We’re pleased to confirm the award of a multi-million-pound contract to construct the Aura Innovation Centre at Hessle’s Bridgehead Business Park for the University of Hull, which will mark more than £20m of projects we have delivered in the offshore wind energy sector.

The Aura Innovation Centre will be a purpose-built facility providing businesses with space to collaborate and innovate to deliver low-carbon energy and clean growth. Its aim is to foster innovation and research to address the real challenges faced by the offshore wind and low-carbon energy industries.

Our ventures into the offshore renewables sector began in 2014 when we delivered a new onshore operations base and warehouses for Dong Energy Power (UK) to service its Westermost Rough wind farm. Following this, we delivered five further projects for the same client, which has now rebranded as Ørsted, through both our Major and Minor works divisions on projects throughout the Humber Region. We were also commissioned to undertake a specialist project in the sector in Northern France earlier this year.

Hobson & Porter Managing Director Richard Hunter said: “We’re very excited to have been appointed as the main contractor of this landmark project. The project will be our eighth scheme in the offshore energy sector, which is remarkable considering we have never stepped foot offshore! This is a true reflection of the economic impact the sector is bringing to our region.

“The Aura Innovation Centre will play a huge role in strengthening the region’s reputation as a leader in offshore wind innovation, bringing together the major players in the industry to foster a collaborative and forward-thinking culture in a world-class research facility. But it will also demonstrate the fantastic opportunities available to land-based contractors looking to become involved in the offshore sector.

“The sector has a very exciting future in the Humber region and we want to play our part by working on schemes that contribute positively to this. We are a business which was established in the early 70’s, when the North Sea fishing industries played a huge part in the economic footprint of our area. This relatively new, fast-emerging market is testament to the hard work and collaboration of key decision makers in the region and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Construction of the Aura Innovation Centre is under way, and is expected to be completed next year.

We are delighted to announce we have been awarded a £7.5 million contract for the redevelopment of East Riding Leisure Hornsea.

Work at the site of the leisure centre will commence in the New Year, with a reopening planned for Easter 2020.

The project follows our completion of a number of similar leisure projects, including the refurbishment and extension of East Riding Leisure Haltemprice in Anlaby.

Our redevelopment of the leisure centre includes a complete refurbishment and extension with new facilities including an extended Tone Zone with 60 stations on the first floor overlooking the promenade; a new extended café area; new changing rooms; two new squash courts; and a dedicated Spin and Exercise Studio.

The pool area and changing rooms will also be refurbished.

Hornsea’s library, customer service centre and resource centre will be relocating to the new facility, and there is also provision to relocate the Children’s Centre there.

The project has been part-funded from a £3.77m Coastal Communities Fund awarded to Hornsea and is part of a wider regeneration programme for the sea front.

Hobson & Porter has provided sponsorship towards a Christmas charity project which encourages children to bake cookies in exchange for gift donations.

The Cookie Elf Project is a fun and exciting initiative for the children who take part, a project aimed at inspiring the true spirit of Christmas among children and young people and acknowledging that not all youngsters may be as fortunate as themselves.

In the unique Christmas project, youngsters bake homemade cookies and swap them for wrapped toys and gifts to pass onto local charities.

Hobson & Porter has helped the project by providing certificates, frames and gifts for the elves to exchange. We also worked with Beerhouse Selfdrive who provided vans to help deliver the gifts to local charities across the Humber region.

Now in its third year, Cookie Elves 2018 saw 88 elves aged between three months and 16 years collect a whopping 650 presents – with more still being donated – far surpassing the original target of 300.

Throughout December, elves each baked their own cookies before visiting family, friends and colleagues dressed as Christmas elves to exchange them for gift donations, which were this year used to support seven charitable causes across the Humber region.

Anyone interested in the project can contact the team via the ‘Cookie Elves 2018’ Facebook page or on twitter @cookie_elves