Quadron Services

Joint Winners December 2011

Contract Manager Paul Spinks nominated Graham and Mathew as December's Employees of the Month following their selfless actions to help a girl who was a victim of a robbery while in the park.

Hearing the girl's cries of distress, Graham and Mathew confronted the thief and retrieved her stolen mobile phone.

Quadron has since received a letter of gratitude from West Midlands Police thanking the two staff for their selfless act. Investigating police officer DC Kate Shakespeare visited Quadron's depot to present Paul and Graham with their awards.

Paul Spinks, Contract Manager, said: "While we would discourage staff from putting themselves in a potentially dangerous situation, Paul and Graham's quick actions clearly helped prevent an already serious incident becoming worse. They acted selflessly to help a member of the public and are worthy winners of this months award."

Winner November 2011

John started his career in 1975 working on Birmingham Parks Department's tree section and is due to retire from Quadron in January 2012, having been the Park Keeper at Ward End Park for the last four years.

During this time John has built up an excellent relationship with the local community and worked very closely with the Friends of Ward End Park group. On learning of John's plans to retire, the group's Chairperson wrote to Quadron to thank him for his hard work and support, commenting that John "has always made himself available in helping the Friends of the Park, even to the point of sometimes rearranging his days off in order to be assistance for some of our Events We shall all be sorry to see him depart and the park will not be the same without him."

John's Manager, Tony Jones, commented "His welcome nature has reassured users of the park and John's stirling work certainly helped in achieving a Green Flag for the park.

John is a valuable member of the team, his friendly attitude and willingness to put himself out certainly sets a high benchmark for the next person who takes on this role. He will be missed dearly by the parks users and all his colleagues at Quadron."

Joint Winners, October 2011

Despite being relatively new to the Southwark Depot, Paul and Kacper have demonstrated hard work and commitment to the sites they care for and have raised already impressive standards to a higher level. A member of the public recently wrote to Southwark Contract Manager, Terry Burns to convey his appreciation for the "fantastic job" Paul and Kacper had done transforming Leathermarket Gardens.

The high standard of maintenance has meant that one of the sites for which Paul and Kacper are responsible will be entered for Green Flag judging next year and there has been a great deal of interest in starting a Friends of Group.

Southwark Contract Manager, Terry Burns said of Paul and Kacper, "They are never negative in attitude, no matter what task they are given. They are both well liked in the Southwark team and are always approachable by members of staff and the public."

Winner, September 2011

September's Employee of the Month was awarded to Birmingham's Andy Court, Contract Manager for Ladywood Constituency, for his role in partnering Sports for Life International and helping to support the English Cricket Board's initiative in bringing cricket to the community. Andy achieved this by introducing and maintaining two cricket squares on the playing fields of Lordswood School for Girls and Boys.

A delighted Andy commented, "It is really uplifting for the Ladywood Contract and myself to be recognised for the support we have shown the English Cricket Board. This initiative can only lead to further exciting opportunities with the English Cricket Board and strengthen the role we play within the community."

Operations Director, Martyn Bradley, stated, "I am thrilled to be presenting Andy with this award for his support of the English Cricket Board and for playing an active role in enabling young boys and girls to enjoy the game of cricket. Quadron is committed to cultivating sustainable green communities and by supporting such a sporting project we are helping to encourage the younger generation to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle by using their green space. This can only be a good thing, for sport in general and the community as a whole."

Joint Winner, August 2011

Micky has worked at Hammersmith Park for over 20 years overseeing the park, its Japanese gardens, bowling green and tennis courts.

Contract Manager, Tony Potter, nominated Micky for the award and says: "Mick is a crucial part of the fabric of Hammersmith Park and regards the parks visitors as his customers. He prides himself on a high level of customer service and satisfaction. He has proven to be an excellent green keeper, groundsman and above all else a superb ambassador for both Quadron and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Council."

Receiving his award, Micky said: "I love working at Hammersmith Park. For the size of the park there is a lot of variety and history. We recently celebrated the 101 year anniversary of the creation of the Japanese pond and garden.

