6 - August 2024 news & views from our corner of the world golf day 2024 team away day housing24 flo mesh
CONTENTS
Hello & welcome to Energsied, Issue 6.
The first issue of 2024 brings news of FLO, MESH, UK REiiF, HOUSING24, and one hell of a GOLF DAY. It has been a successful start to the year; we have attended numerous industry events, re-connected with clients, and made new connections. We were nominated for Property Firm of the Year and had the privilege of sponsoring the LCR Innovation Award . We welcomed two new team members and promoted two others. To be honest, it was a struggle to summarise these past 6 months, so take five and have a peek into the world of Davies Partnership.
Jessica Laycock Marketing, Business Development & Energised Editor.
09 Team Away Day
11 Housing24 13
10 5 Minutes with Mr Goff
Recruitment
CHARITY GOLF DAY
In memory of Bobby Spencer for
This year, the Davies Partnership team chose to support Milly’s Smiles and The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of one brave young man, Bobby Spencer. Chosen by the team to remember the son of Ian & Cheryl Spencer, close friends to Tony McDonnell, our Managing Director. Tony remembers;
“Bobby was a very special young man who made a positive impression on everyone he met. A talented cricketer, popular with friends and adults alike he was always a pleasure to be around, and his smile is missed by us all every single day.”
£13,850 RAISED
We were blessed with another beautiful day as 21 teams took to the course. Shape Consulting Engineers took the top spot on the day, closely followed by Vita Projects Limited in second and Coeus Insurance Management Ltd . with the third-best team score. The putting challenge made for excellent competition, with Mark Leather from Coeus Insurance Management Ltd. claiming victory and winning a Taylor-Made Spider X putter. Finally, Simon Halliwell of Paddock Johnson took home a Taylor-Made Qi10 Driver for his longest drive on the 18th.
The evening brought an exciting auction battle over a signed Jurgen Klopp shirt, raffle redraws, and an unexpected “extended” set from our musical guests Ste Williams & Chris Finley.
Joined also by Gemma Dyson, Chair of Trustees for Milly’s Smiles, who spoke powerfully about the charity & bringing to the forefront the real reason we were all there.
Huge thanks go to the Davies Partnership team behind the scenes for organising the event, Nicola McDonnell for providing the most delicious baked goods, Bromborough Golf Club for hosting, Liam Deveney our action-shot photographer, our prize sponsors: Meliá Hotels, Chester Race Company, Majestic Wine, ACC Arena, The Morris Dancer, The Coach House , all of our golf day sponsors and supporters , and finally the 21 golf teams that competed on the day.
“I really can’t thank everyone who supported and helped organise this year’s charity golf day enough.
The level of support we have received has been humbling.
From all our generous sponsors, people who played their part in organising the day, those who made donations or bought or bid in the raffle and auction, and to those who stayed late into the evening, you all made the day very memorable.
The amount raised is incredible and will be hugely appreciated by the charities.
This year, we supported Milly’s Smiles and The Brain Tumour Charity at the request of our close friends Ian & Cheryl Spencer , who tragically lost their amazing son Bobby to a rare brain tumour in June last year.
Bobby was an amazing young man, a talented cricketer, bright, funny, lovable, and with the world at his feet.
It has given me an added sense of perspective as I sit with my wife, Nicola, and our two beautiful girls, and of how we can often take the simple things in life for granted and not appreciate how fortunate we are.
It is hard not to get emotional when we speak about Bobby, so I won’t pretend I’m not shedding a few tears writing this.
So on behalf of Ian, Cheryl, Annie, & Freddie, and all of us at Davies Partnership, thank you so much again, from the bottom of my heart it means a lot.
Tony McDonnell, Managing Director.
Helping To Make The Journey Of Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer That Little Bit Easier…
We provide a Milly Bag to every family whose child has been diagnosed with cancer and admitted to Manchester, Alder Hey, Leeds, Nottingham, and Newcastle Children’s Hospitals.
The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.
Committed to saving and improving lives, we’re moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. We’re set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change.
