December 2013 News

2013 has been a prosperous year for Groundlevel. Having begun the year planning a period of consolidation; expanding our workforce, adding to our fleet and purchasing new equipment, it wasn’t long before we began to be approached by potential new clients seeking our services as a result of our reputation with existing clients.

The WAPH conference in January saw us expand relationships with the education sector, and we are delighted to have entered into new contracts with schools in and around the North West. Langtree Group this year returned to Groundlevel seeking the service excellence that we had delivered to them previously, and have most recently instructed us on the provision of a new car park and associated landscaping at their Mere One development.

We are delighted to have engaged in a working relationship with our local housing provider, Golden Gates Housing Trust, already having completed ground works, roofing jobs and refurbishment projects in the community, and look forward to further developing this relationship through 2014. We are also proud to be undertaking bathroom installations on behalf of the Bathstore.

Our thanks go to all of our staff for their continued support and contribution throughout 2013, we couldn’t do it without them. Thanks also to all of our valued clients, customers and suppliers, and we wish you all the very best for 2014.

November 2013 News

A busy month for new work, we are in the fortunate position of expanding our workforce in order to accommodate our growing workloads and client base. Please see our Vacancies page for details of any current vacancies within the business.

Premier Estates instructs Groundlevel on their fire damaged premises in Spofforth, North Yorkshire.

RMG Property Management Company awards Groundlevel a substantial refurbishment project on Ampleforth.

Trinity Estates appoints Groundlevel to deliver redecoration services to 5 of their developments in and around the North West.

Proud to be developing our relationship with our local housing provider, Golden Gates Housing Trust, we have been appointed to complete a reconstruction project to one of their properties in Warrington following vehicle crash damage.

Langtree Group instructs Groundlevel on gritting and snow clearance services to their commercial developments for winter 2013 / 14.

We were delighted to attend the Snowball hosted by Brainwave at Mere Grange on 23rd November 2013. This was a fantastic evening which resulted in £10,000 being raised to support the fantastic work that Brainwave does for families of children suffering brain injuries or development delay disorders.

October 2013 News

Groundlevels Managing Director, Lewis Nunn, has been selected by Business Insider as one of their “42 under 42” for the North West. Having established Groundlevel in 1997, Lewis has organically grown the business into a £3m operation with further plans for growth through 2014. Please read more about Lewis’ accomplishment at Insider Media.

Warrington based social housing group Golden Gates Housing Trust turns to Groundlevel ltd, instructing several housing refurbishment works and enhancement projects. We look forward to developing this relationship with our local housing provider to support them in serving the local community.

Langtree group award Groundlevel further improvement works to their ever increasing portfolio with the instruction of landscaping works to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

RMG turn to Groundlevel instructing new contracts for the provision of grounds, cleaning and window cleaning services to their prestigious Westminster Gardens development in Chester.

Groundlevel is extremely proud of Dan Abram who is currently touring Australia with St Helens Rugby League Academy. As well as games and training every day, Dan will also enjoy trips to Sydney’s opera house and harbour bridge, along with scuba diving at Manly beach. Being chosen for this exciting opportunity is a fantastic accolade to Dans talent and determination. We are looking forward to welcoming Dan back to the decorating department and hearing all about his adventure “down under”.

September 2013 News

Landscaping and grounds improvement works continued at Cromwell Athletic JFC, and excellent feedback has been received from Connal O’Brien, Managing Director at Eric Wright Facilities Management; “We had our first home match on Saturday and the pitch looked great. Several other people also commented on how good it looked.”

Prestigious Property Management companies RMG and Trinity Estates both look to Groundlevel to add further sites to their portfolio of cleaning and window cleaning contracts. Casserly Homes also engage Groundlevel on a number of their sites in the Manchester area due to consistently high standards of service delivery.

Major building work is underway at Aalborg in Lancaster as Groundlevel work as principal contractors in a major refurbishment project.

