Cooks Lane, Sittingbourne

ENGIE attended the Oasis Academy on the Isle of Sheppey to carry out a careers presentation to the sixth form students.

Here we explained the different type of job roles within the construction industry, and how the students can apply for both an apprenticeship or possible work experience within the industry.

Congratulations to our Employees of the Month for October 2019.

Supervisor of the Month; Gerry Mitchell - Gallagher Group Ltd

Operative of the Month; Bogdan Oloeru - Gallagher Group Ltd

Both employees exceeded great performance and showed good practice on site.

Both were rewarded with a £15 Amazon voucher.

ENGIE is carrying out a number of training courses over the lifespan of the Cook Lane project, and we were delighted to be able to invite 4 operatives from Gallagher Group Ltd, and 4 construction students from Sheppey College to attend a Vehicle Banksman course with our ENGIE Trainer, Tony Bates.

Hi Vicky,

Please see attached some photos and a short clip from the Banksman training, last week. The students had a great time, Tony was a great trainer. All students are also interested in doing the asbestos training!

Many Thanks, Again.

Kind regards

Lauren Carpenter

Work Experience Officer/Careers Advisory

Good progress has been made in the period with our first timber frame units being erected and the CFA piling works nearing completion.

The ground floor slabs to Phase 1 are now complete and we will continue with the erection of scaffold and timber frame to this area.

We are well underway with the drainage and ground floor slabs to Phase 2 and are planning the next tarmac visit for the end of November which will give us a clean site coming into the harder winter months.

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and the first frosts are already occurring, so it really feels like winter is on its way. What does this mean for our hedgehogs and other woodland wildlife?

Hedgehog hibernation

Often when we think of hibernation, we imagine animals curling up in a dark, quiet, cosy spot and sleeping peacefully for a few months until spring returns. Though they seem to disappear, that’s not really the case. Hibernating animals enter a state of inactivity, slowing their heart rate and breathing and lowering their body temperature and metabolism. A hedgehog’s heart rate is usually around 190 beats per minute but drops to just 20 during hibernation.

All this means that they can survive for long periods without eating, but they do need to get up occasionally to look for food and go to the toilet. Their clever bodies can also wake them up automatically if it becomes so cold that they are in danger of freezing.

Where and when do hedgehogs hibernate?

To prepare for their hibernation, hedgehogs eat as much as they can during autumn, munching on beetles, caterpillars and earthworms to build up good fat reserves. To survive winter, they need to weigh 500-700 grams. They will then seek out a quiet spot to rest for the coming months, usually in piles of dead leaves, stacks of logs, compost heaps or under garden sheds. The exact time they retire to this spot will depend on how mild the weather is; hibernation can take place any time from October to April, but in a warmer winter you may still see hedgehogs out and about in December.

You can help hedgehogs get through hibernation by putting food in an accessible place and providing a safe shelter for them.

Help our hedgehogs

Hedgehogs can be found in woodland edge habitats, hedgerows, farmland, parks and gardens, but numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years. They are less common in gardens now as lots of perimeter fencing and tidier outdoor spaces mean they can’t move around so easily, but you can help them get through hibernation by putting food in an accessible place and providing a safe shelter for them.

What should I feed hedgehogs?

They will appreciate any special hedgehog food, meat flavoured cat biscuits or chopped unsalted nuts and a shallow dish of water. Wet food isn’t a good idea as it could freeze and bread and milk is bad for them.

Find further information about feeding and caring for hedgehogs, as well as a link to get your own Happy Hedgehogs Pack from Kent Wildlife Trust.

Visit kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/help-a-hedgehog

In order to recycle our Halloween pumpkins and avoid wasting them to landfill, the ENGIE staff took their carved pumpkins to Happy Endings Rescue where they could be used to feed the many animals there.

Happy Endings Rescue is an animal charity located near Faversham, Kent who offer a safe haven for many animals that pass into their care as a result of abandonment, neglect, owner surrender or abuse.

This incredible animal sanctuary rescue and rehome domestic pets as well as providing a long-term home to the many animals and birds that live on site, including parrots, owls, farm animals, horses, goats, peacocks, meerkats and other species.

The facilities are constantly evolving to provide the necessary accommodation and supervision for the increasing number of animals that pass into their care every week, many of whom have been rescued from unhappy, cruel and neglected pasts. The owners Terry and Chris live on site and with the help of a dedicated team work very hard to offer a safe, happy refuge for these animals every day.

If you are passionate about the work Happy Endings do, you can help through monetary donations, sponsoring one of their animals, volunteering, or spreading the word about what they are doing,

ENGIE is committed to working with local charitable organisations, schools, colleges and community groups.

We have been working to keep young people safe. Our team delivered a safety awareness assembly to all year groups at the Sunnybank Primary School in Murston Sittingbourne.

Our interactive assembly is a great way of enthusing young people about our industry, whilst at the same time, warning of the dangers inherent on a busy construction site.

Our time at the school concluded with the team delivering several of ENGIE’s innovative Building Challenges. These fun workshops introduce young people to the range of careers in the construction industry, as well as supporting key elements of the school curriculum.

ENGIE attended the Oasis Academy on the Isle of Sheppey to carry out a careers presentation to the sixth form students.

Here we explained the different type of job roles within the construction industry, and how the students can apply for both an apprenticeship or possible work experience within the industry.

Our subcontractor Gallagher Group currently working on the Cooks Lane project, kindly donated £500 worth of gardening tools to the Groundwork South charity which will help benefit their Horticulture program.

Hi All

I would like to say a massive thank you for the tools you delivered to Groundwork South Charity this morning.

They will be utilised to deliver our Horticulture Training Programmes at our sites across Kent, where learners are awarded City & Guild qualifications.

I will continue to take photos of the projects we are delivering, with the tools in use and forward onto you.

Many thanks again.

Kind regards

Chris Hoddinott

Green Team Supervisor

Groundworks South (Kent & Medway Area)