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
Your Virtual Finance Director Ltd
AB Engineering
Alan Johnston Partnership
Paddock Johnson
Vita Projects Ltd
Armstrong Fluid Technology
Lambros Ltd
Worcester Bosch
TD Cooling Services Ltd
A J Field Electrical & Mechanical
Kimpton
Markhams
IJS Building Services
AB Building & Electrical
Countryside Partnerships
Shape Consulting Engineers
Coeus Insurance Management Ltd
Worldwide Hospitality Group Ltd
Widnes Cricket Club
Amnis Building Services
PICOW Engineering Group
Hughes:O’Hanlon Architects
Strzala Architects
Dimplex UK
Read Construction Ltd
Oakmere Timber Ltd
Athertons
Nuaire
Thorlux Lighting
OSS Security
Ventilux Group
Westshield Limited
Hikvision
Carlton Interiors
ROBUS Lighting
OES Ltd
SAS Daniels LLP
Hamworthy Heating Ltd
Drees & Sommer UK
Sisters n Sport
Davies Facilites Management Ltd
FAW Hensol hensol
Football Association of Wales hotel & leisure
Damfield Lane maghull
Torus extra care
Industry
7th March 2024 CULTURE AWARDS
In March, we were delighted to attend another fantastic evening at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Culture & Creativity Awards.
Hosted by Samantha Quek & with guest appearances from Phil Redmond and the inimitable Johnny Vegas. The evening celebrated the wonderful achievements of our region’s finest Cultural & Creative communities.
This year, we sponsored the Innovation Award and were thrilled to announce the winner on the night as the amazing team at House of Memories, National Museums Liverpool.
The innovative work they do for people living with Dementia via museum-based activities is truly inspiring and heartwarming.
Please take a look at their page and support if you can.
4th July 2024
City Of Liverpool Business Awards
Pete Price was on top form chairing the evening alongside host Frank Mckenna. We then heard from Liam Robinson of Liverpool City Council sharing his views on what opportunities lay ahead in the Liverpool City Region, under what would be later be announced a new Labour Government.
Jessica & Tony attended the evening & were in good company, seated alongside the fabulous fundraising team from Liverpool University Hospitals Charity and Liverpool BID Company Award winners Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre.
We were honoured with a nomination for Property Firm of the Year alongside AtkinsRéalis, Avrenim Group and the very deserving winners at Sutcliffe. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, we’re coming for you next year!
Calendar
21st/23rd May 2024
UK REiiF
Our first year at UKREiiF kicked off by attending the Liverpool City Council and Greater London Authority panel discussion around their innovative development plans for the London and Liverpool Historic Dock. We attended numerous interesting panel events, including an insightful Drees & Sommer UK event on decarbonisation of buildings chaired by James Ryan, then onto a fantastic drinks reception by Alan Johnston Partnership, Project 4 Safety, and Brock Carmichael Architects, and finishing with a sublime dinner at one of our former projects, the sensational Tattu. All in all, we enjoyed two days filled with thought-provoking conversations and fascinating debates. We also caught up with industry colleagues old and new, made new contacts, and opened opportunities, which we are following up this month.
We have already booked for 2025; will you be there too?
6th June 2024
CHESHIRE DEVELOPMENT
Kevin & Jessica attended the 2024 Cheshire Development Update, hosted by Place North West. Editor Julia Hatmaker did a fantastic job chairing the event, which delved into some of the upcoming opportunities in our local area. It really is an exciting time for Cheshire, with lots in the pipeline, and we look forward to strengthening existing and developing new relationships in the City.
team day
Catton Hall Outdoor Activity Centre
The day consisted of a look back at last year and what our plans are moving forwards from the Directors, an engagement workshop, a tasty BBQ & some healthy competition in both Clay Pigeon Shooting & Archery.
Andrew Forrest was the bridesmaid in both Archery & Clays coming second in both, while Hotshot Fields (Kevin) bagged himself top spot in the Archery with a lucky last-minute bullseye. Deadeye Sam Evans made it two years on the run hitting 26/30 Clays: his two trophies now taking pride of place in the Conwy office.
Working across three offices has its benefits and means we can service our regions efficiently but does mean we’re not often all in the same place at the same time, so it was brilliant to get the whole team together last Wednesday.
The whole team at Catton Hall were fantastic and really looked after us, so come highly recommended !!
NUTES WITH
I
EVIF M
How would you describe your job role?
Challenging, but very rewarding to see a project through to completion.
How did you get into the industry?
By accident… I applied for a job as a draughtsman which happened to be in the building services sector, and I’ve remained in the industry ever since. Davies Partnership have always been a champion of their internal working team, promoting from within, offering continued development and support. I have received several promotions during my time here, most recently in 2022 to Principal Electrical Design Engineer.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Buy bitcoin when its $10.
