Spring 2015

Estates Staff Newsletter

Contents

Cover Story 1-2 Richard III Reburied – A View from the Side

An Update on Estates Major 2 Projects Centre for Medicine Attenborough Arts

Go Green Week February 2015 2

Fund Raising Events for Charity 3 Brookfield Estates Team Work with HR to Raise £438.58 for Comic Relief Jones 666 Challenge Raises £215 for Comic Relief Andy Smith Mace Bearer Fast Climb up Snowdon for MacMillan Richard III Reburied – A View from Features 4 the Side What’s It like Working in Estates? – A view from the Outside When the University holds an event maintained in the events that involved the the event organiser usually calls upon mortal remains of King Richard III. Administration Apprentice – An Estates staff to help. This spring the Interview with Lorraine Saddington The first major event was the private University held a number of events to coffining ceremony which needed an Are You Able to Offer Someone mark the re-interment of King Richard an Apprenticeship? appropriately dignified location. Tim III, culminating in the highly successfully consulted with the Estates Interiors Team Brookfield Photo Gallery 5 internationally televised ceremony on who found some original drawings for the Sunday 22 March 2015. Wildlife at Brookfield Fielding Johnson Building; these showed Estates staff from across the Division played that the current Council Chamber had once Estates Staff News 6 an essential part in ensuring that all these been a Chapel and would be a suitable New Members of Staff events ran smoothly and that the campus place to conduct the coffining ceremony. looked lovely at a time when the University Andrew Smith from the Interiors Team Fond Farewells was on show to the World. also provided several versions of the CAD Baby News scale drawings so the Planning Team could Deputy Director Tim Yates started working develop the layout for the main ceremony Fun Pages 7-8 with Jon Shears (Head of Creative Services), on Sunday 22 March. Gail Ruddle arranged Gardening Tips – Spring 7 Jim Butler (Events Manager, College of for the manufacture of special cloths and the Gardening Tasks Arts, Humanities and Law) and Jo Wood velvet cushions which would be covered in (University Special Events Manager) in A Competition 8 white roses and lie on the coffin. Members January 2015 to plan the events. He also of our Reactive Maintenance Team, Sonny Caption Competition 8 worked with the Chaplain, the Reverend Gonsalves and Matt Boylan were involved Canon Dr Stephen Foster, to ensure that the in the set-up of the electrical equipment required level of dignity and respect was for the Ceremony, working closely with the