It's great working outside and seeing all the seasons and the changing landscape they create. I find my job very rewarding and get a lot of satisfaction from seeing the enjoyment people get from the park."

Joint Winner, August 2011

Simon Cummins, Southwark Senior Contract Manager, nominated Dave for Employee of the Month in recognition of Dave's excellent leadership qualities and the excellent relationship he has built with his new area client officer, which has contributed to the contract recently achieving its highest ever performance score.

Dave says, "I am very proud to receive this award, not just for myself, but for all of my team at Southwark Park."

Joint Winner July 2011

Medway Contracts Manager, Colinda Le Gall nominated Steve Day for Employee of the Month after receiving a letter from a local resident thanking Steve for coming to the assistance of her daughter when her au pair hurt herself in the park. Steve made sure the au pair remained conscious and stayed until further help arrived: a real-life Good Samaritan!

Joint Winner July 2011

Hugh "Dave" Butler is the Head Gardener at Alexandra Park and was nominated by Horticultural Development Manager, Andy Kauffman for his support during the judges visit for the prestigious BALI awards. Andy says, "What Hugh achieved in the time frame on site with his team was above and beyond the all of duty". Russ Kirk, Operations Manager, also added: "Hugh certainly enhanced our chances of collecting an award due to his extremely professional approach and high standards."

Winner June 2011

Harry earned compliments from the Friends of Cotteridge Park for his hard work on the day of this year's CoCoMad Festival.

The Group's Chair said in a letter to Quadron: "All the staff who were here on the day worked so hard, but Harry, seeing that the good weather was keeping the audience here longer than expected, stayed for two additional hours helping with the clean up. He was also invaluable sorting the road closures."

Contract Manager Paul Spinks, who nominated Harry for this month's award, says "Harry was in charge of four staff and that included doing a road closure round the site to allow for the Carnival procession to proceed safely; he also worked above and beyond the hours to make sure the event was a success and fully deserves to be nominated for the award."

Emma MacPherson, one of the CoCoMad Festivals organisers showed her appreciation by presenting Harry with his award.

Winners May 2011

Carlton and Simon were nominated as joint Employees of the Month by Southwark Contract Manager Simon Cummins, who says, "Simon and Carlton both work tirelessly at Russia Dock Woodland and their efforts have resulted in Green Flags being awarded at Russia Dock Woodland for the past 3 years as well as recently being awarded a Silver Award in the Mayor of London's Safer Parks Awards."

Their effort have also been commended by local parks users, including the Chairman of the Friends of Russia Dock Woodland who complimented them on "the excellent work, commitment and decency they display on an everyday basis."

April 2011 Winner

After leaving school, Steve, who has always had a keen interest in horticulture, began working for Quadron as a seasonal operative. As soon as the opportunity arose, Steve began his Apprenticeship training towards an NVQ Level 2 qualification (his case study features on our Apprentices page).

Steve was nominated by Contract Manager, Paul Spinks, who commented: "Steve thoroughly deserves this award for all his hard work and effort and commitment to the Company, particularly his positive attitude to working on the Biodiversity Team where he volunteers his spare time at weekends to work on projects. He is doing very well in his Apprenticeship and we are looking forward to him being a valuable asset to the Company in the future."

Steve added, "I am delighted to have received this award; its great to work for a company that appreciate my work and effort. I would personally like to thank you for the award and also for giving me a career."

March 2011 Winner

Based at Newton Abbot, Colin is a valued member of the team on Quadron's Teignbridge contract, earning compliments from the client for his dedication and hardwork.

Colin was nominated for Employee of the Month by Teignbridge Contract Manager, Mark Dawes, who said: "The client has commented on the dedication and hard work Colin has put in at 'The Den' on Teignmouth Sea Front to make this high profile site a credit to Quadron and Clients alike."

February 2011 Winner

Ian has worked in grounds maintenance for 26 years and has provided many years of outstanding service to horticulture.

Ian's recent achievements include successfully undergoing Assist Training to enable him to carry out inductions on ride on and hand held machinery and for which he has received plenty of positive feedback from his trainees.

