Author: Whiting Landscape
On Thursday 13th September 5 intrepid members of the Whiting team took part in the Prologis 100k Cycle Challenge around Warwickshire, to raise money for Land Aid and Trinity Specialist College.
Their route began at Ardencote Manor in Warwick, and they made their way through the beautiful countryside and various little villages including Wootton Wawen and dipping into Flyford Flavell in Worcestershire, a total of 4 hours 30 minutes in the saddle.
Over £13,000 has been collected in sponsorship from all those who participated.
We’re delighted to have been part of the team that has managed to raise so much cash for the two charities set to benefit from the challenge. The Property Industry charity Land Aid aims to make the future better for homeless young people and Trinity Specialist College provides a Further Education day placement Centre supplying up to 48 weeks’ provision for students with learning difficulties, challenging behaviours, disabilities and autism.
Two very worthy causes so well done to all who took part!
On Saturday 14th July 2018 12 members of the Whiting team set a task upon themselves to walk 26 miles in a day as way of a group challenge.
They had an early start of 6am where they began their walk at Ladybower Dam, Hope Valley, in the beautiful surroundings of the Peak District. The trial began with a vertical climb, which was pretty tough going as they had just started out! It was worth it, as the views were breath taking once they reached the top. The idea of this challenge was for it to be more of a personal achievement and the team managed to complete it in 11 and half hours – despite everyone averaging at least three blisters on each foot!
60,000 steps after setting out, our Commercial Manager Matthew Murphy said:
‘Tremendous effort by all, we are now into our 8th year of doing a Whiting Challenge, they really don’t seem to be getting any easier! Bring on the next one!’
On Friday 18th May volunteers from our client Prologis and Whiting teamed up together to help restore Happyfields Animal Sanctuary.
Happyfields was founded 7 years ago by Christine Bowles and provides a home for both unwanted and rescue animals. The sanctuary relies heavily on sponsorship and donations and with our help it made the process easier and quicker to implement the final improvements they needed.
Love Brum is a charity that engages with local people and businesses to build a better Birmingham. Love Brum asked Prologis to support Happyfields on Impact Day. Whiting were happy to come on board and help Prologis with this challenge.
Our brief was to rebuild, install and improve existing new features at the sanctuary to make it a more pleasant and welcoming place for visitors and for the animals to live in.
Our Operations Director Wayne Bridges gave a detailed brief for the day, so everyone knew what they were doing in order to get everything completed. The weather was definitely on our side, it was a glorious day, the sun shining and everyone was keen and eager to get started.
Happyfields encompasses an overall area of 11,000m². Most of the area needed attention and works began with installing an 18m walk way leading up to a decked terraced picnic area, (which we needed to construct) and the entrance to visit the animals at Happyfields. Creating this pathway has made it more accessible for wheelchair users and pushchairs. A new shelter was put together to keep the animals safe and warm at night. Up to 230 linear meters of fencing was installed in various parts of the sanctuary fields ensuring that all the animals are now safe and secure, especially around the chicken coop and pond, to keep out any unwanted visitors! New gates were installed at the beginning of the new pathway and entrance leading into another field, helping to make the area more secure and safe for visitors and the residents of Happyfields!
Car parking was limited at the sanctuary; it was challenging and unsafe for visitors to park as it is located on such a busy main road. A fenced car park has now been created off the main road into Happyfields allowing easier access.
Finally, a new information and welcome sign were hand drawn, painted and installed by members of Prologis and Whiting. The public can now easily find the sanctuary, as it proved to be quite difficult to locate in the past.
The completed improvements have benefited Happyfields in many ways making it a more welcoming and pleasant place to visit. Founder Christine Bowles was overwhelmed and happy with the work that had been completed. She commented that she was…“Over the moon. It all looks amazing!”
Our Operations Director Wayne Bridges said ‘the end result was fantastic. The amount of effort and hard work that had gone into the day from each and every person was overwhelming. The appreciation from Chris was so touching it makes it all worthwhile’. The day was a great success!
Whiting recently provided much needed tracksuits for the 85 children of Shree Singha Devi Primary School in Sukute, Nepal. The school is about a three hour drive from Kathmandu and the area suffers from shocking rural poverty – intensified by the devastating 2015 earthquake that hit the country.
Our MD’s eldest daughter and her husband were recently working with the Mandala Organization in Sukute to provide assistance to the school and help set up a long term sustainable plan with the local community. One of their main aims was to start providing a free, healthy lunch everyday for the children – many of whom were too hungry to make the journey to school. Through the generosity of their friends back home they managed to raise £3,800 which will pay for the lunches for the next 15 months. The fund also enabled a dangerous building that was overhanging the playground to be removed so the children could again play outside during break time.
The provision of the Whiting tracksuits has helped to keep the children warm and recognisable through the cold Himalayan winter and let them know that people outside of Nepal are still aware of their plight and thinking of them.
On Saturday 19th August thirteen members of the Whiting team embarked on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.