Continued overleaf Continued from overleaf An Update on Estates Major Projects

Centre for Medicine The flagship £42million project to construct a new Centre for Research and Teaching in Medicine is well underway. Although a little behind media teams attending. Sonny also had schedule the outside is nearly complete. The picture taken earlier this month shows the the idea (and privilege) of lowering the windows in place and the external red brick cladding. Once complete the Centre for King’s Standard flying from the roof of the Medicine will be the largest Passivhaus building in the UK. To find out more about the Fielding Johnson Building during the week, building, including the latest news on the project please visit the Centre for Medicine at the exact time that his coffin was laid website www2.le.ac.uk/offices/estates/news/current-projects/ctrmed to rest in the Cathedral on Thursday 26 Expect disruption from 27th April when, to improve road safety for users of the March. area, we start works to the junction of Lancaster Road and University Road. The King Richard III Family Open Day on Saturday 21 March highlighted the Attenborough Arts academic expertise across the University On Friday 6 February there was a Special Ground Breaking Event organised by the with talks given by staff from Archaeology, Development and Alumni Relations Office to mark the work on the project to create a new Engineering, English, History, Geology and Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden as an extension to the existing Richard Attenborough Genetics. It was a tremendous success Building. The event was attended by several important persons including the President and and attended by over 1,000 people. The Vice-Chancellor and the Director of Estates. The highlight of the event was an inspiring quality of the experience would not have speech on arts and inclusiveness from Michael Attenborough, grandson of the late Lord been the same had extra Estates staff not Richard Attenborough who devoted so much time and enthusiasm to the original project. been on hand to check that the areas were clean, safe, accessible and parking was properly controlled. As well as the large Go Green Week February 2015 numbers of people attending the special day, there was ‘business as usual’ with Main campus was an even bigger hub of Sports Centre members needing to park, buzzing activity then normal from 9th - the Library open and coaches for Easter 13th February as students studying the field trips needing to be accommodated Leicester Award pulled off a fantastic safely. array of engaging environmental activities for Go Green Week 2015. Facilitated by King Richard III events finished on Sunday the Environment Team, this annual event 22 March with the coffin leaving the involves months of planning with the aim University. Three of our Porters Nathan of shedding light on our sustainability Gent, Tony Price and Andy Smith (who goals as a university and also as individuals. carried the University Mace) played key roles in the Ceremony which was watched This was a brilliant opportunity for students to learn valuable transferable skills and by millions on television. The event was take charge of a project, but as the Go Green Week schedule shows, it wasn’t just for covered live by Sky News and BBC News students. and by Channel 4 who had exclusive Meat-Free Monday was about encouraging everyone to buy more local produce and filming rights following on from their buy meat less to reduce your carbon footprint. Free fruit and veg were handed out original coverage of the Car Park Dig. and it was a great example of eating cheaply, healthily and in a more environmentally More than 1,500 people attended on the friendly manner. Travel Tuesday hosted Dr Bike on campus for anyone to give their 22 and our Security Team were on hand bike a free pick-me-up and the Security Team did a wonderful job selling D-Locks. to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience On Waste-Not Wednesday the University was visited by BBC Radio Leicester to play for all. Despite the numbers of people the giant upcycled games set out in the ARC. At the same time the university’s waste on campus on Saturday and Sunday the contractors, Wastecycle, were downstairs on their stall with lots of information and outside areas looked splendid thanks to prizes to be won. Switch-Off Thursday had students demonstrating how much energy it the efforts of our Litter Picker, Stuart Abel. takes to power simple appliances through a kindly borrowed spin bike from the Sports The Richard III events showed an estates Centre. It was also a great opportunity to shout about the new Centre for Medicine team effort at its best with everyone project as a prime example of the University’s commitment to sustainable development involved going the extra mile to keep it and the largest Passivhaus building in the UK. Finally, Impact Friday rounded off the special for all. It was a prime example week by having the Environmental Action Society and Hungry For Change food of how we fulfil our motto “enabling growing project advertise their activities in the Student’s Union. With both groups more success”. than happy to have staff involved, there’s never been a better time to do so! Contributed by Sarah Roberts Contributed by Tim Yates

2 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER Fund Raising Events for Charity

Many estates staff are ‘game-for-a-laugh’ and happy to contribute to Charity fundraising events. We have had some great examples from across the Division – where teams have got together to collaborate and make loads of dough – sometimes literally.

Brookfield Estates Team work with HR to raise £438.58 for Comic Relief On Friday 13 March 2015 staff from Human Resources and Estates combined in a number of fun and team building events to raise money for Comic Relief. These included: Dress Down Friday, Pick- a-Nose, Comic Relief Raffle and the The Great Brookfield Bake Off. The picture shows the winner with his cake and coveted prize and the two judges Paul ‘scouser’ Hollywood and Mary ‘anonymous superstar’ Berry. The day was enjoyed by all who took part and so far has raised the princely sum of £438.58; special thanks are due to all who baked, bought and dressed funny for money. An extra special thanks to Lisa Booker (Estates) and Clare Haynes (Human Resources) for all their efforts in organising the events and to the Directors of Estates and Human Resources for risking their trim figures see photo by agreeing to judge the bake off competition.

Jones 666 Challenge raises £215 for Comic Relief Four members of our professional team agreed to eat themselves silly; facing a challenge of 6 sausages, 6 pieces of bacon, 6 eggs, 6 hash brownies, 6 pieces of fried bread and 6 American style pancakes they managed to eat the whole fry up inside 30 minutes. Although I understand that the pancakes were a disappointment and not completed. Pictured from top left clockwise Phil (Waste) Simon (Fire Systems), Chris (Electrical) and Chrispal (Energy). There are a few members of the Estates Team in the background pretending not to know them. The ‘lads’ achieved sponsorship for this foolhardy feat raising £150 which was added to the £15 each they donated to the cause.

