Sport

We have generously lent our support to British Blind Sport by sponsoring its 2017 youth swimming gala.

British Blind Sport is a charity based in Leamington that helps visually impaired, blind and partially sighted people participate in sport.

Fundraising Manager Ian Carr said, “The youth swimming gala is one of British Blind Sport’s flagship events that’s been in our calendar for a number of years. Last year’s event was one of the most successful we’ve staged as we welcomed over 50 visually impaired kids from all over the country to take part in 35 races throughout the afternoon. For a number of children – especially those attending mainstream schools – it is the first time they are able to swim competitively against other children with visual impairments. It’s not all about the competition though, the open and friendly nature of the day means that the children and parents make friends and have a thoroughly enjoyable and unforgettable day that often acts as a springboard to continue swimming competitively or as a hobby.”

Some of the feedback from last year, included:

  • “It’s fantastic to have an event that kids can compete in. To see all the children enjoying themselves is brilliant. I wish there were more events like this.” – Lucy, mother of a participant
  • “Best gala I’ve been to; it was full of atmosphere.” – Kian Saville, participant
  • “It’s the first time we’ve been, but we will definitely come again. It’s brilliant!” – Cornel, mother of a participant

Mick O’Brien, Director of O’Brien Sports added, “British Blind Sport is an important organisation, making a really big difference to blind and partially sighted people. “

“Sports participation can help children: build their confidence, develop new friendships, practise their social skills, but most importantly, provide them with an opportunity to have fun taking part in an activity they are good at.”

“We are very happy to continue our involvement with British Blind Sport and wish all the competitors a fun and enjoyable swimming gala.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the support O’Brien’s continue to show us here at BBS and the sponsorship of this event will allow us to provide a great sporting opportunity for numerous visually impaired children.” Ian added.

If you would like to make a donation to the British Blind Sport you can do so easily at www.britishblindsport.org.uk/fundraising/donate

O’Brien Contractors’ carbon footprint verified to BS EN ISO 14064-3:2006

Our standards are benchmarked against leading industry accreditations, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001 and Achilles BuildingConfidence

We have had our carbon footprint verified by TÜV UK Ltd to the ISO 14064-3:2006 standard across our operations.

Verification to ISO 14064, is one of the most effective ways to measure, quantify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The audit showed that, when normalised against turnover (£17m in 2014 and £28m in 2015), we had significantly reduced our usage of resources year-on-year and continually exceeded target.

In order to achieve our emissions reduction goal, we developed a strategy based on:

  • Investing and upgrading and operating the most efficient plant and technology available.
  • Providing staff with training on how to improve their driving to reduce fuel consumption.
  • Investing an average of £140k per year on upgrading its fleet of vehicles to ensure that they are the most efficient and low-emission models available.
  • Offering shuttle buses to promote vehicle pooling for staff working on our construction sites.

Vicki O’Brien, O’Brien Contractors, said: “We are very much committed to minimising the impact of our activities on the environment and all stakeholders, in order to operate a business that is safe, sustainable and socially responsible. Verifying our footprint to an International standard will serve as a benchmark against to help us achieve our goal of continuously reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”

Our commitment to environmental improvement also saw us become the first to achieve ISO 14001 certification among our core rivals in the civil engineering sector.

Our processes and procedures have also been audited and validated to ISO 9001 for quality and OHSAS 18001, CHAS, Achilles BuildingConfidence (5-star rating) and Achilles RISQS for health and safety.

Vicki added: “By raising our standards, we have been able to operate more akin with our clients, and target major projects with greater contract values, or strategic divisions, placing greater focus on delivery and quality, not just price.”

O’Brien Contractors take on Wolf Run to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society

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A 14-strong team has taken up the challenge by running wild across Warwickshire in aid of The Alzheimer’s Society.

The pack, made up of quantity surveyors, project managers, engineers, managers, apprentices, groundworkers and administrators, have set a target of raising at least £5,000 for the charity who, through their tireless efforts, improve the quality of life of people and their families affected by dementia.

The 10k Wolf Run near Leamington Spa on September 5th saw the brave fundraisers tackle a unique combination of three kinds of off-road running: mud runs, trail runs and obstacle runs across raw natural terrain, including open ground, woodland, lakes & thick mud.

The team has also organised a number of fundraising initiatives, including raffling four tickets to the Wasps vs Exeter Chiefs encounter, kindly donated by Premiership Rugby team, Wasps and a cake sale.

One of our runners, Operations Manager, Tony Mitchell, has been taken aback by the generosity of members of staff, be it taking part in the run or helping to raise money.

Tony said: “We have been fortunate to have great success over the years and are keen to ensure we give back to the community whenever possible.”

“We organise annual events to raise money for local charities and I am always amazed at the number of staff who are willing to give up their free time to get involved in our fundraising events.”

‘We decided to enter the Wolf Run to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society because they do a fantastic job supporting vulnerable people struck down by such a terrible disease. Entering a team is a great way, not only to show support, but to motivate ourselves to improve our fitness. It’s good to know that every step will help support people with dementia and their carers today and fund research to find a cure for tomorrow.”