Contract Manager, Phil Garrett who nominated Ian for the award said, "Ian leads by example and is unflappable under pressure. He organises the workload to adapt to the ever changing needs of the day and does this in a thoroughly professional manner.

Ian has developed a good working relationship with the client which leads to an honest and open way of operating; not satisfied with just delivering a normal level of service, Ian will always go the extra mile to add value to the work we do whenever possible."

Accepting his award, Ian said, "I am really pleased to receive this award and grateful to Quadron for recognising my efforts. I recently enjoyed the Lantra training and enjoy carrying out the training sessions to the staff I always enjoy a fresh challenge and now look forward to the next one."

January 2011 Winner

Sam started his employment with Quadron as an apprentice in August 2007 (his case study features on our Apprentice page). Sam passed his NVQ training and was promoted to a gardener in Camberwell New Cemetery where he worked as part of the team and improved upon his skills and knowledge.

Sam has never had a day off from work due to sickness or absence and has always been a model employee. Sam is now working on the Burgess mobile alongside Freddie Duke who says: "As Sam's Team Leader I would like to nominate him for The Employee of the Month Award because he is always willing to take on any task and does it to the best of his ability, he is flexible, positive, motivated and reliable, and always ready to learn something new".

December 2010 Winner

Sarah Pollard has been recognised as Quadron's Employee of the Month for December for her professionalism and dedication in ensuring work at Alexandra Park, Hastings continued to run smoothly during a challenging time while the local manager was sick, and for making sure the professional standards demanded by the client were met.

Steve Mckeown, Area Manager commented: "Sarah has provided invaluable support to me during this period and has maintained the client relationship superbly."

November 2010 Winner

The Employee of the Month Award for November goes to Graham Paterson in recognition of his commitment to delivering the best possible experience to the users of the parks and open spaces of Kensington and Chelsea.

Senior Contract Manager, Ben Binnell commented: "Graham puts in 110% effort and is never too busy to help his colleagues. He is a valued asset to the business and always goes above and beyond what is required of him".

October 2010 Winner

Nikki took on management of the whole depot while the Contracts Manager was on holiday and the Assistant Contracts Manager was in hospital. She conducted herself in an extremely professional manner, leading teams efficiently throughout the contract and keeping them focussed on the tasks in hand, while also managing to keep the contract running smoothly and to the Customer's requirements.

Rob Lucas, Operations Manager for Greenspace Services, noted: "Nikki led and motivated her staff with the authority of someone has been in position for many years and is a real asset to Quadron".

September 2010 Winner

Brian Davis, Grounds Maintenance Operative, has been with Quadron since 2009 and is an invaluable asset to the Birmingham Hodge Hill Contract.
He arrives almost an hour early for work each day, opening all of the offices, garages and sheds as he has done since he started.

Principally, his job involves marking out summer and winter sports pitches. However, he also liaises with football teams and schools to ensure he and his team mates meet their needs, whilst meticulously preparing and repairing cricket pitches.

Brian is a well-liked and respected member of the team who always makes sure each job is completed by the end of the day and is willing to stay behind if any breakdowns occur.

After his last team-mate goes home, Brian ensures all of the machines are locked safely in the garages and that the offices are safely locked before he finally locks the gate for the day.

Brian is always more than willing to do what is asked of him, he often puts himself out to help others and is a committed member of the team.

August 2010 Winner.

This month's award goes to Paul Welch as acknowledgement of his forty years of continuous dedicated service to ensuring high quality standards in Hastings parks and open spaces.

Paul joined Hastings Borough Council as a trainee gardener at the age of 15 with a starting salary of £5.15s for a 40 hour week.

His ambition was to become a tractor driver, which he achieved after 23 lunch time lessons costing 90p each! At a celebratory lunch attended by colleagues, Client officers, friends and family and many former colleagues, Paul was presented with a die-cast model tractor and then led outside to where an old Massey Ferguson tractor the very same model he had used 40 years ago was parked next to its modern-day version! Pauls enthusiasm has not waned in the intervening years since passing his test and he leapt eagerly onto the tractor for a drive around, just like the newly-qualified 17 year old had done!