August 2013 News

It is with great regret that we say goodbye to Peter Burton of our projects department who sadly passed away in August following a short period of illness. Pete was a highly skilled joiner with a fantastic work ethic and a great sense of humour. Having commenced employment with Groundlevel in 2010, Pete was a highly valued, well respected and popular member of the team and will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues at Groundlevel.

Rathbones in Speke award their grounds maintenance contract to Groundlevel as a direct result of positive recommendation from our client at Langtree. Our cleaning department has secured new business at Liberty Place in Great Sankey for Property Management company, RMG.

As the schools broke for their summer holiday period, Groundlevel quickly got to work, with a full order book in this area of the business. Many local schools returned to Groundlevel with instructions on substantial projects works, including Broomfields Juniors, Heyes Lane Primary School and The Cobbs. The scope of works’ range from resurfacing and paving works, to car park line marking, to the provision of an outdoor classroom and play area.

Orders have also been received from new schools clients including Lowton West for whom we are delighted to be undertaking various external project works, and hope that our quality of work will lead to a developing relationship with these clients.

July 2013 News

We are delighted to have received the following feedback from one of our clients in July:-

“From the moment the Groundlevel team of Chris Moore and Matt Wright arrived I was impressed with their attention to detail, ensuring that all carpets in our communal stair were protected. They were very careful in their approach to the works, ensuring that we were kept informed of progress and developments at all times. I was also extremely impressed with the quality of their work.

The team that completed the work in the bathroom, tiling and finishes etc of Rob Haynes and Pete Burton continued to complement our impressions of Groundlevel. Finally on completion of the works, we received very good service from Rob Paton, ensuring that we were satisfied with the works completed and that the very minor snag we had identified was rectified promptly and to our satisfaction and that we understood and agreed with the final invoicing.” Grahame Kirsopp, Site Agent, Morgan Sindall Plc.

Bathstore turns to Groundlevel for several installations in the Chester area. Substantial roof and associated insulation works have been awarded to Groundlevel and have commenced at Pownall Court. Trinity Estates also instructs Groundlevel on several redecoration projects including their Kings Wharf and Holly Court developments.

Bradshaw Lane Primary school awards Groundlevel their lottery funded landscape and playground improvements work, and St Philips Primary in Westbrook instructs Groundlevel on further project works.

We are delighted to welcome Matthew Hesketh to our Projects Department as an apprentice Joiner. Straight out of school, Matthew is embracing working life and building good working relationships with his peers. Matthew commences his studies at Warrington Collegiate Institute in September and we look forward to supporting him in his continued development.

Staff successes in July included our building surveyor, Ryan Hirst graduating at Liverpool Cathedral with an MSc in Commercial Building Surveying, and also Zuzanna Pajtasz in our accounts department successfully passed her AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting.

Groundlevel’s summer charity event was a huge success, a great night was had by all, and we were delighted to make a fantastic start to raising funds for Brainwave.

June 2013 News

St Philips school in Westbrook awards playground improvement works to Groundlevel, work is being mobilised ready to commence during the summer holiday period.

Heyes Lane primary school also award work to Groundlevel for the supply and installation of a multi-purpose games area. This project is awarded as a result of the high quality of workmanship recently displayed on other work at this school.

Lowton St Mary’s primary school engages with Groundlevel for their Facilities Management building services package, tailored to meet their bespoke requirements.

Groundlevel was extremely proud to support the fantastic Warrington Under 11’s as they were paraded at Twickenham following their recent success.

Premier Estates instruct Groundlevel to install heightened security doors to 25 entrances at their Imperial Gardens development in Tipton.

May 2013 News

BALI recommends Groundlevel to two significant landscaping projects demonstrating that the business is a key player within the landscaping industry. Langtree have also instructed Groundlevel in major landscaping projects at their Sky Park and Speke Hall locations.

Several redecoration contracts are awarded to Groundlevel by the prestigious Trinity Estates property management company. Trinity Estates also awards Groundlevel the roof remediation works at their Harper Mill development.