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are delighted that O’Brien Contractors are giving their time to support Alzheimer’s Society. 225,000 people will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations like O’Brien Contractors to help us continue our vital work. Please back O’Brien Contractors in their fundraising efforts so that Alzheimer’s Society can continue leading the fight against dementia.”

If you would like to donate to the team’s JustGiving webpage, visit https://www.justgiving.com/O-BrienContractors Or text OBCL50 followed by the amount you wish to donate, to 70070, e.g. OBCL50 £5 for a £5 donation.

O’Brien Contractors sponsor Warwickshire Road Safety Scheme

Birmingham based civil engineering and groundworks specialist, O’Brien Contractors, has sponsored a Warwickshire road safety scheme

We are delighted to have agreed to sponsor two Leamington Spa based schools to help provide essential road safety education to local pupils.

From September, the way that road safety in Warwickshire is delivered in primary schools is changing. All schools have the opportunity to sign up to the Warwickshire Road Safety Club, but most will now need to pay for the road safety education they receive. However over the past few months Warwickshire County Council’s Road Safety Group have been contacting Warwickshire businesses to encourage them to sponsor road safety in their local primary schools.

Our support will enable Cubbington Primary School and Our Lady & St Teresa’s Primary School to have the complete Warwickshire Road Safety Club package, which includes the popular Warwick the Bear roadshow for 5 year olds, Kerb Safe pedestrian training  for 6 – 7 year olds and the Junior Road Safety Officer scheme for 10 – 11 year olds.  Other activities include assemblies and classroom sessions from a Road Safety Officer.

Managing Director Peter O’Brien recently visited the school to find out how road safety education can benefit the local community. Mr O’Brien, said: “Having been educated at Our Lady and St Teresa’s Primary School, along with my two brothers and company Directors, Mick and Simon, we welcomed the opportunity to play our part with Warwickshire County Council and the two schools.”

“The O’Brien family has been part of the local community since the 1950’s when our father and mother moved from Ireland and made Cubbington their home.  My father formed O’Brien Contractors over 50 years ago and the village has been the location for its headquarters ever since, benefitting from employing many local and highly skilled people.”

“The importance of road safety cannot be stressed enough and as a significant employer in the area, we welcomed the chance to get involved in the road safety scheme, ensuring the welfare of the young people in Cubbington.”

Juliet Jones, Headteacher of Cubbington CE Primary School, said: “We are absolutely delighted the O’Brien’s have chosen to fund our Road Safety Club membership.  Road safety education is vital at primary school to prevent accidents from happening and to teach children important skills that will serve them well throughout their whole lives. “

O’Brien Contractors sponsors four assisted holidays for Warwickshire-based ILEAP Charity

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We’re delighted to announce that we have presented the Stratford-upon-Avon-based, ILEAP Charity, with a generous donation to provide four assisted holidays for disabled people with learning difficulties.

Operating in South Warwickshire, ILEAP Charity supports people aged from 4 years and upwards by organising children, youth and adult leisure activity programmes for their members who have a mild / moderate learning disability.

Among the holiday opportunities organised, there is a three night stay in Bournemouth for 8 people and 4 staff, staying in fully accessible sea front accommodation at Bournemouth University Student Village. The location will provide the opportunity to take advantage of all the traditional sea side activities and enable ILEAP Charity to work with its’ members on promoting independence through skills for living type activities.

Additionally, the charity has also organised a two night stay in Woodhouse Eves in Leicestershire, where 12 people and 6 staff will enjoy a fun filled weekend with their friends, taking part in 2 specialist activities of orienteering and archery, followed by a BBQ and Party.

Peter Bazeley, Manager, ILEAP Charity, said: “Thanks to the donation from O’Brien Contractors, we have been able to subsidise these opportunities, making them excellent value and affordable to the majority. On behalf of everyone at ILEAP, we would like to thank O’Brien for thinking of us and for their generous support.”

“As a small Charity we rely on grants and donations so that children and adults with Additional Needs, can take part in their chosen leisure pursuits, in the knowledge that they will be safe and supported. This donation will help us to empower our members so that they have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers during their leisure time.” added Peter Bazeley.

Two further breaks have also been organised, including a Lads weekend away for 10 and 4 staff to a purpose built activity centre in Shropshire, where the group will enjoy a camp fire and indoor caving, abseiling and rock climbing and an outdoor pursuits weekend for a party of 12 and 6 staff to a purpose built activity centre with all food and accommodation and 4 specialist outdoor pursuit activities.

One of our Directors, Stuart Chamberlain, said: “Over the years, O’Brien Contractors has been fortunate to have great success and we feel it is important that we give back to the community whenever possible. We are very pleased to be able to support ILEAP Charity, who provides a fantastic service to disabled people.”

If you would like to make a donation to the ILEAP Charity you can do so easily at www.justgiving.com/ileap or by e-mailing ileap@stratford-dc.gov.uk. For further information please visit www.ileap.co.uk for details.