July 2010 Winner

"Roger's outputs in July have been quite outstanding with large amounts of ad hoc work being completed, for example installing bins, repairing and painting street furniture and installing street signs, all completed within tight time scales, Roger is happy to turn his hand to any type of work with a professional attitude and excellent workmanship.

Roger is also a stand-in caretaker at our District Council offices (MDC) on a subcontract basis to CAPITA services, a position which holds a large amount of responsibility in dealing with security and day to duties within the complex. I have recently received comments and praise in both fields mentioning Rogers conduct and dedication to his work for Quadron and the clients of MDC. I am delighted he has achieved this award in recognition for his work efforts for Quadron. Well done Roger." Wayne Frapple, Contract Manager.

Karen Miller, facilities management supervisor for Mendip District Council's offices, said: "Roger is a hard working member of the Quadron team, and this is especially evident when he is working here on-site at the council offices in Shepton Mallet. He is someone who is happy to turn his hand to most tasks and is always enthusiastic in his work. I am delighted that he has been recognised as employee of the month as he takes such pride in any job that he is asked to complete."

Contract supervisor Mark Goodland added "I would like to congratulate Roger on his employee of the month award. Roger has always approached all aspects of work with enthusiasm and professionalism. In this last month Roger has turned out a high quality amount of work, recognised and praised by our clients at MDC, Well done Roger, keep up the good work!"

June 2010 winner

"Rob has been extremely helpful over the last few months cutting his normal round and also taking on the steep banks at sites which others could not do. He has also taken days out to try and teach staff the best way of cutting banks" - Damon Lee, Assistant Contract Manager

"He is a real asset" Steve McKeown, Area Manager

May 2010

Phil works at Aston Park maintaining the site with his assistant, Gurbax Chand. Contract Manager Andy Court nominated Phil because "he is very committed to his duties, shows good initiative and produces a high standard of maintenance at this now highly regarded heritage site. The gardens and grounds are a popular attraction for visitors to the newly refurbished hall. Phil's knowledge and enthusiasm will be a great asset to the contract and the future of Aston Park."

Phil commented that "never in my service with any company have I ever been nominated let alone achieved this accolade, I'm very proud of what I have achieved and appreciate the support from Quadron. I always endeavour to maintain high standards and with the site being included in The Britain in Bloom for Birmingham and nominated for a BALI award I hope my efforts gain greater recognition."

April 2010 winner

Andy Chatterton, London Borough of Southwark Standards Officer commented that "Nathan originally took on the role as Acting Team Leader in August 2009 and formally from November after a very successful trial period. He is a very strong motivator and works extremely hard with his team, often working after hours to ensure specific operations are completed in short timescales. Nathan provides very detailed information with highlighted maps on a weekly basis and ensures documentation covering pre-arranged operations for staff is given to me, before taking leave. Whilst I appreciate the very high standard of maintenance at Dulwich Park is a strong team effort, it is good to see that Quadron recognises Nathan's leadership".

March 2010 winner

"Paul's recent success on the Lantra-Awards trainer Course is testament to the amount of effort he put in to the course." said Stuart Munro, Contract Manager. "His achievement will be of great benefit to our contract in the future, not only in the further development of other employees' skills levels, but also in improving service delivery & achieving a greater awareness of the importance of health & safety in the working environment as a whole, keeping Quadron No 1 Grounds Maintenance contractor".

Paul said that "I am pleased that after 20 years in our industry I was recognised as having the potential to take on the course and not only develop my own skills & qualifications but be able to, in the future, develop those of my work colleagues in a safe and professional manner.

I look forward to being a key part in the future development of Quadron employees and to continuing my own professional development".

February 2010 winner

"Venda has rolled up her sleeves to make the office a clean and tidy environment. She retains humour and an even temperament when faced with a high volume of work to tight deadlines. Venda will turn her hand to and volunteer for any task, however onerous, if it will help the team out. All in all she is a great team player." Aly Dickinson, Senior HR Manager.

January 2010 winner

"Since Jason has taken on a full time position with us at Burgess Park he is developing into a highly capable gardener always eager to learn and is very enthusiastic in all that he does. We have enrolled Jason onto the NVQ2 Amenity Horticulture course and he is demonstrating to all the knowledge he has gained from his training by the quality of work and improvement in standards that he is bringing into the park. This has been noticed by all, most notably our client who has been impressed by his attitude, commitment and quality of service. I believe that Jason shows the capability of stepping into a supervisor position within the not too distant future." Simon Cummins, Senior Contract Manager.

December 2009 winner

Nikki deserves this award "For showing a can-do attitude and always doing her best to ensure everything is done to a high standard, keeping the office up to date with any issues arising on site.

She stands in for supervisors, showing her ability to lead, and she is an exemplary presentation of a good grounds maintenance operative." Colinda Le Gall, Contract Manager, Medway.

November 2009 winner

Shaun has been with Quadron since 2002 and forms one half of the grave digging team.

Contract Manager Wayne Frapple recommended Shaun for the Employee of the Month in November. "Over the past month we have received numerous calls and emails regarding Shaun's attitude and work ethics/performance; he was even mentioned in a recent client meeting commenting on his presentation at ceremonies" said Wayne. "I am pleased that Shaun received the Award for November as it was a difficult time for us due to the torrential rain, with graves filling with water as we fast as we could dig them, to the extent that we were removing water as funeral parties arrived. Shaun showed great work ethics and catered for everyone's health and safety with a professional attitude and caring manner."

Shaun was shocked to receive the award and said "Well I was only doing my job as best as I could in the conditions. Its hard enough digging graves but when the water is pouring in as fast as you can dig them it makes it a whole lot harder to do; you have to get it perfect and leave it as tidy as possible."

Contract Supervisor Mark Goodland also commented on Shaun's performance "Shaun deserves this award, as he pulled out all the stops and worked above and beyond expectations; well done Shaun. Shaun is a credit to Quadron here in Mendip: 'Well done' from all the team.

Mandy Lee, Funeral Director had praise too: "I am pleased to hear that Shaun has been nominated employee of the month. As a Funeral Director who often uses your services, Shaun has shown initiative in problem solving and thinking quickly on his feet. During the last few weeks of November when we had a lot of rain and the graves at East Hill were back filling with water, Shaun kept me and Cheryl informed of the progress and any problems, but when I arrived at the graveside everything was perfect. Can you please, on behalf of myself and my staff at Adlams Funeral Directors, thank Shaun and congratulate him, "WELL DONE".

And Client Officer Cheryl Norton of Mendip District Council's Bereavement Services added "we are very pleased that Shaun has been awarded Employee of the Month. This winter has seen a particularly wet spell and we are aware of how difficult this can make grave digging. Shaun took responsibility and demonstrated commitment to the service to ensure that graves were well presented and not waterlogged, often pumping them out until just before the mourners arrived. Although the mourners cannot be expected to know what is involved, funeral directors certainly do and we received reports from them commending Shaun's efforts."

October 2009 winner

Jo did some sterling work in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea to enable the retention of ISO 9001 in October and also came up with the brilliant suggestion of an Intranet site.

The intranet site is now underway with all company policies, procedures, standard forms, risk and coshh assessments and safe working practices being available on it and with more and more being added to it all the time.

"Jo quietly and diligently gets on with her work ensuring quality systems are in place throughout the organisation" said line manager John Black, "she is heavily involved with the process of gaining accreditation for the entire organisation for ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001."

September 2009 winner

As head gardener of Dulwich Park, Ric is very popular with all the parks users and liaises with all the various interested parties to help to make the park exactly what they all expect it to be. Over and above the usual call of duty, he stepped up of his own volition to cover the Dulwich area supervisor who was off work for four weeks recovering from an operation. During this time Ric demonstrated excellent leadership and organisational skills as well as keeping up with his own work.

Pictured are Ric Glenn (centre), Andy Chatterton (right), Standard Officer for The London Borough of Southwark, and Chris Moor, Quadron Contracts Manager.

