On Monday (22 April) The Forshaw Group celebrated its revival of the Huyton with Roby Sea Cadets building. The community volunteer refurbishment project was carried out by its INS-Pire Training and Apprenticeship Academy and Knowsley Apprenticeship Partnership. 10 of our first, second and third– year apprentices took part in the renovation and were supervised by their respective trade mentors.
It was a morning of celebration and attended by important guests. Our managing director Liam Hanlon opened the ceremony by addressing the crowd, which included the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mark Blundell and many other distinguished guests. The presentation was to promote the Cadet Service and Military College, and highlight the collaboration between The Forshaw Group, the Chamber of commerce and the Armed Forces Covenant.
The refurbishment came about from a chance conversation between Liam Hanlon and Jan Cox at an Armed Forces Covenant meet. The Forshaw Group was awarded Gold Armed Forces Covenant Award status in July 2022. As part of the INS-Pire Apprenticeship Academy, our apprentices take part in a number of ‘enhancement days’ alongside their trade specific NVQ’s and training. These days include Community, Charity, and Challenge/Adventure days to attract, train and retain the next generation in our industry.
This refurbishment project was chosen as our community project, which also support our business volunteering hours with the Knowsley Chamber of Commerce Working Well Together Initiative. Following a meeting with WO Paul Rycroft and Chairman Paul Ellison, the project team was brought together and managed by our senior Project Manager John ‘JJ’ Calvert.
The apprentices who took part in the refurbishment were invited back for the event and attendees were offered a tour around the building to see the work done. The dilapidated battleship grey building has been transformed into the bright space it is today. All the work was completed within one week and helped along by the Sea Cadet team taking down all the fixtures and fittings before our team stepped in.
Liam said about the event, “on behalf of The Forshaw Group directors, myself, Jay Calvert and Richard Caffrey, I would like to thank the apprentices and all those who took part in the project as part of our commitment to all the organisations present today.
“I wish all the officers and staff at Huyton with Roby Sea Cadets all the best for the future, and hope that our small contribution goes some way towards attracting, training and retaining the next generation of cadets and adult leaders, who I am sure, will go on to achieve great things in the continued support of our diverse community.”
The Lord Lieutenant, Mark Blundell unveiled the official plaque commemorating the renovation of the centre. The Sea Cadets then surprised Liam Hanlon with a plaque to say thank you to The Forshaw Group for its help with the project.
Jan Cox the Regional Employer Engagement Director for Merseyside said, “It’s wonderful to see the Armed Forces Covenant in action. A huge thank you to Knowsley Chambers and The Forshaw Group for honouring its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.”
For further information on The Forshaw Group, please visit: https://www.theforshawgroup.com/
