Jersey Post Group Magazine | Autumn 2023
KEY FEATURES: - The future is bright - Full speed ahead for Island mail - David McGrath off on a new adventure! - Jersey Child Care Trust - JPGL launches new website - Homegrown talent
We set sail over 50 years ago Part of the Jersey Post Group, JPGL offers a complete range of international postal, cross-border logistics and eCommerce services to clients worldwide. Visit jpgl.com today.
Delivering the world www.jpgl.com
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the autumn edition of Delivered.
I hope you all had a wonderful summer! As we move into final months of 2023, we take the opportunity in this issue of Delivered to reflect upon the recent changes in the business and the positive outcomes that lie ahead. Julie Thomas, Managing Director of Postal and Logistics, gives us an overview of the new mail services and how the team have ensured that it’s business as usual for mail on the Island as we move fully to a ferry service. We take a closer look at the new and improved JPGL website in a sit-down chat with Senior Marketing Manager, Sonia Ferri. In this edition, we also say farewell to some of our long serving colleagues in the Jersey office as they move on to new opportunities. With every ‘goodbye’ comes a new ‘hello’ and with that in mind we welcome new Non-Executive Director Ian Truesdale to the Jersey Post Group Board. We get to know Toby Clyde-Smith, HR Partner and lead of Group Learning and Development, and gain insight into the latest HR initiatives, and the team’s strategy going forward. In this issue you will also find an update from the Jersey Charity Committee on the work they have been doing to raise funds for Jersey Child Care Trust. The charity’s Executive Director, Fiona Vacher, also sheds light on the valuable work her team are doing in Jersey. I hope you enjoy reading all of the latest news around the Group. On a personal note, I would like to bid a fond farewell to everyone, it has been a pleasure working with you, and I look forward to hearing all about the Group’s future successes. Best wishes,
3
CONTENTS
THE FUTUR E IS BR IGHT TH E FUTU R E IS PEO PLE
6
PU B L IS H ER S Jersey Post Group Postal Headquarters JERSEY JE1 1AA
ED I TO R David McGrath, Chief Commercial Officer.
S U B ED I TO R
12
Sonia Ferri, Senior Marketing Manager Angela Hamon, Marketing Manager
DESIGN & PR O D U C T I O N TPA
CO N TAC T US marketing@jerseypost.com
Please recycle this magazine.
4
FU LL S PE E D AH E AD FO R IS L AN D M AI L
16
DAVI D MCGR ATH O FF O N A N E W ADVE NTU R E!
22
GE T TI NG TO K NOW… IAN TRUESDALE
CONTENTS
Contents R ACH E L B I DS FAR E WE LL
30
24
40
LO N G S E RVE RS
46
U NWR APPE D DAVID L AWR ENCE
48 H OM EGROWN TALE NT
R AIS I N G FU N DS
34
50
J E RS E Y CH I LD C AR E TR US T
36
J P GL L AUNCHES NE W WEBSITE
N E WS B ITES
58 VAI I E K I N GS
60
5
AR M E D FO RCES R ES E RVES DAY
F E AT U R E
T H E FU T U R E IS B R I G H T
6
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
T H E FU T U R E IS PEO PL E
Delivered caught up with Group Learning and Development HR Partner, Toby Clyde-Smith, who joined the business on 22 March 2023. In this interview, we get to know the newest member of the HR Team based in Jersey, discuss the latest HR initiatives and the team’s strategy going forward. »
7
F E AT U R E
IN ORDER FOR US TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF? I was born in London, my parents are originally from Jersey, and we moved back to the Island when I was three, so Jersey has always been home to me. At eight I went to boarding school at a Benedictine monastery in West Sussex. I was there for ten years before I came back to Jersey for one year and then headed off to university. I had always loved Jersey and felt it was home, so after university I came back here and started playing semi-professional rugby for the Jersey Reds, I loved the sporting environment and it was a privilege playing for the Island, but after five years and one too many injuries it was time to move on to the next thing.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER BACKGROUND? After playing rugby, I then went into finance, specifically business development. After one year in the role, the company I worked for gave me a great opportunity to go to London to help set up their business development hub. It was a tough start. There was only myself and my line manager in the office and it was a very challenging environment. My manager wasn’t sure I was up to the and on my first day he didn’t speak with me at all. Shortly after arriving I had an email from the HR Team to say my manager didn’t like my tie and requested that I go home and change it. I spent the next two and half hours on a round trip home to change my tie and come back. A few days later he asked me to take the lead on winning big business from a potential client coming in the following week. I spent the rest of the week and the weekend putting my all into a presentation as the CEO said it would secure my position here or I’d be gone. No pressure! After all the work I put into it, when the day arrived, he welcomed the clients in and before I stepped into the boardroom, he advised me that I wasn’t needed and told me he would handle it. It was a tough start to the business development hub, a tricky environment, but it all worked out in the end. The BD hub was a success and I spent six years in the role, I learned a lot and built up my skills, as well as my resilience! Everything changed for me career wise when a company called ‘The Positive Group’ was hired to assess our company’s culture as we had a very high staff turnover, and the senior members of the business were keen to understand why. The Positive Group were a group of clinical psychologists based in London that were adept at helping companies whose employees were struggling with burnout and stress. They come into our business to review the culture, the design, the working relationships. They did a full analysis of the business, and were extremely warm and engaging, they worked with us to do interventions and fix some of the problems within the business so we could really boost engagement and improve the working environment for everyone. It was a fascinating process and afterwards I was in awe, I just thought I would love to do something like this. I then approached the company and said if you have any openings I would love to work with you guys. They immediately invited me in to pitch to their senior executive team about what I would do within their business to improve it and that was it, they offered me the job! They really invested in me and paid for me to do a conversion masters degree while working for them at the same time. So, I did full-time work alongside fulltime study and it was the best decision I made. During the pandemic, I moved back to Jersey with my wife so we could be closer to family and then we had our daughter Delilah who is now two and a half and we have a baby boy on the way in October. When we moved back to Jersey, I was initially working remotely with The Positive Group but I missed having a team around me and going into a working environment so I moved to a role in Government of Jersey alongside Steve Scott. When he moved to Jersey Post, he advised me of an opening coming up at the start of 2023 and the rest, as they say, is history.