Andy said "Dulwich Park has become an integral part of the local community and much thanks goes out to Ric and the whole team that work there."

Ric said "it was a great honour to receive this award not just for myself but for the whole team at Dulwich Park. Chris Moor said "it is fantastic that Ric's efforts have been rewarded. Ric works to the highest professional standards and is a pleasure to work with."

August 2009 winner

The August award goes to Adrian in recognition of his excellent output in terms of both quantity and quality which has resulted in many compliments and a vastly improved appearance of local verges and parks.

Supervisor Dave Lucaszewski commented that Adrian is a very willing individual and a real pleasure to work with and Contract Manager John Walters praised his high outputs which led to an enhanced service this summer.

Adrian stated that it was nice that his hard work was recognised by the company and said how much he was enjoying working for Quadron.

July 2009 winner

Quadron Services continued in its commitment to recognise the dedication and professionalism of its staff by announcing Ana Beliak, a Park Keeper from Kensington and Chelsea, as July employee of the month.

Ana, who has been working for Quadron since May 2007, was chosen from amongst 750 employees, having been nominated for the award by Steve McKenna, Quadron's Senior Contract Manager for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Contract.

In nominating Ana, Steve said "Having only joined Quadron in late April I initially thought it would be very difficult for me to have gained sufficient knowledge of my staff to be able to nominate anyone from my team for this award but I could not have been more mistaken. I had no hesitation in nominating Ana, her effort and work ethic are second to none and in terms of her dedication, all round performance and sheer effort she is simply a model employee. Ana has a very quiet and unassuming nature and because of this her exemplary efforts and performance could easily be taken for granted. She is the kind of person who sees what needs to be done and quietly just gets on with it".

Leonie Castro, Assistant Head Gardener at Holland Park, said "I am delighted for Ana she really deserves this, she is a real team player and can always be relied upon to give 100%. The Holland Park team all love Ana as she always has a big smile on her face and is always prepared to help anyone. The standard of work Ana achieves is always so very high, particularly the Kyoto Gardens".

Ana was presented with the Employee of the Month Certificate, along with a personal letter of thanks from Clive Ivil, Managing Director, and 50 Marks and Spencer gift certificate in thanks for her commitment and dedication.

Graham Vincent, the Royal Borough's Grounds Contracts Manager said "Ana was trained to maintain the Kyoto Garden and she takes a real pride in making sure it always looks stunning; she makes a real difference in Holland Park and is very deserving of the award".

When asked how she felt about receiving the award Ana said "I am really shocked and surprised by the whole thing. I am very grateful to those who nominated me and would like to thank Quadron Services for choosing me but I think I was just doing my job".

June 2009 winner

Mark Imms, one of our team members working on the Ladywood Contract for Birmingham City Council, received an award of recognition from the Managing Director,Clive Ivil, in June 2009.

Quadron recognises Mark's work contribution and continued flexibility and dedication to the Company. Mark is always willing to assist wherever he can whilst constantly demonstrating his professionalism and dedication to his duties. Mark has forged excellent relationships with clients and colleagues and is a highly regarded member of the Ladywood Contract team.

Andy Court, Contract Manager for the Ladywood Contract, said, "Mark always shows great pride in his work and his duties and is always willing to pass on his knowledge to others. He is a great asset to the Contract."

Paul Joyce, one of Mark's working colleagues commented, "I am really proud of Mark for his achievement in receiving this award. I am pleased to see that Quadron have recognised Mark's commitment"

These positive qualities were echoed by Peter Short, Constituency Parks Manager for the Ladywood area of Birmingham City Council, who stated, "Ever since Mark has come to the Ladywood Contract, I have been impressed by his dedication and hard work. His attention to detail and insistence that the task is completed to the highest standard is laudable. Mark's nomination for this award is a true reflection of his commitment and hard work"

Mark responded by saying, "I am thrilled to receive the award. This is totally unexpected and I'm overwhelmed that the Company has chosen me. It is a great personal achievement as I always put in 100% effort."