Fast Climb up Snowdon for MacMillan On Sunday 22 March 2015, Jon Clements from the Development Team did a sponsored fast walk up and down Mount Snowdon (4 hours and 38 minutes in total) to raise £160 for the MacMillan Cancer Nurses. Jon didn’t need to prove to us that he’d done it with the photo, his limping gait on Monday 23 was sufficient evidence. Maths and English classes coming to University of Leicester’s Estates and Facilities Management Division in June 2015 Do you want to:- • Develop your skills to improve your confidence at work? • Apply for promotion? • Support your children with their learning? • Achieve an accredited qualification in Maths or English? These courses are FREE to all members of Estates Division Staff to find out more please contact Michelle Munday – Estates Training Manager, Ext: 1377, Email: [email protected]

ESTATES STAFF NEWSLETTER ·SPRING 2015 3 Features What’s It like Working in Estates? – A View from Outside

I’m an IT Services Senior Project Manager seconded to Estates in order to help a fascinating insight into the operation with the technical and data aspects to Estates projects and services. I’ve worked of an Estates department. If you’d asked in IT for over 35 years and been involved in all kinds of industries from logistics me before I started about what such a to broadcasting, public transport, banking and local government. However, department did, I would have picked this is the first time I’ve worked in a construction and buildings management the obvious things, like buildings and environment, so the first thing I had to learn is a whole new language! maintenance, without really thinking about Every job has its jargon and TLAs (Three rubs and nosing all have new meanings for the detail behind that, such as asbestos Letter Acronyms) but I can’t believe how me now! And some terms, although similar, management, demands for extra space, many new ones I’ve learned in the last have very different meanings for IT and for managing alarms etc. I certainly wouldn’t nine months! For instance, what’s known Estates – such as a “switch”. At least they have considered those key services that in the IT world as a PCR translates into haven’t sent me out for any elbow grease unobtrusively keep the University running, construction-language as a COR – well yet… such as portering, cleaning, security and obviously! And never before had I needed On the flipside, my Estates project post. I’ve learned more about access to consider the impact of a TPO on the colleagues have challenged me to explain control, building management systems ability to get a data network connection tech and IT terms such as bandwidth (“it’s and CCTV than I ever thought there was into a building! M&E consultant? What’s like the M1 versus a B road”) and I’ve to know, and I even understand what a one of those? FFE, FFL, EOT and SVP? drawn several diagrams to explain what an Quantity Surveyor does now! LADs?? And I’ve learned that PPI is not the IT switch does and why it’s not a good idea But the very best thing of all about working thing that you get nuisance calls about, to bung a wireless access point in a corner in Estates is how genuinely welcoming, and FFFF is possibly the most important or an IT comms cabinet in a kitchen. acronym to know … (best for the faint- friendly and helpful everyone has been hearted not to ask too many questions On a serious note, one of the things I’ve to the “imposter from IT” making this a always loved most about my work is about that last one!) very pleasant place to work. Oh, and the finding out about how other industries Director also supports Liverpool FC! Alongside the TLAs there has been other and disciplines operate, their challenges new vocabulary too – gob, snots, frogs, and successes, and this has certainly been Contributed by Carol Messenger

Administration Apprentice – An Interview with Lorraine Saddington Hi Lorraine, I hear you’re going to be employing an Admin Apprentice.

What made you decide on this? is being studied. The combination of and we cover such a wide variety of areas I wanted to provide someone with the modules undertaken by the apprentice of work. This will allow us to develop same opportunity that I was provided helps to determine the duration of the the apprentice to have a broad range of apprenticeship. So we need to find the skills suitable for a modern workplace. with many years ago – an office junior right work to fulfil the requirements of the Ultimately, I hope that the apprentice role. We have sufficient skills and module, and utilise the existing skill set of might gain employment at the University knowledge in the Operations Team to the apprentice and support them in the at the end of the apprenticeship. be able to support an apprentice and areas that they find hard to learn. more than enough work to keep them Contributed by Lisa Booker busy. I have been fortunate to see how What duties do you see them the electrical apprentices in Reactive undertaking? Maintenance have developed and We can offer a variety of tasks: record Are You Able to offer Someone this has made me confident that we keeping, arranging meetings and taking an Apprenticeship? will be successful with a business and minutes, analysing data, ordering and The success of our Reactive administration apprentice. invoicing, involvement in business Maintenance apprentices encouraged planning and objective setting, assisting How long will the apprenticeship Lorraine Saddington to offer an with recruitment, fact finding and using last? apprenticeship in Administration. different IT packages. If you are interested in finding out An apprenticeship of this type usually more about the Estates Apprentice lasts about 14 months. To complete an How do you think EFMD will be Scheme, please contact Estates able to support the candidate with apprenticeship it is necessary to achieve Training Manager, Michelle Munday their career goals? a set number of credits which are earned on extension: 1377 or by completing study modules which To work in Estates is a fantastic via email: [email protected] vary in credit value according to what opportunity – no two days are the same