8
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
HOW HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR FIRST FEW MONTHS AT JERSEY POST? Great, my role is like a blank canvas, with a mix of Learning & Development and HR. There is so much scope for where we can take the business on a journey, creating a great working culture for everyone across the Group and implementing a Learning and Development Programme that is readily accessible to everyone across the business. COVID-19 clearly had a huge impact on the culture within Jersey Post and we have a lot of work to do to repair the damage done, but there is a lot of great people prepared to do the work and foster a thriving environment that everyone wants to be a part of.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECTS OF THE JOB SO FAR? The people at Jersey Post are fantastic, everyone has been so welcoming and genuinely are really good people. The HR team has been very supportive since I started, in particular, Toni Stephens who represents everything good about this organisation – she has time for everyone, is really competent and cares hugely about what happens here. There are also so many diverse areas within the business that I have loved getting to know. Vaiie is in their own space doing some fascinating work, JPGL in the UK is finding its feet still as a new joined up business, encompassing what used to be HICs and Fraser Freight and it’s exciting to be involved with that. Jersey Post is still in a transition from the previous CEO and business is on the cusp of laying the foundations for their next journey, so it’s a great time to be involved with the Group as a whole.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE KEY PRIORITIES OF THE PEOPLE STRATEGY, ‘LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT’, ‘WELLBEING’ AND ‘DIVERSITY’ DEVELOPING MOVING FORWARD? These are definitely still priorities for the business, however, before we can take them any further, we need to lay the groundwork, deciding the kind of culture we want to adopt within Jersey Post so we can take it forward in the best way possible and take these key areas as far as we can. Now, we have the opportunity to be proactive, we just need to decide which particular framework we would like to follow as a business, what best represents where we want this organisation to be, and there are so many great ones out there to choose from. At the moment, wellbeing initiatives have been anecdotal, a response to a situation where we step in and try to help. With regards to learning and development, I would say we are at an analysis stage, discovering what kind of development is attractive to everyone in the business and ensuring it appeals to everyone. With regards to diversity, we will be looking at this in future when we have more resource available. The key priority is establishing the bigger picture, the right framework, that all aspects of the People Strategy fit into and then moving forward from there.»
9
F E AT U R E
WHAT HR INITIATIVES CAN COLLEAGUES IN THE GROUP LOOK FORWARD TO IN FUTURE? We are working on a digital transformation to make HR more easily accessible. In the near future, we have the launch of HR Connect, a digital platform for colleagues to easily raise HR queries online and the launch of the MyView app, a quick and simple way to access your pay information and update your personal details. And there is much more to look forward to over the next year.
AS THE HEAD OF THE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, CAN YOU LET US KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP? Not at the moment, we are still trying to lay the foundations for a great learning and development strategy. First, we need to capture the data and information that tells us which training will be the most beneficial to the business and everyone within it. We also need to discover which learning methods appeal most to colleagues and ensure we have an option that caters to everyone. Everyone responds to different things, some people like a podcast, some are more visual and prefer online learning or videos and some prefer a classroom environment. Our key focus is finding out what will work best and progressing from there, putting a platform in place that will encompass everyone’s needs. We are also working towards launching a management development programme. This will allow managers in the business who have been promoted due to their skillset and talent to develop further as a manager, helping to elevate their management skills and giving them the right tools to support their team. Overall, we’re aiming to establish what the business’s training priorities are, understand how we can elevate that and then we are able to put the right tools in place.
WHEN YOU AREN’T BUSY WITH ALL THINGS RELATED TO JERSEY POST, WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL DAY OFF LOOK LIKE? That’s very simple! Being with my family, my daughter, my wife and dog and just going out to enjoy one of the many lovely beaches in Jersey. I would probably bring my paddle board and get active, take my daughter out on it, and just enjoy the coastline, a fun family day at the beach!
10
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
We can do great things when we strive for the best. INSIGHT FROM TOBY… THE STORY OF TOTO WOLFF SHOULD RESONATE WITH ALL ORGANISATIONS… Toto Wolff is head of Mercedes F1 team. When he went to interview for the role in Mercedes, which was in disarray at the time, they were looking for someone to come in and just completely transform them into a winning F1 team. He was sitting in the reception area before his interview and when the interviewer invited him in, he said, ‘Before I come through, I want to say you’ve asked me here to transform this organisation to a winning one. Winning starts with an attention to every detail. It includes the waiting room. There’s an empty cup of used coffee over there, and the magazines on the table are one day out of date. Until you care about every little thing that happens you won’t have a chance. You will start to win when you pay attention to all the small things.’ Toby adds, ‘I think this applies to everything we do. We shouldn’t just accept that there are ways of doing things and continue on with that because that is how it has always been done. We can do great things when we strive for the best.’
11
F E AT U R E
Full speed ahead for Island mail. W
ith recent changes to transport of inbound and outbound mail for Jersey, we have moved fully to transport via ferry service. Jersey Post’s Managing Director of Postal and Logistics, Julie Thomas, provides an overview of the new services and how the team has ensured that it’s business as usual for mail on the Island. »
12
FULL SPEED AHEAD
13
F E AT U R E
How will mail arrive in and depart from the Island going forward? The ferry service is already tried and tested and meets the needs of most of our Island customers. There are now two daily ferry services carrying mail in and out of the Island; the pre-existing inbound ferry service arrives on the Island each evening and morning, and these will now also carry mail that would have gone by air. For all outgoing mail, the ferry service to the UK departs in the evening and arrives in the UK the following morning for processing. How often does the ferry service carry mail? There are five outbound (Jersey to UK) and six inbound (UK to Jersey) services per week, Monday to Saturday. This means that there is minimal impact on the way in which customers post and receive their items. Of course, as an Island-based postal operator, we must be conscious of adverse weather, as we were with the mail plane and often hindering fog issues. However, with the frequency of the ferry service, there will be another sailing within the same 12 hours for mail to be moved to when the need arises.