Richard Goff
Principal Electrical Engineer Chester Office
What has been your favourite project to work on & why?
Working with Chester Zoo on a new Lion enclosure was really interesting.
What do you enjoy most about working at DP?
Nice working environment, diverse project to work on, development opportunities and a friendly team.
If you weren’t an engineer, what would you be?
A millionaire after selling all my Bitcoin.
What are your interests outside of work?
Trying to spend quality time away from the kids.
Richard was a member of the Davies Partnership team in the very early years of 1999 and re-joined the company in 2018 as an Electrical Design Engineer. Now in a Principal design role, Richard plays an integral role in the development of the graduate engineers coming through the business. Director Commendation
Rich is a very popular member of the team, and ever since he re-joined Davies Partnership, his knowledge and commitment have proven to be a big asset to the business. He’s been an integral reason for our growth in the rail sector and helped develop a number of key client relationships, particularly since being promoted to the role of Principal engineer.
housing 24
editors experience
Trade Shows & Exhibitions have always been a constant in my professional life. 5am wake ups, B2B chatter, & dinner on the go. But never have I experienced anything like Housing 24. Admittedly, I didn’t actually attend the conference centre, but only because the most valuable conversations were being had at roof top bars. I found it strange to attend a conference and not actually attend a conference, but now I get it: the best connections are made breaking bread.
Tuesday began at the Downtown in Business & Sutcliffe Breakfast event for coffee, and then over to JM Architects for delicious pastries. In the afternoon, myself, Tony McDonnell, MD & Kevin Fields, Commercial Director, attended a drinks reception at El Gato Negro Tapas courtesy of JDA Architects & Mansell Building Solutions. The team at Countryside Partnerships very kindly welcomed us in the evening for further discussion on housing growth, commitment to delivery & user engagement.
On Wednesday morning, we had some organised coffee meetings before Tony headed over to the traditional Drees & Sommer Lunch. In the afternoon, with the sun well and truly shining, we joined our friends at Markhams who were hosting at The Lawn Club.
Then finally after an extremely busy couple of days, it was our turn to play host alongside Paddock Johnson & Alan Johnston Partnership at the famous Albert’s Schloss for the unofficial ‘wrap party’.
It’s fair to say that by this point, there were some tired eyes around but there’s something electric about Alberts Schloss that turns a frown upside down. The atmosphere was full of vibrant conversation, reflection on the previous two days & genuine, joyful engagement. Exceeding capacity & drinking through the entire pre order in the first two hours, it seems our Wednesday 6pm Alberts Schloss slot is a Housing24 diary staple.
I really enjoyed meeting people from all different disciplines across the construction, property, & housing industry. Expanding my network, making new connections and having the chance to grow budding relationships.
A personal highlight was the engagement regarding our new product, MESH - Mechanical, Electrical, Sustainability - Harmonisation. Having clients become genuinely excited about the product has been unbelievably rewarding. (For more on Mesh, see page 16).
So that’s Housing24 in a nutshell; next year’s challenge is to get around to even more events, attend more seminars, & sell out Schloss!
FLO
After the success of our first event, the team took on approved documents in Wales... Discussions around how FLO impacts on the construction process, supply chain maturity, and procurement.
F.LO is an acronym which covers three of the sixteen government published Approved Documents:
Part Part Part Ventilation Conservation of Fuel & Power Overheating F L O
F.L.O provides a regulatory ‘toolkit’ creating a ‘level playing field’ for clients, design teams, developers and contractors, ensuring high quality, safe living standards are delivered, and provides a roadmap to Net Zero Carbon.
Key points of discussion
A case study review of Part O’s impact on overheating in a new-build residential property.
How Part O and Part L combine to impact Part F Ventilation design.
Part L impact on insulation, thermal bridging and air tightness when referenced to primary energy and carbon emissions.
Current and future impact of Part L on Heating and Hot Water Strategies with actual project examples using Welsh Regulations.
The event welcomed speakers from across the housing & construction sectors to discuss how the new documents have specifically affected them & what is required to collaboratively move forward in successfully achieving a fully comprehensive and coordinated design package.
What to look out for and concerns around false eco product performance claims and the need to carry out due diligence.
The impact FLO is having on affordability, compounded by other inflationary pressures.
A review of cost increases attributable to FLO, and how this directly impacts EPC ratings.