4 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER Brookfield Photo Gallery

More than 30 members of the Estates Team are based in Mallard House Brookfield. The Brookfield Estate is a beautiful place to work that is visited by and home to a wide range of wildlife.

Wildlife at Brookfield The majority of the Estates Office based staff are located at the Brookfield site on London Road. This beautiful separate campus has proved a haven for wildlife. (Pictures courtesy of Kirsty Bayliss and Andrew Smith).

ESTATES STAFF NEWSLETTER ·SPRING 2015 5 Estates Staff New Members of Staff Estates are pleased to welcome the following new members of staff to the team.

Neil Brown, Joiner for Reactive Maintenance Maria De Blasio, Neil has previously worked for Leicester College and EE Smith. He Concierge for the Post his married with 2 girls aged 3 and 4 years. Neil’s hobbies include Graduate Teaching football, fishing and golf. Interview by Priti Makadia Centre Maria joins us from Leicester Race Course where she worked in hospitality for 6 years. Maria’s hobbies include going out with her mates, eating and shopping. She is currently living with her mum and dad whilst her dad, who is a builder, renovates her new house.

James Geddes, Asbestos Officer James is from Derbyshire, he has worked in asbestos since 2007 and started his career at Derbyshire County Council; he joins us Tom Crabbe, Reactive Maintenance from a private Health & Safety Manager Consultancy. James lives with his Tom’s first job was as a soldier; he joined the Army at the age girlfriend in Derbyshire and his of 16 and stayed for 14 years. During this time he travelled hobbies include climbing (he hopes extensively and was involved in peace keeping operations, to graduate to outdoor climbing humanitarian relief work as well as combat operations. One later this year) and going on skiing role in particular was working closely with the Department for holidays where he is a devil on International Development, US State Department and UK FCO those black runs! in identifying areas of Northern Afghanistan which would invite oversees investment in the mining of natural resources. Tom was Jurate Lukosiene, a Police Officer for four years before deciding to take up a job Gardener in Facilities Management at Loughborough University and then Jurate is originally from Lithuania progressing his FM career in the private sector. Tom is married and has a grown up daughter. She and has two young sons. He enjoys spending time with his family, joins us from Leicester City Council playing and watching Rugby and socialising with his local Rugby where she was an apprentice club. Interview by Priti Makadia. completing an NVQ in horticulture. Jurate will be a member of the main campus team, her hobbies include knitting, gardening, cooking, reading and spending quality time with her family.

Simon Skidmore, Life Systems Officer Simon is from Burbage and has been working with the University as a consultant for a while, he has recently been appointed as a permanent member of the Estates Team. Simon’s first career was in the armed forces, he joined the Navy at 16, he has also worked for most of the big Fire Systems companies and was once a member of the maintenance team at de Montfort University.

6 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER Fond Farewells

Since Christmas the Estates Division has said say farewell to a number of team members who between them had worked for the University for nearly 90 years!

Phil Ball – Waste Manager left after 6 years to join one of our commercial suppliers.

Gardening Tips – Spring Gardening Tasks Contributed by our Gardens Manager, Jamie Whitehouse • Plant new trees, hedges, climbers and roses • Place orders for summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias, canna and eucomis. • Prune large-flowered clematis. • Start to prune roses, removing dead, damaged or diseased Steve Rees – Head of Reactive Maintenance left after 21 years stems. in the Estates Division to become a specialist consultant.

• Divide large clumps of hostas before their leaves start to grow. Dig the clump up, then use a spade to slice your clump into several sections, replanting them at their original level.