14
How long will it take for items to arrive in Jersey from the UK? From its point of arrival in the Island on the evening ferry, first-class mail is processed early the following morning, for delivery on the same day. Second class items are processed throughout the day following arrival in the Island, with delivery the next day. Ultimately, it takes one day following arrival in the Island for first-class mail to be received and two days following arrival for delivery of second-class mail items. How long will it take for mail items to arrive in the UK? As a business, we have redesigned our operational processes to ensure a timely and efficient turnaround service for mail leaving the Island. All outbound mail will be despatched Monday to Friday on the evening boat providing that items arrive at Postal HQ ahead of the cut-off time. All items received at our island-wide post offices that make cut-off times below will be processed for despatch on the boat the same day.
FULL SPEED AHEAD
All mail will arrive in the UK the following morning and be injected into the Royal Mail network the same day for processing.
LOCATIONS
CUT OFF TIMES FOR SAME DAY DESPATCH
Postboxes
10:00
Sub post offices
16:00
Broad Street
17:00
Rue des Pres
18:00
All mail will arrive in the UK the following morning and be injected into the Royal Mail network the same day for processing. It is very difficult to provide exact timescales for off-island delivery due to a number of uncontrollable factors, including, customers meeting collection cut-off times for same day despatch, adverse weather, boat delays/cancellations, early tide times, customs delays, road transport delays/accidents and processing methods within the Royal Mail network and destination countries. With all these factors taken into consideration, we say that realistically customers should expect that items to the UK, other CI and IoM can take up to 3-5 working days, to Europe up to 7-10 working days and to Rest of World destinations up to 10-12 working days. Does Jersey Post still provide a premium courier service? Yes. We have worked with our courier partner, FedEx, to design a process to continue to provide a service for the Island. The new service utilises links from Jersey to Portsmouth which means that international products are unaffected by the change and that the UK domestic product becomes a 48-hour service. Customers will still be able to take advantage of all the added benefits of the service, such as full end-to-end tracking, and multiple delivery attempts. Do you foresee any further changes to the mail service going forward? With the recent changes to airmail for Jersey, we have focused on the priority needs of our customers, but we will continue to look at long-term sustainable solutions. There may be further changes, but if there are, they will be further improvements to the service which meet the needs of our customers. Our goal remains, as always, to provide the best possible service to Islanders.
15
F E AT U R E
16
NEW ADVENTURE
David McGrath sets off on a new adventure! AFTER SIX YEARS AS JERSEY POST’S CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER DAV I D M CG R AT H I S E XC I T E D TO S E E W H AT T H E N E X T C H A P T E R H O L DS .
17
F E AT U R E
Overall, though, the achievement I’m most proud of is building a great team! What have you enjoyed the most about your time with Jersey Post? I have loved seeing the business grow from where it was in 2017, when I joined, to where it is today, notwithstanding the fact that we all know 2023 has been a difficult trading year. The business has grown from what could be considered a small postal operator, which is great in itself, but also the bigger picture strategy has been culminated, moving against the terminal decline of our core products to grow on an international level. It has been an exciting adventure to say the least.
You have been involved with various areas of the business, growing the International brand, leading Philatelic, Products, Fetch and the Marketing Team what would you say is the achievement that you are most proud of from your time with Jersey Post? I would say I am most proud of the people in my team and how they have grown over the years, they are all brilliant professionals. They already were when they joined the business, but I have really enjoyed seeing them take ownership of their responsibilities and development, and grow in their own departments, because of that they have made my job easier. We have also won several awards over the years for our international business, and we won the Philatelic Campaign of the Year at World Post and Parcel Awards in 2022. Another achievement that really resonated with me was our initiative to keep the Island connected during the pandemic with free postcards, to encourage islanders to reach out to one another to say, ‘thinking of you’ or to someone working in a front-line business, ‘thank you’. Overall, though, the achievement I’m most proud of is building a great team!
18
NEW ADVENTURE
Over your years of experience in marketing and communications has there been anything in particular that has taken you by surprise or challenged you in ways that you didn’t expect whilst at Jersey Post? I think every day at Jersey Post presents its own set of challenges. I think when you’re the face of a company like Jersey Post, which is reaching out to 45,000 households and 5000 businesses on a daily basis, then the challenges come thick and fast. Maintaining open communications and marketing our brand within the community, whilst negating operational, competitor and even weather challenges can be tricky to say the least. A very unexpected challenge, however, occurred in 2022, as a result of the Ukraine war. Jersey Post answered an urgent call to help deliver 200 oxygen concentrators, left over from the COVID-19 response in Jersey, to Poland to help with aid efforts in Ukraine. We worked with Jersey Overseas Aid to get the equipment to Warsaw, from there it was transported across the border into Ukraine by Crown Agents, Jersey Overseas Aid’s specialist logistics and procurement partner. Jersey Post’s offer to get this equipment to the Crown Agents warehouse literally saved lives, those are circumstances that you never expect to come up, but with the team effort, Jersey Post was tremendous in rising to the occasion.