Discussion around early engagement of the client and design team, including enhanced M&E and Sustainability input and early engagement at pre-planning stage to ensure the building form submitted can be delivered in accordance with regulatory requirements.
The Experts
Bringing together specialists from each of the design disciplines with invaluable insight & experience we set out to identify & resolve these issues.
RICHARD LEWIS
Technical & Quality Director
Davies Partnership
ROB BUCHANAN
Sustainability Manager
Davies Partnership
ZARA CROSBIE
Associate Quantity Surveyor & Employer’s Agent Drees & Sommer
DAVID HUGHES
Architect & President North Wales Society of Architects Hughes O’Hanlon
WILIAM JONES
Commercial Director Read Construction
DARRAN HATTON
Head of Housing Standards
Welsh Government
shared an overview of FLO, discussed Part F & gave valuable insight into heating & water system selection.
shared lessons learned of how to comply with Part L and Part O through real world case studies.
highlighted how costs have moved over recent times due to various external pressures with evidential support of current costings.
guided the audience through an architects perspective and the impact of redesign post planning.
gave a new perspective from a commercial & supply chain impact, with particular reference to the detrimental effect design changes have when required to comply with new regulation.
delivered a strategic view from a Welsh Government perspective on the direction of travel in respect of new regulations and also shared some of the plans being considered to accelerate decarbonisation
Early and comprehensive collaboration with the project team is essential for mitigating compliance risks and associated costs, enabling the delivery of cost-effective and efficient homes
Solution what’s
mesh
Mechanical Electrical Sustainability - Harmonisation
Davies Partnership has developed a new product which is designed to assist clients and the wider design team at the ‘Pre-Planning’ stage of a project
M E S H was initially born out of sheer frustration of being engaged far too late in the design process, often when architectural and structural designs were complete. The worst examples being schemes that had gained planning with little or no consideration for spatial planning or building regulations Part L & O compliance, resulting in the schemes being redesigned and subsequently re-submitted for planning at great expense to the client.
The aim of MESH is to provide maximum Mechanical, Electrical and Sustainability information to inform the design process and assist with a successful planning submission, all this at minimal cost expenditure to the client at pre-planning stage when budgets are tight.
Davies Partnership have introduced MESH and a model of working that, if followed, assists clients & wider design teams significantly, de-risking their projects and avoiding retrospective variations to scheme designs which can be hugely detrimental to both cost and programme.
next?
We have been delighted with feedback from the event. We are definitely seeing more conversations happening earlier between design disciplines and clients are seeing the benefits from a new order of working. As FHS25 looms ever closer, we will keep the conversation going & aim to keep you informed with more content & events as future standards unfold.
Say Hello To...
We are really happy to introduce two new members to our sustainability team. Alex and Ani have joined the team at a really exciting time, with lots of changes happening in our industry. As leaders in the sustainability sector and experts in bespoke thermal comfort performance modelling (TM59) and MESH, and with a need to service a growing client base, we saw a great opportunity to grow our team further and are delighted to have Alex and Ani on board.
Alex Monaghan Sustainability Consultant
“Joining the Davies Partnership team represents an exciting step in my career. I’m eager to contribute my skills and experience to our projects. So far I have enjoyed the supportive atmosphere and learning new things such as Part O.
Ani Kocsis Sustainability Consultant
“I am really enjoying working here. Everyone is very approachable and easy to talk to & have a laugh with. They also help out when I’m struggling with something by explaining it to me in a way I can understand easier.
Apprenticeships
In our last issue, we discussed our search for an Apprentice and we’re pleased to report our findings. We had a really healthy uptake in applications, and it was a truly inspiring experience to meet so many aspiring engineers with a passion for Engineering and the Digital Built Environment.
With a skills shortage industry-wide, we felt compelled to contribute to a solution. The role of an MEPS engineer has historically been misunderstood or has been a career that many have found inaccessible, but after engaging with some fantastic young people recently we believe a great talent pool is there for us to tap into in the coming years. With so many opportunities, regulation changes & the incredible emphasis on providing a sustainable built environment, Building Services Engineers have come to the forefront of the construction industry and are in high demand.
Over the next 5 years, our star apprentice will spend 80% of their working week under the expert guidance of our engineering and sustainability teams, with the other day spent at Liverpool John Moores University learning. And who is this talented individual? Find out this Autumn
Promotions
Please join us in congratulating two very talented members of the team for receiving recent promotions.
