Hobson & Porter has commenced work on the new Beverley Parklands Yorkare Home site, just off Hull Road.

The project is a 70-bed care facility with a separate care unit for nursing, residential care and two smaller dementia care units, on a 1.3-acre site.

The client, Yorkare Homes Ltd, is an award-winning care homes provider, which recently won the prestigious Pinders Healthcare Design Award for the best new care home 2015 in the UK, for its Magdalen care home in Hedon.

Yorkare Homes aims to provide an individual care package that promotes dignity, independence and varied support in an environment suited to each of its resident’s needs.

The Beverley Parklands site is a three-storey purpose-built facility that will have outside access to all floors, including two separate formal gardens to the rear of the property and an internal roof garden on the second floor.

The site will also include an in-house pub, shop and a hair and beauty spa. Future residents of Beverley Parklands Care Home will have a range of premium en-suite bedrooms to choose from, with bedrooms ranging from 16-24sqm and a 45sqm apartment.

Yorkare is incredibly unique, and offers an extensive variety of facilities ranging from specialist dementia care to an in-house cinema. David Blades Director at Hobson & Porter said: “We are thrilled to have been chosen as the preferred construction partner on this project which has come just as another one of our projects for Yorkare in Cleethorpes is nearing completion.

“Yorkare Homes has a reputation of creating fantastic facilities in the region and we are delighted that it has chosen a local contractor to complete these works. Hobson & Porter is proud to work in projects which benefit not only businesses and organisations in the region, but the local community as well.”

We were absolutely delighted to have the BBC film at one of our live construction sites in Yorkshire yesterday (Thursday 18^th August)

The five minute interview was conducted live and broadcast nationwide on BBC News 24, as well as being featured on a number of regional BBC Look North bulletins throughout the day.

Sarah Corker, Business reporter from the BBC, visited our site at the Ozone Business Park in Howden where we are currently constructing a new office and distribution facility for The Horncastle Group.

The BBC team came to interview Andrew Horncastle, local business leader and owner of The Horncastle Group, about the impact the Brexit vote has had upon the leading property development group. Andrew explained that he sees a wealth of opportunity following Brexit;

“Well for us it is very much business as usual, we remain positive and optimistic about the outlook for the UK”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrpbP6p7jBw&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrpbP6p7jBw&feature=youtu.be

Our project at Ozone is currently nearing completion and will hand over to The Horncastle Group in the Autumn.

We have recently completed the stunning extension to the Premier Inn Hotel which is located on Ferriby Road in Hessle.

The extended Premier Inn borders the beautiful Country Park in Hessle, offering guests a quiet country stay with quick access to the city centre. Some of the new rooms completed in the project have fantastic views overlooking Hull’s iconic Humber Bridge.

The extension is attached to the Home Farm Restaurant, a place where guests and visitors can enjoy freshly cooked pub classics with a view, and an outdoor kids play zone.

The extension works started in November of last year and was successfully completed in just 22 weeks. The build is a new timber frame, 21-bedroom extension, with associate external hard and soft landscaping for our client, Whitbread PLC.

Guests are now enjoying these new rooms and we are looking forward to working with Whitbread PLC again in the future to create more stunning leisure locations.

We are pleased to see that Aaron Wilson has made a great start on his two-week work experience with Hobson & Porter, gaining invaluable experience on one of our live projects.

Aaron is enjoying some hands on experience working with our minor works team on the ERYC’s ‘Structural Repair and Planned Maintenance Housing Referral Scheme,’ and is currently working on a property in South Cave.

The project is already proving the perfect opportunity for Aaron to experience what it is like to work within the construction industry as it consists of lots of different types of construction works, giving him a great foundation of skills to start from.

Aaron is being exposed to refurbishment works which include repairs to doors, floors and walls, works to kitchens and bathrooms and some external restoration works all with the aim to bring properties back to a good living standard.

The two-week work experience placement is setting up Aaron with as many skills as possible before he goes on to further his career later on in the year.

Aaron said, “Working here is brilliant and I am working with a great bunch of lads.

“So far I have been working on skirting’s and fixtures and fittings in the kitchen. It’s really good because the guy’s im working with at Hobson & Porter let me get on with the work and give me guidance throughout, then check what I have done, so I have already learned a lot and can see myself improving.”

We are glad to see someone so enthusiastic about a career in construction and enjoying their experience as part of the Hobson & Porter team!

A construction project for one of the UK’s largest independent aluminium suppliers has just been successfully completed by a Hull-based firm.

Hobson & Porter contractors has handed over the £4m project for the Eltherington Group Ltd, on the former Seven Seas factory site on Hedon Road, as part of Eltherington Group’s expansion plan. The growth of the factory will result in the creation of more than 20 new jobs.

Work for the project started in February this year, consisting of a 7,800m squared extension to the existing factory on the 11-acre site. As a result, Eltherington’s home of 55 years in Dansom Lane South will be sold.

Hobson & Porter continues to pride itself in working with and building long standing relationships with some of the region’s largest businesses – having worked with the likes of Dong Energy Power (UK), JZ Flowers and Smith & Nephew in the past.

The entire project was completed with local skills and expertise. The architects involved with this project, Hull-based Alan Woods and Partners, continues to have a longstanding relationship with Hobson & Porter.
The construction firm has also worked closely with Eltherington Group for a number of years, working on major and minor works, including the construction of a new window factory on Dansom Lane South.

Construction throughout the project has varied due to Eltherington Group’s wish to redevelop part of the former Seven Seas Factory and create an extension on the site as well. As part of this, the 1930s design of the factory will be retained.

Mark Smee, Directors at Hobson & Porter, said: “The completion of Eltherington’s new site marks the start of an exciting new era for its business, which will be a boost for the local economy. On top of this, it is fantastic that the construction of this new facility has been completed locally using our locally-based skilled labourers. Our relationship with Eltherington Group continues to be strong and we are delighted to be the chosen contractor of choice again.

“At Hobson & Porter, we are pleased to play such a significant role in providing infrastructure that will help companies expand and flourish, resulting in the creation of new jobs and further business in the region.”

Eltherington Group Ltd is one of the UK’s largest independent aluminium companies, and the leading supplier of architectural aluminium and bespoke manufacturing services to the architectural, construction, caravan, portable and modular building sectors, and stockholding.

The business was originally founded in 1960 in Hull, and has developed and grown to employ over 200 staff and achieve a £26 million turnover.

Managing Director, Antony Eltherington said: “Moving to the Seven Seas Factory and significantly extending the property gives us huge scope for growth for the next period of our business.

“We are continually developing new systems and solutions which, combined with our exceptional team of staff, means we have outgrown our existing premises.”

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.

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 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.”

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!

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.”