What has been your most memorable day working for Jersey Post? A particular highlight for me is how the business pulled together during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I vividly remember sitting in our office when the news broke that Jersey was going into lockdown, and it was incredible how everyone pulled together. Jersey Post operations were part of the frontline of service throughout the pandemic. The way they remained tirelessly dedicated in a very daunting time was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen and had the privilege to be a part of. Equally, the support teams upstairs also joined forces with our team downstairs, spending hours putting in shifts to provide help and support. Ultimately, Jersey Post colleagues put their lives and health at risk to make sure the Island stayed connected. It struck me at this time that I was part of something very special, a part of an organisation that truly demonstrates generosity of spirit and is really embedded in the community. Of course, as a marketing person, our job is to create these stellar perceptions of how a business is perceived, but the reality is Jersey Post showed tremendous heart and dedication. This is the core of Jersey Post, and it remains the same today. During that time, Jersey Post managed to pivot its business model as a response to the pandemic, which lasted two years, and we remained successful throughout; it was a remarkable achievement.
19
F E AT U R E
What will you miss most about working at Jersey Post? The people. There are so many great people in the organisation, and at the end of the day, it’s the people that make a business great. If you have good people that you trust and you can believe in and consistently see the effort and hard work they put into everyday tasks, then these are the people that make a company sustainable. At present, Jersey Post is making its way through turbulent times; however, with the fantastic workforce here, it will help turn the tide, and the business will turn around again. What do you hope to see for the future of the business? I hope to see Jersey Post continue to thrive, grow, and deliver an excellent service for the people of Jersey and beyond. I hope to see international business continue to expand. I hope to see our digital business, Vaiie, which is already supporting government on numerous initiatives, continue to evolve and become the powerhouse that I know it will be. I think Vaiie has a brilliant and exciting future, and what Lee and the team have done to establish the business is impressive. Overall, I hope to see the Group return to profit, and I am confident it will; all the right mechanisms are in place to make sure that happens. What are your plans for the future? I’m joining the Coop Group as Chief Marketing Officer. In a lot of ways, the role reminds me of the challenges I faced when first joined Jersey Post, so I’m excited by that. I’m looking forward to transferring the skills I have learned during my time here and transferring them to my new position.
20
Global coverage. Local expertise.
APG Global is a full-service, customer focused, logistics provider specialising in shipping, handling, customs clearance, and delivery solutions in one all-inclusive, easy-to-use service. Strategically located in the heart of Miami freight district, we are just minutes away from the Miami International Airport, neighboring key ocean carriers and steamship line facilities. Our primary network spans throughout Central America, South America and the Caribbean, where we have successfully appointed top-level strategic partners in each respective territory.
www.apg-global.com
Europe North America South America Middle East Far East Australia
F E AT U R E
Getting to know…
J
ersey Post Group have appointed a new Non-Executive Director, Ian Truesdale. Ian is a senior executive with over 35 years of international experience in the supply chain and logistics industry, and consultancy.
Delivered asked Ian a quick fire round of questions, to help our colleagues get to know him a little better. »
22
G E T T I N G T O K N O W…
An organisation like Jersey Post is so reliant on its people, their skills and passion, and all the people I have met here are amazing!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I am originally from Northern Ireland, but moved with my family to Somerset when I was nine years old. I was a keen runner, rugby player and also played the trumpet at school. After school I went on to university in London to study Aeronautical Engineering. Now, I live in Hampshire with my wife and dog, I have two grown-up daughters and enjoy playing mediocre tennis! What is your career background and where have you worked previously? I previously worked for Westland Helicopters and Toyota then decided to do an MBA. Afterwards, I worked as a strategy management consultant in the UK and in the USA. I later started working in logistics in a global role for Exel and then following that I moved to The Netherlands to join the board of TNT Logistics, which later became CEVA. From this role I then joined Kuehne Nagel Group, and my current role is now the Managing Director of Unipart Logistics. What excited you about joining The Jersey Post Group Board? I am excited to join the board of Jersey Post because it gives me an opportunity to spend time supporting Mark and the senior management team as we navigate the complex and competitive logistics world that we operate in. For those readers that are unsure, what are the duties of a non-executive director (NED)? As a NED my role is to bring external, objective experience, with hopefully insightful advice and challenge, with the goal of helping the organisation be successful in the implementation of its strategy. An organisation like Jersey Post is so reliant on its people, their skills and passion, and all the people I have met here are amazing!
23
F E AT U R E
Rachel bids farewell TO TH E WO R LD O F P H I L AT E LY ! H OW WO U L D YO U S U M U P YO U R L A S T N I N E Y E A R S AT J E R S E Y P OS T ? I have loved working at Jersey Post, I don’t think I have ever worked anywhere else where the people are so friendly and approachable, and for the most part everybody seems to genuinely enjoy what they are doing. It’s a lovely place to work and I will really miss everyone. When I joined Jersey Post, I didn’t even know what Philately was, I learned so much in my time here, I’ve met lots of fantastic people from postal operations around the globe, I’ve worked with incredible artists, travelled to some really interesting places for SEPAC conferences, including Lichtenstein, which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do otherwise. To sum up my time here I would say great people, wonderful experiences, and I will miss everyone.
24
W I T H A L M OS T A D E C A D E S P E N T AT T H E CO M PA N Y, W H AT I S T H E AC H I E V E M E N T YO U A R E M OS T P R O U D O F ? I think there have been lots of wonderful achievements for the team over the years, what I would say is I am unbelievably proud of the Philatelic team’s resilience and consistency in delivering a high quality stamp programme, even during turbulent times. We’ve had staffing changes, the outsourcing of the Bureau and the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II to contend with, but the team has remained steadfast throughout it all, and our customers have had minimal impact, if any.
RACHEL BIDS FAREWELL
25
F E AT U R E
W H AT I S YO U R FAVO U R I T E S TA M P I S S U E AND WHY?
W H AT I S YO U R M OS T M E M O R A B L E E X PE R I E N C E WO R K I N G AT J E R S E Y P OS T ?