• With so much fresh, tender growth around, slugs and snails are in their element. Deal with them now before your plants disappear before your eyes.

• Before your garden begins to break into growth, take a last look at its winter profile. Now is the perfect time to add plants with winter interest, such as berries or bark, for next Pushpa Varia – Cleaner retired after 35 years of continuous year. service at the University. • Get your plant supports in before your perennials start to grow, this way your supports will be covered before your plants are performing at full tilt.

• Prune back the stems of dogwoods, willows and buddleias to produce fresh new growth. • Order onion sets, shallots and seed potatoes. • Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries back to ground level. • Prune fruit trees, removing dead, damaged or diseased branches. Barbara Wright – Estates Departmental Manager left the University after 26 years to join the University of Oxford to work • Keep feeding the birds. as Departmental Manager for the Estates Team. Barbara joined • Feed all your fruit trees, canes and bushes with a sprinkling of the University of Leicester to work in the Department of History sulphate of potash. before moving on to work in the Vice-Chancellors Office and then Managing the Estates Administration Team. • Cover rhubarb with forcing buckets or jars to encourage long, tender stalks.

Baby News Several team members have become new parents or added to their existing tribes. Many congratulations to Lizzy Crawford and Matthew Antill (Henry Charles Crawford Antill, born 12 January), Matt Flint (Phoebe Jane Flint, born 12 March ), Laurence Perkins (Albert Edward Perkins, born 17 March), Daniel Grey (Harrison Grey, born 17 March).

ESTATES STAFF NEWSLETTER ·SPRING 2015 7 £20 Gift A Neighbours voucher Caption Competition Competition And finally can you think of a suitable caption for this work by our new resident artist in Contributed by Debbie Swatland the Zone3 portering team, Megan McMullen. Not many of you will know this about me Caption...... but I have been a Neighbours fan for 30 years. They celebrate their 30th Anniversary this year and it is rumoured that Charlene () and Scott () are going to make a guest appearance. Kylie Minogue first appeared in April 1986 and starred as Charlene until July 1988. We all know what happened to her after that. So it only seemed right that the Spring Issue of the Estates Newsletter should have a competition about Neighbours!!! I have never been to Australia where Neighbours is filmed but it is on my bucket list!

Please circle the answers and return the completed form to me Debbie Swatland, at the Security Lodge.

1. What is the name of the street where “Neighbours” is set? a. b. Scully Street 5. What was the nickname of Louise Carpenter? 9. Number 30, Ramsey Street was given a nickname c. Robinson Street a. Lulu by its residents – Toadie, Stuart and Connor. What was the nickname? d. Kennedy Street b. Lila a. The House of Trouser c. Lou 2. With which character did Dr b. The House for Boys have a relationship when his marriage to Susan d. Lolly c. The Boys House fell apart? 6. Which member of the Kennedy family left d. Trousers’ House a. Sky Mangel to move to London with his b. Janelle Timmons girlfriend Cat? 10. How did lose her memory? c. Izzy Hoyland a. Billy a. She fell out of bed and hit her head d. Lyn Scully b. Karl b. She was involved in a car accident c. Libby c. She slipped on some milk and hit her head 3. What was the name of Paul and Christina Robinson’s baby? d. Malcolm d. She was injured during a fight a. Philip 7. Which character returned to the Street to make For your chance to win a £20 gift voucher b. Peter a documentary, a storyline that coincided with please fill in your contact details and send c. Andrew the 20th Anniversary of “Neighbours”? the completed page to Debbie Swatland. d. Jonathan a. Sarah Beaumont b. Annalise Hartman Name...... 4. Which member of the Scully family did Max c. Department...... Hoyland marry? d. Felicity Scully ...... a. Felicity b. Stephanie 8. Sky and Toby Mangel are cousins. Contact Details...... c. Lyn a. True ...... d. Michelle b. False

Acknowledgments Special thanks to Phil Rimmer and Kirsty Bayliss for supplying many of the photographs.

For more information

Karen Bignold t: +44 (0) 116 229 7904 Estates and Facilities Management Division, e: [email protected] University Road w: www.le.ac.uk/estates University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK @uniofleicester /uniofleicester

© University of Leicester 8516_04/15

8 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER