Hobson & Porter shows pupils around the construction of new school kitchen

Pupils at Driffield C of E Infant School were treated to a tour of a construction site as Hobson & Porter extends the school’s kitchen over the Summer holidays.

Before breaking off for six weeks, the pupils were given the chance to see the construction process and learn about the day-to-day work of the site staff.

Commissioned by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the project involves the expansion to a single storey, traditional build with concrete brickwork. The project also included the installation of a flat single ply roof and various M&E modifications with works to the ventilation mains including water and gas. Some external works have also been carried out which included works to footpaths and access routes.

The students got a hands-on experience of being on site and were dressed in PPE. We used the opportunity to give them the chance to gain an insight from an early age about construction and spark an interest in the industry.

We’re delighted to be involved in a project which helps to inspire children to think about jobs in the construction industry. Hobson & Porter continues to look at opportunities where we can bridge that skills gap – with inspiration through education being an important part of this process.

Mrs Reigns, a teacher from Driffield C of E infant school said: “The children thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and some of them have taken a real interest in the work the Hobson & Porter team is doing.”

The work is set to be completed in August, well before the pupils return in September.

Congratulations to our Apprentice Charlie

Charlie Walsh has made a hugely impressive start at Hobson & Porter, winning two awards at Hull College’s School of Construction and Green Energy Skills Annual Awards 2016 – after just over one month with the company.

The  bricklayer joined us in May of this year, while working towards a Level 1 in Bricklaying at Hull College, with Level 2 scheduled to begin in September. His experience of the company began with work on the Hull Dry Dock site, which comprises the construction of new office buildings and associated work to enhance the surrounding environment. He began gaining crucial work experience by shadowing staff from Hobson & Porter and subcontractors.

Since then, Charlie has benefited from the expert support and supervision of Pauline Steele, our Employment and Skills Co-ordinator. Pauline attended the award ceremony with Charlie at Hull College on Monday 13th June, along with 200 students, parents, employers and other guests, at the CITB Construction Building on Queen’s Gardens.

Charlie was the proud recipient of:

  • Most Outstanding Student on a Full-time Level 1 Bricklaying Course
  • The Walter Dickinson Memorial Award, presented to the most outstanding student overall

Speaking of Charlie’s progress with Hobson & Porter, Pauline said: “We are delighted with how far Charlie has come already, having only joined us in May. It is testament to his dedication, talent and hard work that he is progressing so well and is a worthy recipient of these two awards. If he keeps this up, he can look forward to completing his apprenticeship with flying colours and starting a long and successful career in construction.

“At Hobson & Porter, we constantly have one eye on the future of the industry, and actively encourage the development of young people through our apprenticeship scheme.”

Next for Charlie, is helping Hobson & Porter to deliver a scheme to build a new LIDL store on Hedon Road in Hull. The project includes a range of internal and external works all of which Charlie will be getting involved with.

The main construction will consist of ground works, brick and block work, underground drainage works (including the installation of a water attenuation tank), drainage connection works and the installation of cold water supplies. Work will also include floor slabbing, construction of a new loading bay, roofing works and installation works in respect of Alucobond cladding and a window and door system.

Charlie had the following to say on his time with Hobson & Porter:

“Being kept on at Hobson & Porter after completing my work experience with them was one of the best things that could have happened for me”

“Working at Hobson & Porter is absolutely amazing, I get along well with everyone and everyone is very supportive.”

“It is really brilliant working here, I help the team and the team help me.”

Hobson & Porter at Teen Tech 2016

Hobson & Porter recently took part in the Hull Teen Tech 2016 Event at the KC Stadium for the fourth year in a row.

Teen Tech hosts lively one-day events to inspire young teenagers to seek a career in science, engineering and technology.

The scheme is an award-winning, industry-led initiative to help the younger generation understand their true potential, and the real opportunities available in the contemporary workplace. The scheme aims to combat the shortages in skills within these industries by inspiring and educating young people before they choose what to study at university.

The events take place in venues across the country, and host over 300 pupils from 30 different contributing schools, who benefit from the hands-on exhibits and challenges lead by leading organisations.

The day consisted of many local schools and companies from Hull, with a variety of different interactive activities for them to take part in, all relating to technology, maths and construction. We put on an interactive workshop for the students, which put a fun spin on maths and engineering.

The students were dressed in hard-hats and high-vis vests, with a Site Manager role on each team in order to make the activity feel as real as possible. The students had to initially guess the distance of targets located throughout the stadium, before using a theodolite to accurately measure these distances, the team who guessed the closest their activity sheet won a prize.

Our Employment and Skills Coordinator, Pauline Steele said: “The event was a great success – it is fantastic to see the students so enthusiastic about maths within construction and we are really looking forward to attending next year.

“Hobson & Porter is dedicated to doing its part to encourage young people to take up careers in the construction industry and make them realise how incredibly rewarding working in the construction industry is.”

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Hobson & Porter Take on Tough Mudder for the Third Year Running

Hobson & Porter team members will once again be taking on the challenge of Tough Mudder, a 20kilometer course of rolling hills, dark woodlands, deep bogs and thick swamp-like mud, complete with over 20 obstacles.

Hobson & Porter have previously completed the course twice, and have also taken part in other challenging activities, such as the Hull 10k.

The team have been doing some run training together in preparation for the race, and plan to tackle some different events together in future years. It is a great team building exercise for everyone involved in.

Phil Broadley who is part of the Hobson & Porter Tough Mudder team said: “The team are very excited to take part in this year’s challenge, there is so much comradery involved and it is such good fun.

“The obstacle I am least looking forward to would definitely be the electrocuting wires that you have to run through! – I don’t mind the ice baths though.”

We want to wish the Hobson & Porter Tough Mudder team the best of luck with their race!

 

 

 

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Farm in a box project will transform Hull’s derelict spaces into community enterprise

A unique micro agriculture enterprise in the heart of the Hull is set to turn unused land into a community project and poverty solution.  

Rooted, which has launched a city farm at land on St Peter Street, is a revolution in urban agriculture, a concept based on “a farm in a box”, which is transforming currently vacant land into a unique micro agriculture enterprise in the heart of the city.

Rooted is a not-for-profit organisation that is working to turn future development sites into unique community service locations, with an emphasis on urban farming. 

The concept behind the organisation is to educate communities on some of the causes and solutions to poverty, and create a community space for growing their own fruit and vegetables, rearing livestock, and teaching residents about food, farming and nutrition.

Co-director of the project, Adrian Fisher said: “We are creating a new approach to urban agriculture and are really keen to implement the most innovative ways to grow fresh produce.

“We have been working on the project for over three years, it has involved a lot of research and debate over the location, so we are extremely happy to bring it to Hull.

“We hope that the Rooted project will really lift people’s aspirations within the city, it was important to us to make the project relatable to the community and let them see it.

“The project is unique in the sense that we have an ‘open source policy’ – we pass on and receive information to and from all sectors of the community.”

The purpose of the Rooted in Hull project is to support and make improvements in physical and mental health, through knowledge and experience of food, particularly those affected by poverty. The project also helps to build employment skills and improve the city environment. 

An essential and beneficial aspect of the project is that it is structurally mobile and self-sufficient, allowing it to make the most of developments in the area in the time that they are vacant. 

The project will have solar panels and other renewable energy to maximise power and sustainability. The main structures for the project will be based on container architecture, eventually housing a café, shop, toilets and a multipurpose room.
Containers on site will also incorporate modern and innovative growing and food processing facilities such as LED growing, a mushroom house, aquaponics, a micro mill and a bakery. 

Richard Speake, general manager at Humber Galvanizing said, “It’s great to finally see the project up and running after being in preparation for so long.

“The project is for such a great cause and we are all excited to see how the project the progresses moving forward.”

Hull-based family-run construction firm Hobson and Porter have pledged their support in terms of clearing the land and providing raw materials to help Rooted in Hull begin its formation. 

As part of its commitment to the YORbuild2 framework, Hobson and Porter agreed to help turn Rooted’s first site in the centre of Hull into a hive of urban-farming activity. The land has in turn been provided by Humber Galvanizing, until it decides to develop the land. 

Hobson and Porter’s business development director, David Blades, said the firm is pleased to be part of the scheme: ‘’We are particularly proud to be involved in such a positive project for the city.

‘’As a Hull-based business, we recognise we can play our part in supporting communities in the region and through this initiative we will see a unique environment moving across the city centre while educating and improving the lives of residents.”

YORbuild2 framework supports economic regeneration across the Yorkshire and Humber region. The 4 Good Fund is part of the framework’s integrated management strategy to deliver its core work streams: employment and skills, social and economic regeneration, environment and sustainability. 

Fergus Aitken from the YORhub 4 Good Fund scheme, said: ‘’A city-farm is exactly the kind of project we seek to support at the 4 Good Fund scheme, we are happy to be involved in such a great project for the city of Hull

“A city-farm in Hull will provide economic and social development in an area that really needs it.”
 

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