I really loved the Frankenstein stamp issue it was great working with the design agency to produce the iconic scenes from Mary Shelley’s novel across the stamp set. We also did a lenticular miniature sheet which was a new print technique for us to use, and it really gave the miniature sheet that extra something special. I’m also a huge fan of the Christmas stamp issues, it’s very hard to select one particular stamp issue, however, if I had to, I would say it is the ‘A Traditional Christmas’ stamp issue. These stamps were designed by Ladybird books illustrator, Ruth Palmer, and they inspired a wonderful sense of nostalgia for simpler times. Set in the 1950s and 1960s, the artwork on the stamps depicts traditional festive activities, including bringing home the Christmas tree, making the Christmas cake and carol singing; things that bring the family together.
It’s really hard to narrow this down, but, I would say there have been two particularly memorable experiences. The first being within my initial two weeks of joining the business, the Head of Philatelic at the time asked me to go with her to Lichtenstein to the SEPAC conference, to really immerse myself in the world of Philately. At the time, I remember thinking, when else in your life would you ever get the chance to visit a country like Lichtenstein? It was a new job, new people and suddenly I’m have this wonderful European experience. We had a tour round a ski museum and a lovely dinner with everybody. Again, the overriding cornerstone of the entire trip was just how nice everybody was. I met people from the Faroe Islands, from Ireland, from Greenland, from Luxembourg, from Vatican City, all these small postal operators coming together to share concepts for the future of Philately.
My role in Philatelic let me have a great outing at a time when the world was very uncertain
26
RACHEL BIDS FAREWELL
The second very memorable experience occurred during Lockdown. We had a stamp issue coming up around the theme of tractors, a lot of our collectors love transport themes. It was incredibly difficult to go out and do thorough research on the subject during the pandemic, the Steam Museum was closed, no one was allowed to socialise indoors. Eventually, I came across a gentleman in an old parish magazine, the Trinity Tractor Man! I reached out to him, and he kindly invited me over to his house as he had his own collection of tractors, he even allowed me to bring my young son at the time, who was incredibly excited to get up close to tractors. The gentleman and his wife are really lovely people, they showed us around all of their tractors and allowed us back for a second visit, when the chap actually pulled the tractor out into the field, turned on the steam engine and let my son sit in it. Not only was it a fantastic work trip but I also left having had a wonderfully memorable experience with my eldest son. We learned everything imaginable about the tractors, explored the farm, collected some eggs, visited a beehive and tasted the honey. My role in Philatelic let me have a great outing at a time when the world was very uncertain, it was lovely, and we had a fantastic stamp issue at the end of it!
Rachel is leaving Jersey Post to spend some precious time looking after her two beautiful young boys, Joshua (5) and Toby (nearly 2). We want to wish Rachel all the best and enjoy the time with your lovely family!
27
J E R S E Y S TA M P S
JERSEY STAMPS SHOWCASE THE WONDER OF MINIATURES Jersey Stamps has recently released a stamp issue that shines a light on the Island’s wonderful community, the issue focuses on beautiful creations by the Jersey Dolls House and Miniatures Club, and their masterpieces have been captured by locally based, award-winning photographer, Glen Perrotte. For the seasoned philatelist, a love of collecting small works of art is all too familiar. Stamp collectors are well acquainted with the joy that comes from witnessing the precision and beauty of tiny, perfect things. Miniature items teach us to appreciate more with less, and many find that there is nothing more satisfying than getting out the magnifying glass and taking in every element of a stamp design. This passion crosses over into many types of hobbies and collections. From model railways to Lego, often the love of small things leads to the desire to build or craft your own, and it is this desire that drives the members of the Jersey Dolls House and Miniatures Club.
28
Rebekah Matheson, Philatelic & Marketing Research Executive comments: “The issue is fun, quirky, and different to anything we have previously produced; its creation was a joyful experience, which I believe is represented in the final artwork. We are so glad that the club approached us with their ideas and grateful for Glen’s vision in bringing the scenes to life.” Set up in 1998, the club brought together several Jersey creatives who are passionate about miniatures and wanted a space to work collaboratively and share their craft. Far from child’s play, the dollhouse hobby comprises two main branches, collecting and crafting, and both are represented in the interests of the Jersey club. The members work diligently to a 1:12 scale, meaning that every foot in our world is scaled down to an inch in the dollhouse world. This attention to detail creates some stunningly detailed and lifelike items, as represented in the six stamps of this set. Members of the club have made award-winning scenes for national dollhouse competitions, and they are often found showcasing at various events and galleries around the Island.
J E R S E Y S TA M P S
The items photographed for the stamp issue present the expertise of the club members, showcasing a number of different techniques, materials and design styles. The 60p stamp highlights club member Beverly Lelai’s keen interest in hand-crafting miniature foods from FIMO, an oven-hardening modelling clay and choice crafting material for many miniaturists. The first 98p stamp shows the deft skill of club chairperson Sue Deans, who knits tiny clothing items on wire-thin needles with threads of silk and fine cotton. Club Founding member Sally Reading is an expert in crafting with cold porcelain and creates stunningly lifelike foods and flowers as seen on the second 98p and £2.55 stamps. A satchel cleverly reworked out of old leather by Odette Gardner is found among other office staples on the £1.65 stamp, and the delightful reworking of old materials by Pauline Falla can be seen in the tiny bowl of craft items found on the £1.85 stamp.
Photographer Glen Perotte, adds, “When Jersey Post asked me to create the photography for their new stamp collection, I jumped at the opportunity. I was asked to photograph close-ups of the miniature objects, but I could see how we could take this even further, by crafting imaginative dioramas. From inception to fruition, I enjoy bringing ideas to a vibrant reality, and this project offered the perfect canvas for my creative ambitions.” The members of the Jersey Dolls House and Miniatures Club have forged a unique and inspiring space to share their passion for small things. Through their dedication to detail and craftsmanship, they have created a world of miniature beauty that is both captivating and awe-inspiring. The stamps in this set are a testament to the skill and creativity of the club members, and a reminder of the joy that comes from appreciating the little things and it is fitting that their work has been captured on a set of Jersey Stamps.
29
F E AT U R E
Jersey Post Charity Committee Raising funds and having fun! The Jersey Post Charity Committee has been hard at work this year raising funds for their 2023 chosen charity, Jersey Child Care Trust (JCCT). Since the last edition of Delivered, there have been several events that colleagues have taken part in . This year so far, the Jersey Post’s charity committee have engaged in several fun, social fundraising events and are creating some superb volunteering opportunities for Jersey Post employees that enable everyone to make a difference to such an important cause.
Total funds raised so far this year
GUESS THE WEIGHT OF THE CHOCOLATE EASTER EGG!
£16,000 £14,000 £12,000
£13,707.39
£10,000 £8,000 £6,000 £4,000 £2,000
For Easter, Jersey Post commissioned a fabulous chocolate Fabergé egg from local chocolatier Chocadyllic and all colleagues were encouraged to pay to have a guess of the weight of the egg to be in with a chance to win the Belgian chocolate masterpiece. The hefty chocolate masterpiece weighed 3.453kg and a total of £210 was raised for JCCT. Pictured Sue Manning, Key Account Relationship Manager at Jersey Post.
£0,000
30
R A I S I N G F U N D S A N D H AV I N G F U N !
JERSEY POST AT THE RUGBY
KARAOKE NIGHT
In April, several of the Jersey Post charity committee members went to see the Jersey Reds play their final game of the season and raise some much-needed funds from the crowd. From shaking money tins and cake sales the team raised a fantastic £1500.
Jersey Post colleagues were invited to buy tickets for a fun-filled sing-a-long at the Up & Down Bar in St. Helier. Everyone was in great spirits on the night, each taking a turn on the mic and the committee raised £150 from the event.
Pictured Toni Stephens, Lucie Sicard, Denise Williams, Martin McCarthy and Garry Evans at the Jersey Reds rugby game on 29 April.
JCCT 25TH ANNIVERSARY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE In June, several members of the charity committee kindly donated their time to help Jersey Child Care Trust set up their 25th Anniversary celebration at Government House. From flower arranging, to selling raffle tickets, serving drinks and even being parking attendants, the team were on hand to ensure a smooth event for the charity. Pictured Angela Hamon and Lucie Sicard, creating flower arrangements at Government House.
31
F E AT U R E
WIMBLEDON (PUBLIC) RAFFLE AT BROAD STREET POST OFFICE With Wimbledon kicking off at the start of July, the committee jumped on board and created a fantastic Wimbledon themed picnic hamper worth £250. Members of the committee, with the addition of kind help from some of the HR Team and Broad Street colleagues, sold tickets to post office customers. The raffle draw was held on 14 July, with a member of the Jersey Gambling Commission selecting the lucky winner! The team managed to raise a fantastic £900. Pictured Tania Castro at Broad Street Post Office
USED STAMPS PUT TO GOOD USE Over the last couple of months, the used stamps Jersey Post has accumulated at their various donation points in post offices around the Island via kind customer donations have been packaged up and sent to stamp collectors and other charities, who have purchased them for a fantastic combined total of £556.
EMPLOYEE SUMMER RAFFLE An all-staff summer raffle was held with some fantastic prizes on offer for everyone at Jersey Post, including an overnight stay and dinner for two at one of the Dolan Hotels. A wonderful £716 was raised for JCCT.
THANK YOU! The Jersey Post charity committee would like to extend its thanks to all colleagues who have taken part in the various events or supported us with kind donations this year. We’ve still got a long way go to reach our £25k fund raising total for the year, but your support is making a huge difference!
There are plenty more fun events coming up for you to attend vor even get involved with. Volunteering at St Martin’s Bonfire Saturday 4 November. Please speak to a member of the Charity Committee or email charitycommittee@jerseypost.com if you would like to volunteer at the event. Christmas Raffle Date TBC Christmas Decorate Your Desk/Frame Competition Friday 15 December More details to follow on RedNet and via email!
32
Our services: • Food • Horticultural • Recycling • Alcohol • Healthcare & Pharmaceutical • Retail Woodside Logistics, La Rue Coutanche, Trinity, JERSEY, JE3 5DU Tel: +44 (0) 1534 865 969
Commercial & Domestic Freight Services Operating between the UK and the Channel Islands, Woodside Logistics provides a high quality customer focused freight service. Our team has the expertise to advise on all aspects of shipping, providing a service with the skill and experience our clients have come to expect.
F E AT U R E
Jersey Post’s chosen charity launches regular giving campaign to help more children in Jersey Our chosen charity for 2023, the Jersey Child Care Trust (JCCT) has launched a new Regular Giving Campaign to make it possible for us to join a monthly giving community to help shape children’s futures. Fiona Vacher “We want to make sure that every child who needs us can get our help. By launching our new Regular Giving Campaign you can make that happen, helping more lives take flight.” It takes just 13 people, giving £20 a month to help one child for a whole year to access JCCT’s support. That said, you can give whatever amount that you choose simply by visiting www.JCCT.org.je and joining. Donating monthly enables the charity to be able to plan ahead so that they can help every child who needs their support. The charity’s campaign focuses on helping children when it matters most, in their youngest years. Fiona Vacher, Executive Director of JCCT said “80% of your brain develops before you are three. This is when the foundations for a child’s future are made. This is when they learn to fly. We want to grow a regular giving community that will help more children’s lives take flight.”
34
JERSEY CHILD CARE TRUST
The charity wants to give every child their best start in life and has released a new video featuring four year old Holly, and her family. The video, which can be viewed on their website, shows the difference that the charity has made for Holly who has a rare genetic condition called Angelman Syndrome. Holly’s parents explain in the video that she has epilepsy, developmental delays, is nonverbal and struggles with a lot of basic tasks. Without JCCT’s support, Holly would not have been able to go to nursery, missing a crucial opportunity to learn and play alongside and with her friends. The video also features Holly’s Grandmother, Ruth. Ruth is one of the charity’s first Regular Givers who said “I support JCCT because they are truly life enhancing. They enable Holly to attend nursery school which has been invaluable in advancing her development. In September, Holly will be five which means she will no longer be under the auspices of JCCT but we will not be cancelling our standing order so that in some way we will be helping to support another child to achieve their potential”.
We want to make sure that every child who needs us can get our help. About Jersey Child Care Trust About JCCT’s regular giving campaign Anyone can join to donate monthly to JCCT. Simply visit jcct.org.je and click ‘Join Today’ or call us on 629901 to join over the phone. As part of our Regular Giving Community, supporters will get exclusive news and invites to JCCT events together with updates on the difference their donations make for children. Scan QR code to see JCCT’s new Regular Giving Video
The Jersey Child Care Trust is a local, registered children’s charity helping children to have their best start in life by providing a variety of programmes. Our vision that every child in Jersey has access to the nurture, care and learning they need to thrive. We support around 170 children a year in nurseries and preschools across Jersey.
Keeping in Touch Jersey Child Care Trust, Pip’s Place, 15 Union Street, St Helier, JE2 3RF Email: Fiona@jcct.org.je
www.jcct.org.je
35
F E AT U R E
JPGL launches new website and elevates brand In July, the Group launched a new website for the JPGL branch of the business. The website was the culmination of a six-month project headed up by Senior Marketing Manager, Sonia Ferri. Delivered sat down with Sonia to discuss the creation process, the end result and what it means for the business.
36
JPGL
WHAT PROMPTED THE NEED FOR A REVISED JPGL WEBSITE? At the start of 2022, our international business was rebranded to JPGL, following on from that, in 2023, we really want to focus on growing the brand and winning business. Our goal is to really penetrate the logistics market and in order to do this, we first looked at our business objectives and our core proposition. We wanted to streamline our main products, freight forwarding, customs, ETOEs, warehousing, and change our tactic from promoting end-to-end solutions, to pushing the individual products and showing that we are experts in these specific fields. We also needed to be better equipped to understand our customer base, so we asked ourselves questions such as, why do customers buy from us, is it the trust in the brand, is it the reliability of our services? With that understanding, we can really target our marketing to grow the brand and increase sales. With an idea of where we wanted the brand to be, we then looked at the tools we needed to get there. Understanding customers via tracking was not a capability the old website had, and we knew that with the right website functionality in place, we could overcome this barrier and have full visibility and identify pages that drive most traffic and which audiences were interested in which services. Another key objective was improving and developing our sales funnel. With all our objectives in mind, it led us to the conclusion that we had to launch a new and improved website to ensure better functionality, with a clearer and more concise product offering and then we could use the website as our main sales funnel.
With all our objectives in mind, it led us to the conclusion that we had to launch a new and improved website to ensure better functionality.
37
F E AT U R E
CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE STAGES INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THE NEW WEBSITE? Following our decision, we decided to engage a UK-based web agency who had experience in the logistics market. They did an audit of the old website and the feedback confirmed that we needed a redesign and restructure. The old website had pop-up pages that were not able to track the customer journey to provide insights and the technical structure didn’t support what we needed it to as a sales funnel. After the initial audit, the next stage was to hold some emerging workshops with key stakeholders to make sure that we fully understood our product offering and with that, understood the best way to sell our products going forward. One of the key outcomes from the initial workshops was that we wanted to make the website more personable and engaging, this led to the third stage in the development for us, which was a photoshoot in the UK, around the various locations, including at London Hub, Fareham and Quadra. We feel real life imagery of our actual business and the people that work within the business helps to build the trust around the brand, enabling customers to see who they are working with and making us more approachable. Once we had a detailed roadmap of our product offering, the selling concept and the new assets for the website, we handed this over to our UK-based web development agency. They built the website, and then our next stages of involvement followed with testing, and finally the launch. WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE NEW WEBSITE? We had the third-party web agency, The Creative Consultancy, who built the website, myself and the rest of the marketing team, and the key stakeholders from the Group’s international business, including Max Bailey, Jane Balducci, Mark Nightingale, Dave Wilson and Tracy Haywood. These individuals are the subject matter experts, so it was very important to have their input to make the website a great selling tool for all involved. WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY? The main challenge we faced was the timeline, we had the aim to launch the website half-way through the year so we could have a six-month review of its performance at the end of the year. The other challenge was learning a new CMS software. The old website used Umbraco, which the team and I are familiar with, the new JPGL website uses WordPress, so this has been a learning curve for us, to ensure we are able to be proactive, refresh content and make and updates to pages quickly when required. WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW AND OLD WEBSITE AND WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THESE DIFFERENCES? The obvious differences are the updated look, new content, streamlined product offerings and a more personable feel to the brand, but the biggest difference is the ability to track customers at each stage of their journey on the website. This information is going to have a huge impact on our ability to understand our audience and target our advertising to relevant customers. We can track whether they have come through to the website from Google, clicked on a paid advert or even LinkedIn. The information provided from Google Analytics helps us with digital paid advertising campaigns, which in turn helps us fulfil our sales funnel.