RMG instructs Groundlevel on new cleaning contracts.

Groundlevel announces its staff Summer Event, to take place on Friday 5th July. The evening will involve a number of fund raising activities to raise money for Groundlevels Charity of the Year, Brainwave.

2013 Charity of the Year

Brainwave have been named as Groundlevels Charity of the Year for 2013. Brainwave works with families to deliver individual home based therapy for children with disabilities or development delay to reach their full potential. This could be anything from a child feeding themselves or walking, to recognising colours or counting. Brainwave works with children with brain injuries such as Cerebral Palsy, genetic conditions e.g. Down's Syndrome and Autism.

Always striving to support the community, and with a key focus on support the ongoing education and development of young people, Groundlevel is proud to be working to help support the great service that Brainwave provides. We have set ourselves the challenge of raising funds to cover therapy programmes for two children, this is no mean feat and our staff' are already thinking of creative ways to raise money.

April 2013 News

As a direct result of the unprecedented success within the education sector, we have undergone a review of our internal structure. Our education sector clients will benefit from a dedicated team of staff, headed up by Amanda Syverson; all staff employed to work on schools will undergo a CRB check, safeguarding training and regular internal briefings.

We are delighted to announce the recruitment of Angela Beeley as our new Schools Development Manager, returning to Groundlevel after a short return to teaching. Having spent a number of years teaching, Angela is extremely well placed to develop our relationship with school leaders, able to fully understand their requirements and expectations. Joining Groundlevel in May 2013, Angela will be reporting in to Amanda Syverson, HR and Business Development Manager, and the management team will be underpinned by our specialist teams in the grounds, cleaning, window cleaning, reactive, electric and projects departments.

The most recent schools to have joined us in April are Oakwood Primary, and Atherton St Georges for grounds maintenance. We are also delighted that Lowton St Mary’s have expanded their contract with Groundlevel to include total building maintenance as a direct result of the successful delivery of grounds maintenance services to this school. Further, our projects department is busy surveying and quoting for refurbishment works to a number of local schools.

Proud sponsors of Warrington RUFC, Groundlevel are delighted to extend congratulations to the Warrington Under 11’s Lancashire Cup Winners 2013 who are now off to Twickenham on 25th May.

Having progressed through the group stages, the young team defeated Fleetwood 29-0, Manchester 26-0, and Sefton 19-0, before meeting Preston and succeeding 21-0. In a closely fought final, Warrington defeated Waterloo 7-0.

Prestigious Property Management Company, Premier Estates looks to Groundlevel for project works to their City Peak development for the refurbishment of a number of apartments.

Following a successful tender process, Groundlevel secures in excess of £100k of decoration works with valuable client Trinity Estates.

We would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family of Andrew Gee who tragically lost his life in an accident whilst holidaying in Spain. Andrew did some fantastic work on the Groundlevel website and was a friend of the company for a number of years.

Employee Engagement Survey 2013

Since our first survey was conducted in 2012, the business has undergone some major changes and taken strides to improving both as a service provider and an employer. The results of this year's survey reflected the boost in staff morale and also generated some further suggestions for continuous improvement.

Since the 2012 survey, and as a direct result of staff feedback, a number of changes have been made, including the following:-

• Introduction of an appraisal linked bonus scheme, and a review of staff and salary structures
• Social events providing an opportunity for all staff to come together
• Increased training opportunities such as asbestos awareness, first aid, PA1 & PA6, NEBOSH, safeguarding, customer services and more
• Improved communication in the form of regular team meetings, company briefings and monthly newsletters
• New vehicles and equipment have been purchased with a plan to further invest through 2013

It is pleasing to conclude that 77% of staff are satisfied or very satisfied with their working environment compared to 65% in 2012. This suggests that the decision to move our grounds department from their previous location to our head office at Knutsford Road was a positive change for all involved.

