B.U.D.I.E.S. training for good mental health
Millions of people every day face the reality of living with a mental health illness – an illness that others may not see, know about or understand. Whether it’s anxiety, stress, depression or low moods, to illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar or Alzheimer’s, these conditions can have a dramatic effect on a person’s life.
At Joseph Ash Galvanizing we believe we have a duty of care and a moral obligation to our employees to help them have good mental health, especially as the workplace – regardless of industry or type – can sometimes be a place of additional stress or anxiety.
The Mental Health Foundation says: “We believe in workplaces where everyone can thrive. We also believe in the role of employers, employees and businesses in creating thriving communities.”
We believe in this too, and it’s why we have recently engaged in B.U.D.I.E.S training for good mental health.
The Mental Wellbeing B.U.D.I.E.S. virtual classroom is a one-hour programme to initiate mental health support in the workplace. The virtual classroom course is helping to give our staff the listening skills and B.U.D.I.E.S. framework to support their colleagues throughout the year.
The B.U.D.I.E.S framework focuses on:
B – Build a helping relationship
U – Understand
D – Determine if your colleague is in crisis
I – Inform about self-help
E – Encourage professional help
S – Safety at all times
The course stresses the importance of listening skills and how to deal with a crisis. It also encourages people to have ‘Wellbeing B.U.D.I.E.S.’ at work – someone to talk to if you’re in need of a friendly ear.
Before COVID, we were due to complete some Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses, but as these were going to be face-to-face, we’re pleased to have found an alternative in the B.U.D.I.E.S. virtual classroom.
A number of our team have already taken the B.U.D.I.E.S. training, and we have two more sessions scheduled for this week.
Later this year, we will complete the MHFA training and we’ll also provide colleagues with full contact details for support including:
- Their local BUDIE (telephone, email, Whatsapp)
- Contact details for our Employee Assistance Programme
- Local support networks
The Mental Health Foundation says: “Mental health is something we all have. When we enjoy good mental health, we have a sense of purpose and direction, the energy to do the things we want to do, and the ability to deal with the challenges that happen in our lives.”
At Joseph Ash Galvanizing we aim to promote good mental health, and foster purpose, direction and the ability to successfully navigate through life.
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Many of our team members across Joseph Ash Galvanizing and Premier Galvanizing have recently hit amazing long-time-service milestones. Please join us in celebrating their anniversaries:
Danyal Akhtar – Joseph Ash Group, 15 years’ service
Dan joined us in 2015 just before the move to our new Head Office premises. He has become an important valuable member of the IT team and always does his best in his role. The company IT user base are very thankful for his calm and patient resolve when helping them resolve their IT issues.
Zoe Chapman – Joseph Ash Walsall, 10 years’ service
Zoe joined Joseph Ash in 2010 on a part time basis as a sales assistant and carried out prospecting for the MRS part of the business. Zoe has grown within her role over the past 10 years to become the team leader of internal sales for the division. Zoe carries out her role with the upmost enthusiasm daily and has become an integral part of the sales team at the Walsall division. Zoe has developed an excellent knowledge base and successfully leads the internal team with a passion to ensure the job is always done to the highest standard.
Paul Hudson – Joseph Ash Walsall, 25 years’ service
Paul joined Arkinstall Galvanising in March 1995 as a Production Manager before progressing into sales. With the acquisition of their MRS business by Joseph Ash in December 2013, Paul transferred over to the Walsall plant as our Sales Manager. Having worked within the industry for 25 years, bringing a wealth of experience with him, it’s no surprise that he now leads the sales team at Walsall – who have been absolutely instrumental in the success of the Walsall division over the past six years.
Paul is a well-liked and respected member of Joseph Ash Walsall and his naturally friendly personality has led to the development of many lasting relationships with key customers. We are hoping that Paul will be with us for a good few years yet, and able to continue to be a successful part of our team.
Maciej Gadzinowski – Joseph Ash Bridgend, 10 years’ service
Maciej is a key member of our team at Bridgend. His main role is jigging, where his knowledge is second to none. He has an impressive eye for detail which has enabled him to prevent countless accidents by identifying missed vent and drainage holes in steel before it is galvanized. Becuase of this, he often assists in the yard where possible, ensuring pre galvanizing items are adequately drilled and suitable for processing.
John Moat – Premier Galvanizing Hull, 15 years’ service
Steve Moat – Premier Galvanizing Hull, 15 years’ service
The brothers celebrate 15 years loyal service with us and have seen the business change and evolve considerably. Both have represented hockey at international level and are now involved with coaching the next generation.
Mike Whitehurst – Premier Galvanizing Hull, 20 years’ service
Mike started with us in April 2000 and is the last remaining employee from the original team at Premier Galvanizing. He has a customer facing role within the yard team and has formed strong customer relations. He continues to be a highly regarded, loyal and reliable member of the team.
Anthony Payton – Joseph Ash Bilston, 15 years’ service
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In 1994, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president, The Channel Tunnel opened, Jeff Bezos founded Amazon, and The Daily Telegraph became the first UK newspaper to launch a news website online. It all seems like yesterday.
But what else happened in 1994? Peter Howitt joined Joseph Ash Chesterfield, and here we are celebrating the fact that he has just completed 25 years’ service. Well done Pete!
Pete first started working for Joseph Ash on the shop floor. As a conscientious employee, he soon progressed into project planning, and then into a supervisory role. Pete then secured a key position in health and safety, as well as QA control at Chesterfield. Through hard work and dedication Pete became – and is currently seen as – a leading figure within the Joseph Ash Group. He is also a great ambassador for Joseph Ash Chesterfield.
The photo to the right shows Mark Payne (Divisional Manager of Joseph Ash Chesterfield) congratulating Pete on his 25 years’ service. Mark said: “It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Pete on this milestone, and I am sure you will join me in wishing him good luck for the next 25 years. Thank you for the continued support Pete – it’s much appreciated.”
Congratulations Paul from everyone at Joseph Ash Galvanizing. A great achievement!
(Photo left to right: Mark Payne – Divisional Manager of Chesterfield – congratulating Peter Howitt)
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Two Joseph Ash Galvanizing employees have recently completed gruelling sporting activities to not only push themselves to the limit and feel a sense of great achievement, but also to raise much needed funds for charity.
Mick Bonnar (left photo), Transport Manager from Joseph Ash Bridgend took part in the Prudential Ride London event – the largest annual cycling fundraiser managed by the London and Surrey Cycling Partnership (LSCP).
The event has been running since 2013 and cyclists raise money for charity by riding from London to Surrey every August.
Mick Bonnar was proud to complete the ride in five hours and 28 minutes, raising £850 for Macmillan Cancer Support in the process. This money forms part of the £17m the event has raised for good causes over the last six years.
Amazing!
Stuart Cobourne (right photo), Divisional Manager from Joseph Ash Telford, also took part in a cycling challenge in August. Not only cycling though… as he completed as a triathlete in the Ironman distance contest in Copenhagen.
Having completed in triathlons for four years, Stuart wished to push himself in the ‘ultimate challenge’, by swimming for 2.4 miles, cycling for 112 miles, and then running for 26.2 miles. (It’s making our legs wobble just writing about it!)
Stuart completed the Ironman in 11 hours and 15 minutes, finishing 1076th out of 3000 starters (500 of whom didn’t make it past the finish line).
Stuart fundraised for the event and amassed over £1000 for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Well done to both Mick and Stuart. Such amazing achievements, which you deserve to feel very proud of. (Now we want to know what your plans are for 2020?!)
Next pageIn 1984, Torvill and Dean won the gold medal for ice-skating at the Winter Olympics, the Thames Barrier was officially opened, Prince Harry was born, and the initial agreement to return Hong Kong to China was signed. A momentous year.
But what else happened in 1984?
John Gollings started his career at Joseph Ash Galvanizing, joining the Chesterfield plant straight out of school!
And 35 years later (almost to the day, as he joined on 28 August), he is still part of the family. Brilliant.
John’s history:
When John joined Joseph Ash he initially worked with the team building the acid tanks, and helped to get the business operational.
Since then, John has become multi-skilled in all aspects of the galvanizing process, especially the galvanizing bath, becoming the Leading Bath Man in 2015.
John is a highly valued member of the team and his expertise is called upon when we receive new types of projects or carry out trials on new product designs for galvanizing.
John’s approach to his job, and the tasks he’s asked to perform including all aspects of site regulations, is exemplary.
During his 35 years he has become a leading figure within the company and is an integral part of the team.
Congratulations on reaching your 35th anniversary John!
(From left to right in the photo: John Gollings and Paul Marriott. Interestingly, Paul has also achieved 37 years’ service with Joseph Ash Galvanizing, which is a huge 72 years’ experience between them!)
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We’re pleased to introduce some team members at our Corby (Premier Galvanizing*) plant. From left to right we have David Prattis, Lisa Sutton, Daren Stevens, Anna Stocks, Bob Preston, Heather Elmore and John Frankland.
Find out more about the team below:
David Prattis joined Premier Galvanizing Corby as General Manager in September 2019. He has over 30 years’ experience in Steel and Aluminium Coil Coating, supplying product into the Construction and Leisure Industries. Before joining Premier Galvanizing, he spent 10 years as Plant Manager for an International Coil Coating Company based in the UK and The Netherlands.
Lisa Sutton is the Corby Office Manager. She is a long-standing member of the team, having worked for the company for 14 years, ensuring the smooth operation of all business administration.
Daren Stevens has been with Premier Galvanizing since it originally opened in September 2002 as an experienced Operative. He previously worked with Bob Preston (below) at Clark Steel. Working his way up from Shift Supervisor, he became Works Supervisor, then Galvanizing Manager. He was promoted to Operations Manager last year. Having worked at the plant for many years, Daren has expert knowledge in running a busy galvanizing plant.
Our Corby plant operates eight dedicated lorries to service customers’ needs giving a fast turnaround of typically 2-3 days. As Operations Manager, Daren also ensures these collections and deliveries run smoothly.
Anna Stocks is the Financial Controller for Premier Galvanizing and operates across two plants (Corby and Hull). She is a valuable member of the team and has worked for the company since 2016.
Bob Preston has a wealth of experience in galvanizing, having worked in the industry since 1972. Throughout his career, Bob has progressed through the galvanizing business from Shift Operative, to Works Manager, to Production Manager and onto his current position as Production Director. In this role Bob supports all other members of the customer focused team in delivering an exceptional all-round service.
Heather Elmore is experienced in administration, bookkeeping and credit control. She has worked with the Corby team for over three years providing much needed assistance in the office.
John Frankland joined Premier Galvanizing in September last year as Sales Manager. John is new to the galvanizing industry and has a background in Capital Equipment Sales to the manufacturing and metal fabrication sectors. John works at our Corby plant providing hot dip galvanizing services from Mansfield and Nottingham in the north, following the A1, M1 and M11 routes down through the country and covering the north half of London from Essex in the East through to Berkshire in the West.
The entire Corby team take pride in delivering an unbeatable service in terms of quality, turnaround and doing exactly what they promise. If you have any questions or queries, or if you’d like to place an order, please get in touch with the Corby team.
*Premier Galvanizing is part of the Joseph Ash Group.
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Matt Green and Myles Durward from Joseph Ash nominated for In-Comm Training and Business Services Awards
On 7 June 2019 the annual In-Comm Training and Business Services Awards were held at the ICC in Birmingham. The Awards celebrate and reward young apprentices and adult learners across the West Midlands, and this year team members from Joseph Ash Chesterfield were there to celebrate their training achievements.
Matt Green and Myles Durward have both been completing JAC Level 2 of In-Comm’s BIT training. As part of this course they are learning new skills to take back to Joseph Ash Chesterfield. Skills include looking at ways to be more efficient (and remove wastage) in the following plant processes: Overproduction, Transportation, Waiting, Inventory, Defects, Motion and Process.
Myles and Matt were both nominated for the ‘Learner of the Year: Continuous Improvement’ award, and on the night, Matt walked away with a ‘Highly Commended’ accolade.
Six other team members from Joseph Ash Galvanizing have also completed their Level 2 training, and alongside Matt and Myles, will be moving onto Level 3. A new team from Joseph Ash will also start Level 2. (Back row left to right: James Crookes, Matthew Phillips, Dean Holland, Matt Green. Front row left to right: Mark Payne, Myles Durward, Dave Foster (In-comm trainer), Wayne Smith)
Congratulations to all our team members endeavouring to learn new skills, improve our plants and further their careers. The commitment to learning is great! A special congratulations to Matt and Myles too.
Thanks for such a great event In-Comm!
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We’re pleased to announce that five members of our team across five of our plants have recently completed the Certificate in Leadership and Management, Levels 3 and 5.
The course is designed for middle managers to develop and strengthen their skills including management and leadership, managing team and individual performance. It also enables them to become stronger leaders by discovering new and innovative ideas and creative approaches to business management.
The five team members are:
- Tracie Lockley – Level 5 – Deputy Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Telford
- Sukhwinder Singh – Level 5 – Deputy Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Walsall
- Mark Payne – Level 5 – Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Chesterfield
- Rob Nelson – Level 5 – Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Bilston
- Kevin Williams – Level 3 – Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Bridgend
The course was conducted by Professional Development Training Ltd, in Birmingham.
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It’s always good to put a face to a name… With this in mind we thought we’d introduce some of the team at Premier Galvanizing Hull* (one of our sister companies)
From left to right we have: Steve East (Production Manager), Conner Harman (Business Support Officer), Alex Camp (General Manager), Chris Young (Commercial Support Officer) and Andrew Tweddle (Commercial Manager).
Steve East, Conner Harman and Chris Young oversee the production and transport side of the operation at Hull. Always willing and able to assist with any collection and delivery needs, keeping customers up to date with the progress of their work. The team are available from 5am to 5pm Monday to Friday and can be reached on 01482 587587.
Alex Camp – General Manager
Alex has worked for Premier Galvanizing for over 12 years and has a wealth of knowledge in galvanizing. He always takes service to the next level and ensures that all customers are at the heart of the business. Most recently he has been overseeing a significant overhaul of the plant including the installation of new automated systems to further the growth and efficiency of Premier Galvanizing Hull. Alex is available to assist with any technical queries and quotes.
Andrew Tweddle – Commercial Manager
For any enquiries or quotes for galvanizing work, or for any technical questions, contact Andrew on 07776 592008. Andrew is out and about visiting customers on a daily basis ensuring service levels are at their best and customers are happy with the work we produce for them.
*Premier Galvanizing is part of the Joseph Ash Group
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Wow! What a quarter we’ve had for celebrating long-time service achievements at our plants. Eight team members have celebrated anniversaries ranging from 20 to 35 years across the Bilston, Walsall, Chesterfield and Telford plants. Amazing!
Here are the details:
Andrew Stote
In January Andrew reached his 20-year anniversary at Joseph Ash Bilston. With a keen eye for quality control, Andrew has been a night shift supervisor and a white line leader.
John Spruce
In February, John also reached 20-years’ service at Joseph Ash Bilston. John has worked on the black line, jigging the work. He has also been a fork lift truck driver at the plant.
Andrew Gale
Andy began working at Joseph Ash Telford in 1999, and 20 years later (as of February) we’re pleased to say he’s still here! A competent and experienced member of the team, he has spent many years working in the pre-treatment area as a pickler. More recently he has taken the opportunity to put his broad experience to good use by becoming a shift supervisor.
Peter Jones
Peter joined Joseph Ash Chesterfield 20 years ago, in February 1999. Peter has always worked the night shift primarily as a bath man, but he is also experienced in all other areas of the hot dip galvanizing process, having worked most roles.
Andrew Hudson
25 years ago, in February 1994, Andrew started working at Joseph Ash Chesterfield as part of a team of three in the maintenance department. Since that time the team has grown to five people and Andrew is the team manager, having been promoted to this role seven years ago.
Jackie Wright
Jackie joined the Oldbury division (Albion Galvanizers) as maternity cover for one year in March 1999. Twenty years later and she’s still with us!
After completing maternity cover, Jackie moved to Joseph Ash Telford for six years working for Fred Haycock who was the former Telford Divisional Manager. When Fred moved to Joseph Ash Bilston, Jackie worked for him there for another 12 years, and has latterly spent her 20th year working for Rob Nelson (also at Bilston). All Divisional Manager’s acknowledge that Jackie has been an invaluable asset.
Hannah Beard
Hannah joined Joseph Ash in 1999 in the commercial department at Albion Galvanizers (specialist spin galvanizing plant). Since then, Hannah has worked in a number of Commercial Management roles at Albion, at the Joseph Ash Head Office and most recently at Joseph Ash Telford. Hannah’s positive outlook and outgoing personality have resulted in her becoming well-known in the industry, forging some very important relationships with many of Joseph Ash’s customers.
Gurpal Singh
Last, but not least, Gurpal has recently celebrated a huge 35 years at Joseph Ash Walsall. Such an amazing milestone.
In 1984 Gurpal, aka Charlie, joined Joseph Ash Walsall as a Yard/Transport Supervisor and in 1999 he was promoted to Production Manager. Fast forward 11 years, and Gurpal also took on additional duties and responsibilities of Production Management at Joseph Ash Telford overseeing the production efficiencies of both plants. In 2013 Gurpal returned to Joseph Ash Walsall as Divisional Manager and began transforming the facility into a semi-automated plant. Never one to rest on his laurels, he has been busy ever since! In 2016 he spear headed the design for a vast plant extension to streamline flow and improve productivity, and in late 2018 he project managed the installation of a new galvanizing bath, and made significant improvements to the yard to improve health and safety, and storage and working area capacity.
Congratulations to everyone. Your experience and commitment are what makes Joseph Ash Galvanizing so successful!
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