Rebecca Dolan Business & HR Administrator
Possibly the most organised person in the office, Rebecca joined the team in 2018 and has been an essential part of the day-to-day running of the business. She has excelled in business support and now takes on the responsibility of HR administration too.
“
Since joining Davies Partnership 5 years ago, I feel my knowledge of the whole industry has grown rapidly. I have learnt so much from my peers and manger, and I’m very thankful for their help and support. I am so grateful for my promotion within the business and hope to learn many more skills!
James Chaffer Principal Mechanical Engineer
Having started his career as a Heating & Ventilation Engineer, James has risen through the ranks at Davies Partnership and, over the last 13 years, has been instrumental in not only leading high-value projects but mentoring the generation of engineers coming through our doors.
“
I enjoy being part of the Davies Partnership Team and am honoured that my hard work has been rewarded with my recent promotion. I have been trusted to lead some of our biggest projects recently and am excited about our future plans.
A company’s employees are its greatest asset, and your people are your product. “ “
Opportunites...
Like any progressive SME, we are ever-growing and, as such, are always on the look out for new talent, so it’s worth dropping us a line if you’d like to join us. You might be just that someone we never knew we needed. contact@daviespartnership.co.uk
In Other News
Walter says I DO
Huge Congratulations to Senior Electrical Engineer, Walter Holmes and his new wife Amber! The pair tied the knot on Thursday 4th July at the idyllic Soughton Hall.
Work Experience
In July, Ella joined us for two weeks work experience, working alongside the Marketing & Business teams. Concentrating on business support skills & marketing. Ella enjoyed time working with various members of the team, gaining real life experiences of the working environment. She especially enoyed working with Jessica on a Marketing Campaign for an event. She also joined Tony & Jessica and attended the Liverpool Developers Forum hosted by Liverpool City Council at the Everyman Theatre.
ISO Accreditations
Following another successful audit in the Spring we are extremely pleased to report that we retained our ISO 9001 (quality) , 45001 (Health and Safety) and 14001 (Environmental) accreditations. This is testament to the processes that we have in place that make our business operate efficiently day by day.
Ani walks for a cure!
On Sunday 7th July Ani took part in Walk For A Cure to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s Research UK. The 5k walk around Sefton Park, was one of several fundraising walks taking place across the UK this summer. These family-friendly events are more than just a walk in the park, they’re a collective journey towards a cure for dementia. Thanks to the support of the team & her wider network, Ani was able to raise £235 exceeding her goal of £150! The walk in Liverpool managed to raise £41,935 and all together throughout the UK they have helped to raise huge £236,286 . This has now funded 7534 hours of lab time to help cure Alzheimer’s sooner.
Davies Partnership successfully appointed to £1.5 billion Innovation Chain North Framework
Davies Partnership successfully appointed to £1.5 billion Innovation Chain North Framework
Davies Partnership has been appointed by Great Places Housing Group to its Innovation Chain North (ICN) framework of contractors and consultants for the next 4 years.
The £1.5 billion framework has been designed to support delivery of new homes across the north of England, not only to support Great Places’
affordable development programme but also other Housing Associations operating across the north of England.
One of the 103 contractors and consultants from the 206 that applied to be successful, Davies Partnership were selected based on technical competence, price and commitment to social value.
NHF & CIH :
HOUSING COMMUNITY SUMMIT 2024
The hottest ticket in town this year seems to be the newly formed Housing Summit this September at Liverpools ACC Exhibition Centre. Tony, Kevin & Jessica will all be in attendence, so please get in touch if you would like to catch up while we are there.
Commenting on their appointment Commercial Director Kevin Fields said:
“We are delighted to have been appointed onto the ICN Framework. Many of our colleagues and partners within the industry have had excellent success on the previous framework, so once we heard the whispers of the introduction of an M&E design lot, it was a high priority for us to target an appointment. To be appointed on both the East & West lots, is testament to the hard work of our talented team and representative of the reputation we have built in relation to Quality. We are really excited to engage with all the new and existing stakeholders over the next four years.”
Joanne Whitehead, Great Places’ Development Performance Manager, responsible for managing the framework, added:
“We are delighted to be working with Davies Partnership on our new ICN framework. We are confident they will be able to work with us and the clients of ICN in delivering the sector’s extensive development ambitions in the North.”
The new £1.5 billion framework will run until June 2028.
