Member Article

Hat-trick glory for Walter Thompson’s

A LEADING construction company is celebrating a hat-trick of industry awards.

The work of Northallerton-based Walter Thompson Ltd has been recognised in a prestigious awards ceremony. The family-owned company won both Gold and Bronze at the 2016 Considerate Constructors Scheme’s National Site Awards.

The annual awards recognise the highest levels of consideration and care shown by sites registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme towards their local neighbourhoods, the general public, their workforce and the environment. They are judged by scheme monitors who visit the site and rate their considerate performance against the Code of Considerate Practice.

The Gold award was given for Walter Thompson’s work at Linthorpe School in Middlesbrough The project involved major phased refurbishment of many areas of an existing live school, including KS2 ground floor area, reception area, relocation of ICT suite, foundation stage alterations, a new standalone nursery building and a two classroom extension all while school life continued.

A hallmark of this award-winning project was Walter Thompson’s rapport with and support of the school, including educating the children about construction, engaging and inspiring a pupil with special needs and providing local job opportunities.

Describing its performance, the visiting scheme monitor said: “This site has done everything conceivably possible to achieve the rating of “exceptional” in improving the image of construction.

“Engagement with the school was extraordinary and included the erection of a special wall for a troubled child to display his paintings, and the dressing of the boundary fence on Remembrance Day for children to display their poppies and other tributes.”

Walter Thompson’s Site Manager, Mike Hamm and his project team were hugely appreciated by parents, children, staff and neighbours, and the writing of a special song for them by the school was almost certainly an industry first.

At the same awards ceremony, Walter Thompson was also awarded a Bronze Award for its work at Stokesley Primary School.

The Walter Thompson team spent almost six months working at the school after joists in the floor and roof were found to be severely decayed and on the brink of collapse. The Grade 2-listed nursery building at the primary school was completely refurbished, but the school remained fully operational throughout the project.

The work was carried out on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, and CCS monitor for the site, Peter Crane, said: “Respect for the community is a quality that this contractor is noted for and the site team seem to be concentrating on developing a trust between the site and their neighbours; an excellent attitude.

“Environmentally, it is nearly a first to see forward-looking targets set for site management use in order to reduce the site’s carbon footprint. All-in-all, a brilliant site by a very thoughtful and considerate site team.”

While still celebrating these two major accolades, Walter Thompson were further thrilled to find out they had won the CCS’s top award – the company was declared winner of the Most Considerate Site 2016. The award was given within the category of sites with a project value of £500k to £5m.

Mike Petter, Chairman of the CCS, said: “It is our privilege to reward the efforts of all those involved in projects which set the bar in terms of considerate construction. We never fail to be impressed each year by the high levels of innovation and excellence evidenced throughout the industry.

“Each award-winning project serves as a shining example to the industry as to what can be achieved across a range of different sized projects and in all sectors of the industry. My congratulations to all sites that have received a National Site Award.”

Commenting on the company’s unprecedented success, Walter Thompson Managing Director Paul Hammerton said: “We’re delighted for the teams who have won these awards for us. They have made all of us at Walter Thompson very proud.

“We have long had an excellent reputation for working closely with clients and the communities in which they’re based to keep any disruption to any absolute minimum. Our Most Considerate Site accolade is particularly pleasing and I’m delighted for Mike Hamm and his team who worked so closely and so well with Linthorpe School.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Walter Thompson .