The Forshaw Group is excited to celebrate Christmas and is looking forward to what 2023 will have in store. Looking back on the last 12 months, it’s difficult to pick just one item from each month to highlight, as there has been so much going on. We have continued to build upon and improve our business offerings and services. We have continued to support and promote the Knowsley apprenticeship partnership and our INS-Pire academy, which recently hosted a visit from Caroline Gumble CEO of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
We have electrified our fleet of cars as part of our ongoing environmental commitment and have plans for solar panels, so we will be completely self-sustainable in the next few years. The Forshaw Group is proud to support many varying causes and events for the good of the community, and we were honoured to be awarded Gold Armed Forces Covenant award status. Finally, and probably one of the biggest achievements this year was when our managing director, Liam Hanlon reached the summit and conquered Mount Everest with his Tri-4-Life team.
Here’s a selection of some of our favourite achievements – old and new – over the last 12 months:
January
It was a charitable start to 2022. The Forshaw Group is a proud supporter of the Wallasey and Runcorn based cerebral palsy charity, Stick ‘n’ Step, having raised thousands of pounds over the years through the company and our managing director, Liam Hanlon’s, involvement with Tri-4-Life. In celebration of 20 years of support to the charity, Liam Hanlon and other Tri-4-Life members were presented with champion medals for their continued support. Speaking of this partnership, Liam Hanlon said: “We at The Forshaw Group and Tri-4-Life are very proud of our long relationship with Stick ‘n’ Step, and the small part we have been able play in the amazing work they do with the youngsters attending the centres in Wallasey and Runcorn over the past 20 years.”
February
In February we were proud to be continuing to promote and support the Knowsley Apprenticeship Partnership. Liam Hanlon visited All Saint School to discuss what The Forshaw Group does and the upcoming apprenticeships. We have since arranged open days for the interested students to visit and see what we do. It’s a great way for us to support the local community and to support apprenticeships.
March
In March we supported Women in Business in a campaign to #beatthebias. Continuing on from International Women’s Day the previous week. We continue to represent women that operate within the construction industry and across our workforce. On Thursday 10 March representatives from The Forshaw Group attended a lunch for women organised by the Knowsley Chamber of Commerce. The Forshaw Group is continually looking for opportunities to hire and encourage women to choose a career within the construction industry, by recruiting and supporting more women to the team.
April
April saw The Forshaw Group open its doors to the Knowsley apprenticeship scheme for the first open day of the year. We welcomed students, parents, and teachers from All Saint’s High School in Kirkby, Liverpool. We were joined by representatives from other local businesses in the scheme. The students took part in several practical and collaborative demonstrations, received a tour of our training facilities, before watching a video biography of Mike Dryhurst giving an insight into his five-year apprenticeship journey.
Chief Executive at Knowsley Chamber of Commerce, Lesley Martin-Wright, was present and she explained to the audience the importance of young people engaging in skills training, for the future of our industries, businesses and communities.
May
At 4am on 12 May, our managing director Liam Hanlon and the Tri-4-Life team successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest. This was the accumulation of four years of preparation, including multiple endurance challenges such as taking the plunge to swim the Great Glen Lochs of Scotland, a month-long mountain climbs in Nepal and a climbing event in Moel Siabod.
The incredible challenge raised much needed funds for two NHS charities and for an organisation called Community Action Nepal. It is a UK charity that works with some of the most remote communities in the Nepalese Himalaya, delivering life-changing education, healthcare, agriculture, and livelihood programmes.
June
In June two of our female surveyors attended Menopause awareness training for the workplace. This training was to raise awareness of a natural stage of life, which affects women, trans, nonbinary and intersex people, but which is often misunderstood, ignored or not discussed in the work environment.
We also featured a case study for an emergency call out for United Utilities. We were instructed by United Utilities that a mains pipe had burst, causing damage to the communal pathway to access flats owned by Colbot Housing. On arrival it was clear that some of the flagstones had been uplifted and set aside to carry out the repair to the mains pipe. The water had also caused the flagged pathway to lift and drop in several places. We uplifted and relayed the flags making it safe.
July
We were delighted to announce we had been awarded Gold Armed Forces Covenant Award status in July. Our company is one of 23 North West businesses, and one of 156 organisations nationally, to be awarded this year, in its ninth awards scheme, showing the growth of supportive employers across the UK. Speaking of the Gold accreditation, Liam Hanlon, said: “It is an honour and privilege to be presented with the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award, and we are incredibly proud to support our Armed Forces community.
“As a former Royal Marines Reservist and an active member of the Royal Marines Association and the Special Boat Service Association, this has ensured that The Forshaw Group is committed to supporting veterans.”
August
August saw us hosting the Crawford’s Contractor Connection AXA Flood Re-build Better Workshop. Representatives from Crawford’s, AXA Insurance and CCC building repair networks attended. In collaboration, we explored what value-added measures could be included in the procurement and delivery of future flood claims to help make properties more resilient to damage caused by flooding. The day was a great success, and it demonstrated our training facilities. We offer a wide range of industry- specific and specialist training courses as well as delivering our in-house training and apprenticeship courses. We have been involved in all major flood events since 2006 and we have unrivalled knowledge and expertise in water and flooding catastrophe management.
September
In September we featured in several articles regarding the the electrification of our fleet. With the support of a £33,000 loan from Lloyd’s bank we have invested in five new electric vehicles. This makes up 20% of our fleet and helps towards our sustainable practices, as part of our ongoing environmental commitment. We will use our hybrid vehicles for longer journeys and electric for shorter, local trips and we will gradually transition our full fleet to electric vehicles.
The Forshaw Group’s managing director, Liam Hanlon attended the ‘Working together: Helping Britain’s businesses be their best’ Round table event. Held as part of the Labour Party Conference, the round table took place at the Maritime Museum in Liverpool. It was hosted by the Fabian Society and Lloyd’s business banking. The event was chaired by Fabian Society’s treasurer, Lord Kennedy, and The Forshaw Group was one of only four businesses invited to attend. The business leaders joined key parliamentary members, and it was a huge honour to be invited.
October
October saw our very own Zac Guinan complete three Olympic triathlons. Raising an impressive £1,000 for the charity, Early Essentials. Zac braved the water at West Kirby Marine Lake and swam for 1.5 km, cycled 40 km and completed a 10 km run. Astonishingly, he did all this not once, not twice, but three times over three days. Early Essentials is a Manchester-based charity started by two mums with young children. The charity works with health and social care professionals to provide practical help for new mothers who cannot afford the essentials needed to look after their newborns. Thanks to kind donations, they provide beautiful Moses baskets filled with all the items needed at the beginning of a baby’s life.
November
Here at The Forshaw Group, our INS-Pire Academy hosted a special visit from Caroline Gumble, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The long-awaited day, originally planned before Covid, included presentations, activities and a tour of the newly opened Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot. It was an opportunity to celebrate the talent in the area and highlight the contribution local businesses are playing in narrowing the skills gap and shining a light on the diversity and inclusion agenda.
In November we also received the green light for our PV solar panel project. We have secured £300,000 funding for the continued expansion and development of our Knowsley Head office site through Bathgate funding circle, and with the help of a £75,000 grant from St Helen’s Chamber of commerce. We are now ready to move to the next stage.
December
The Forshaw Group is very much looking forward to what the New Year has in store. From all of us at The Forshaw Group, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