Their aim was to collect £5,000 for the charity, in support of a much loved colleague who was recently diagnosed with this debilitating disease.
The tough challenge involved walking 26 miles over the Yorkshire Dales’ highest points – a combined climb of 6,735 ft – but despite inclement weather the team all managed to achieve this within the targeted 12 hours.
One of the organisers Matt Murphy said: “This was a fantastic challenge and, as a team, we are immensely proud that all 13 members finished within twelve hours. The support has been truly overwhelming and we’d like to say a huge thank you to all our clients, sub contractors, suppliers, friends and family for their generous donations. On to next year!”
A fabulous final total of £5,977 was raised.
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On Saturday, July 8th, our Directors held a Family Fun Day as a celebration to mark Whitings’ 40th Anniversary and to thank all their hardworking staff and families for playing a part in their success.
The company hosted lots of activities at Wildmoor Lane, ranging from a bungee run and bouncy castles to mini bumper cars, a magician and face painting. A beautiful Victorian Carousel was star of the show and plenty of food and drink was available in the marquee.
Speaking at the event, our MD Maurice Murphy said: ” I can’t believe we’ve been in business for forty years. It’s a real milestone and we wanted to mark it with a celebration that said a big “Thank You” to all our employees who work so tirelessly year in, year out. A special mention must be made for all the teams out on our sites in all weathers, often in very challenging conditions – today was about letting them know how appreciated they all are.”
**Fourteen members of the Whiting team will be taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on August 19th, in support of Parkinson’s UK. If anyone would like to sponsor them please visit their JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/WHITINGLANDSCAPE2017 as any donations would be gratefully received.
Whiting were recently commissioned to carry out works at the historic Petwood Hotel in Lincolnshire. The hotel, famous for being the home of the legendary RAF 617 Dambusters squadron also has another claim to fame; the gardens were designed by Harold Peto in 1912.
A qualified architect and extensive traveller, Peto (1854 – 1933) created fine gardens in England and the South of France, mainly in the Italianate style. His best known gardens are Ilford Manor, Wiltshire; Buscot Park, Oxfordshire; West Dean House, Sussex and Llancullin, County Cork, Ireland.
Our brief was to help restore some of the original features designed by Peto. Works included the installation of a replica “Temple of Atalanta” copied from historical photographs and restoration of the “Long Walk” pathway, lined with shrub beds and a horley festoon. The scheme also featured the restoration of the original terracing and balustrade along with some new works to upgrade car parking and a new formal entrance.
The majority of the work is now complete but further restoration to this historic venue may be planned for the future.
A six hectare woodland delivered by Whiting and created with support from the local community, was officially opened in May in the presence of residents, parish councillors, National Forest representatives and project partners.
The launch of the Penny Wakefield Community Woodland to the east of Ellistown village in Leicestershire celebrates the culmination of a two year project that has seen developers, engineers, National Forest staff, environmental stakeholders and the local community working in partnership. The aim of the scheme has been to deliver an exceptional community asset that meets planning and engineering requirements for what has been a critical development and employment project.
The project faced many challenges, not least finding ways to integrate the objectives of replacing the trees and hedgerows lost to the development, creating new National Forest woodland and providing a structure to address drainage requirements for the new 1.4 m² warehouse buildings adjacent to the site. At the same time, the scheme needed to provide screening and a long-term sustainable woodland resource that would enhance the Ellistown community.
12,000 trees and shrubs were planted and 800m of access pathways installed, linking the woodland to the local community and the wider public access network. Bat, bird and owl boxes, numerous wildlife hibernacula, interpretation signs, a community orchard and wildlife sculptures were also installed and benches were created using the timber from trees that had to be felled on site.
Philip Metcalfe of The National Forest commented: “This project represents precisely the sort of scheme that we are trying to achieve in the Forest; a place where woodland can deliver habitat, access and landscape benefits to the communities on its doorstep.”
The local community, and in particular local councillor Keith Merrie and the Parish Council, have been involved throughout, supporting and challenging the project team to help shape and guide the scheme. The late Penny Wakefield was one of the councillors involved during the early discussions and it was felt that naming the woodland after her would be a fitting tribute and conclusion to the development. Penny is now celebrated on the site with a memorial plaque.
(Photographs courtesy of Darren Cresswell, copyright National Forest Company)
On May 23rd twelve of our team travelled to the King Power Stadium, home of Leicester City FC, to take part in a six -a -side football tournament involving 16 teams from across the Landscape Industry.
The aim of the tournament was to raise awareness of Perennial, the worthy charity that has been supporting everyone working in Horticulture and their families since 1839, by bringing together people from our industry to have fun, get to know each other and contribute towards the services provided by Perennial.
Whiting strolled through the competitive group stage but were gutted to be eliminated in the first knock out game after missing countless chances. Hitting the post 3 times and the crossbar 4, then missing two open goals, our lack of precision cost us dearly.
It was a brilliant day – apart from the outcome – but many Congratulations must go to the tournament winners Gavin Jones Ltd who finally lifted the trophy. Roll on next year lads!