88.46% of staff are satisfied or very satisfied with their levels of interaction and communication with their line manager. The same amount of colleagues feel that their line manager is competent in leading and motivating their teams; this is an accolade to our management teams. This compares to 57% in 2012 and demonstrated that our managers are continually striving to develop their relationships with their teams.

In 2012 57% of staff felt that communication was adequate within their teams. The latest survey reports an increase to 88.46% which is extremely pleasing; this result is likely to be a direct result of the introduction of regular newsletters and also increased team meetings across all departments, clearly a huge step in the right direction.

In 2012 only 28.57% of our employees were satisfied with the training and development opportunities available to them. Since then we have become more proactive in encouraging our staff to take advantage of the opportunities to develop and have offered a number of courses including:- safeguarding, first aid, project management, cleaning and hygiene, NEBOSH, asbestos awareness and many more. This has obviously been recognised by the staff with 46.15% now reporting that they are very satisfied in this area.

Team spirit and interaction is important to Groundlevel, and this is reflected in the opinions of those surveyed with no staff being dissatisfied in this area and 92% reporting that they are very satisfied with their relationships with both colleagues and our valuable clients.

There is a lot of positive feedback to take from the 2013 survey, and some fantastic suggestions for further improvement. We are delighted to report that 88.46% of our staff are satisfied or very satisfied with Groundlevel as an employer (compared to 57.14% in 2012). With the engagement of our colleagues, we are confident that we can further improve upon this in the next twelve months.

March 2013 Schools Update - Unprecedented Success for Groundlevel

Due to extraordinary success within the education sector, Groundlevel is proud to announce new contracts with a large number of local schools. Having worked within the education sector for the last few years, Groundlevel has steadily increased its presence in this sector to become a competitive FM provider. Commencing 2013 with a busy portfolio of schools business, this success has far surpassed our expectations and is a fantastic reflection of our dedication to delivering value for money without compromising on quality.

Expanding through our strong reputation for excellence and positive recommendations from existing clients, we are proud to have maintained contracts year-on-year as well as securing new contracts. We are currently offering a diverse spectrum of services to our clients, from grounds maintenance and window cleaning through relief caretaker support to total building maintenance. You can view our schools brochure to read more about the services that we provide.

Working at capacity, we have recently expanded our workforce to accommodate the increasing workloads. We are in the process of further strengthening our platform by revising our management structure to implement a robust structure with a dedicated and highly competent team of professionals, with a key focus on meeting the complex needs of each individual education facility. Our new schools departmental structure will be published on our website in April.

If you would like to apply for our services, we will be delighted to add you to our waiting list. Please contact our customer services department on 01925 269944 or email customerservices@groundlevelservices.co.uk and we will arrange a site visit to discuss your requirements. All service packages are tailored to meet the unique requirements of each client, and we also offer a reactive maintenance service, health and safety consultancy and project management services. 

March 2013 News

Congratulations to all Groundlevel staff within the projects, electrical and reactive departments who have recently undertaken Asbestos Awareness Training; H&S is very important to Groundlevel and we are delighted to support our colleagues in enhancing their awareness in such subjects.

Following our attendance at the Warrington Association of Primary Headteachers conference in January, we are delighted to be engaging with a large number of primary schools in and around the local area. The most recent new contracts come from St Josephs Catholic Primary School in Penketh, and Bradshaw Community Primary School in Grappenhall , both of whom have turned to Groundlevel for grounds maintenance services. We are also delighted to have had the opportunity to present to representatives from schools in Leigh and Bolton at recent events, and are proud to be in talks with a number of schools in these areas to further expand our relationships with the education sector.

As a result of the recent increase in workloads and contracts, we have recruited 6 new staff in March, with 6 more appointed to commence in April. This pattern is expected to continue through the coming months as the business continues to grow. Generating local jobs for local people, we are also committed to recruiting further apprentices in the summer following the success of Lewis Paton and Dan Abram who joined us in summer 2012.

Our projects team continue to work on major reinstatement projects in Warwick and are in the process of mobilising for a substantial conversion project in Lancaster. Additionally, AXA have instructed Groundlevel on the refurbishment of listed building Storey Hall in Lancaster, and restoration works are ongoing at Woodsome Park in Gateacre.

Langtree Contract Award - Major Coup for Groundlevel

Property development and investment company Langtree turns to Groundlevel for Grounds Maintenance services to a number of sites in the North West and Midlands, including their flagship sites. This is a substantial contract award for Groundlevel who are fast becoming a major player in the FM arena.

British Association of Landscape Industries published the announcement of this contract in their news article on 15th March.

You can also see a press release on the Facilities Management Journal website, posted 21st March, and on the FM World contracts digest update on 26th March. Please also view our LinkedIn profile for more information about Groundlevel.

February 2013 News

Project work continues in Warwick where Groundlevel have been instructed on the refurbishment and reinstatement of a number of residential apartments.

Groundlevel is approached by a flagship college in the North West to quote for Grounds Maintenance work. Due to commence soon, this contract will be a substantial addition to our education sector portfolio. Work is also ongoing on the play area to the new Chapelford Village school in Warrington.

HLM engages Groundlevel to provide cleaning services to their sites at Windermere Gardens, Leigh and Reade Close in Flixton.

Groundlevel secures a major contract to develop 4 luxury apartments in Aalborg, Lancaster. This work will be a 16 week project set to commence in March / April and will engage a number of our projects teams applying a wide variety of skill sets.

Please read more about Groundlevel and the services that we can offer to education sector clients in our Company Brochure. Proud to already be working with a number of schools in the North West, we are seeking to expand in this area as well as continually developing our existing relationships.

January 2013 News

Landscaping improvement works continue at Warrington Golf Club as our Grounds and Projects teams come together to produce an extremely and consistently high quality of workmanship. Feedback from the club has been very pleasing and is reflected through the award of additional work.

RMG awards Groundlevel substantial projects and refurbishment work at a number of their apartment developments.

Further to a recent Health and Safety Audit carried out by Mr Des Kelly of RMG, we are pleased to have received excellent feedback, and proud to be providing our clients and staff with first class health and safety systems. RMG report:- “Groundlevel have first class H&S management systems, they have provided excellent documentation, supported by quality evidence, which leaves no doubt about their commitment to the management of health and safety. Groundlevel have provided their 2012 / 13 training matrix, which covers all aspects of their business and further enforces their professional approach to the welfare of their employees. The assessor had a brief conversation with Mr Lewis Nunn, Managing Director, who indicated that his business ethos is based on quality and that he expected total commitment from his employees, in return he provides total commitment to them.”

Our Decoration team wins additional works from the prestigious Trinity Estates for a number of their developments.

Groundlevel is proud to become the new sponsors of Warrington Sports Club; a local business providing employment for local people, we also take a keen interest in our community and relish the opportunity to support this fantastic club that provides sporting opportunities for all.

We are pleased to welcome new staff to the business this month, and have conducted a large number of interviews with a view to further expanding our workforce to accommodate increasing workloads and contracts. This is a pleasing position to be starting 2013 in and we are fortunate to be working with our valued customers to continually develop relationships.

As part of our continual investment in our staff, we have enrolled a number of colleagues on various training courses, including Asbestos Awareness, Prince 2, Cleaning and Environmental and others. We are pleased to offer employees these opportunities to develop themselves and their skills for the benefit of their own development and morale, and for the benefit of our customers and the services that we provide.

Extremely proud of our relationships with the local education sector, we are looking forward to exhibiting at the Warrington Association of Primary Head-teachers’ Annual Conference 2013 in Bowness-on-Windermere. Three members of our senior management team will be in attendance for two days to liaise with our existing clients and also to engage with potential new clients.

Sycamore Lane Primary School looks to Groundlevel to relocate their play equipment to the new Chapelford School, scheduled to open in February 2013. We are excited to be a part of this project and proud to be involved in making the new school play area a fun, safe and aesthetically pleasing place for young people to enjoy.