38
JPGL
Ultimately, our high-level objectives are to increase the brand awareness and increase sales. WHAT DOES THE BUSINESS HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH THE NEW WEBSITE? Ultimately, our high-level objectives are to increase the brand awareness and increase sales. With the new content on the website, we have improved SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and this will help with our objectives. Our new website is our new sales funnel, which overall, we hope to use to generate more sales leads. The customer journey is much sleeker and user friendly on the new website, enquiry forms are very straightforward, and we have improved our cross-selling experience. IS THE NEW WEBSITE PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGY FOR THE GROUP? The new website is a key component of growing our international business, and we hope by the end of 2023 to see evidence of improved lead generation. It will also help our name to resonate within the logistics industry as our improved SEO and PPC will put us firmly against our competitors. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECT OF THE NEW WEBSITE AND WHY? I would say the overall improved customer journey. The new website is much more user-friendly, allowing customers to easily navigate between various services and reach out for a quote in only a few steps. I’m also excited to see the tracking information, it will really help us to understand our audience and target them better. CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON HOW THE NEW WEBSITE IS GOING? In the first month of launch, we are already seeing big results from the new website and the digital advertising around it, across PPC, LinkedIn and our other social channels. There is no doubt, that by running the funnel model, having a strong upper funnel awareness strategy, this has trickled down to drive more leads coming through to the business.
39
F E AT U R E
Farewell to some of our long servers! OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WE H AVE SA I D GO O D BY E TO SOM E A M A ZI N G I N D IVI D UA L S WH O H AVE B E E N W I T H T H E B U S I N E S S F O R M A N Y, M A N Y Y E A R S . O N T H E I R L A S T D AY, DELIVERED CAUGHT UP WITH THEM TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THEIR T I M E W I T H I N T H E B U S I N E S S A N D W H AT T H E Y ’ V E G O T I N S T O R E N E X T.
40
FAREWELL TO SOME OF OUR LONG SERVERS
41
F E AT U R E
Mitch Batho and Steve Vincent pictured with their colleagues on their last day at Jersey Post.
Darren L’Enfant
Mitch Batho
After nearly 20 years, the time has come for Darren to bid his last farewell. Darren is a Processing Manager in the Operations department, but he first started down at Elizabeth Quay in Logistics on £5.85 an hour, hauling bags from one container to the next. In March 2011, he moved up to Rue des Pres, where he worked in PM processing and then AM processing before working his way up to manager for Western processing.
Mitch has been an employee of Jersey Post for a whopping 43 years! Mitch started as a Telegram Boy, and we believe he is one of the last ones still left here at Jersey Post. After two years, Mitch then moved to a bike round which he did for two years, followed by boxed letters for three years. Mitch then became a PHG and spent most of his career in that role, around 30 years, before moving back to a bike round for the remainder of his time here.
Darren is looking forward to spending some of his spare time fishing and in his beloved area of Le Hocq (pub).
Mitch is looking forward to retirement. He is excited to spend more time with his family and looks forward to a trip to Florida with his grandchildren soon. He also has family in Canada, so he will be taking a trip there too.
We wish you all the best, Darren! Thank you for your commitment to Jersey Post through the years!
As a keen cyclist/biker, Mike is looking forward to getting out on his bike, playing golf, and, last but not least, doing all the jobs his wife has lined up for him! Mitch – your dedication to Jersey Post has been second to none, and you have been an invaluable employee for many years. We wish you a happy and healthy retirement. You deserve it!
42
FAREWELL TO SOME OF OUR LONG SERVERS
Shout out to some of our other leavers, we wish them all well! Toby Tomes Job Title: Inward Processing Supervisor Other roles: Postal Worker Length of Service: 30Y 2M (14.05.1990) After Jersey Post: Toby has moved onto a new role in G4S.
Martin Farrell Job Title: Team Leader (RDP Front Counters) Other roles: Postal Worker Length of Service: 27Y 8M (23.10.1995) After Jersey Post: Martin has now retired.
Steve Vincent
Ian Elliott
On 4 August, we said goodbye to Steve Vincent after 31 years!
Job Title: Postal Worker Other roles: none Length of Service: 23Y 0M (13.06.2000) After Jersey Post: Taking some time off to decide what’s next.
Steve is retiring after 31 years of service. He has had a varied career at Jersey Post, starting in 1980 as a Clerical Officer. He moved into the Philatelic Bureau and then after that began working on the counters before becoming a bookkeeper for the business. Steve decided to take a career break in 1991 to go travelling around Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. When he returned, he came back to Jersey Post and worked on the coding desks as a Coding Desk Operator. At the time, this was a new automation on the letter sorter machine where the operator was tasked with typing in the postcodes of live mail. Steve joked that at the time those that worked on the coding desks were nicknamed “Metal Mickeys” because no one was used to this new automation technology. Steve would alternate his role and do two weeks on and off on the coding desks and a bike delivery. For the remainder of his time with us he was on bike delivery. During his time at Jersey Post, Steve was also voted postman of the year in 2016, 17 and 18. We wish Steve a long and happy retirement! He plans to spend his time on the golf course, with his beloved dog and going on holiday!
43
Shop Local Online. From food and drink, home and garden to health and experiences, we’ve got something for every occasion and to suit every budget! Under £30
Under £50
Gift Voucher Jersey ’s loc
al online ma
rketplace.
Looking for a special gift? Why not treat them to a Fetch Gift Voucher and let them choose what they really want. Whether it’s an overnight stay at St Brelade’s Bay Hotel, a tasty dinner from Air Mex or a necklace from Story by Rivoli, the options are endless with Fetch.
Shop local from the comfort of your home and discover a diverse range of products on Fetch from over 120 wonderful businesses. Gift Vouchers Click and Collect Island-wide Delivery
Under £80
Under £100
Visit Fetch.je to find out more. Part of the
UNWRAPPED
DAVID LAWRENCE Counter Clerk
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR ROLE?
W H AT M O T I V AT E S Y O U ?
The front counter is very varied, which I really enjoy. Within my role there are three main focuses:
Learning as much as possible. Gary Carroll (an ex-director of Jersey Post) once presented a course when I was on the sales team. He said there are basically three ways to make sales or be a sales person:
• Services, e.g. postage and parcel collection • Foreign currency • Customer service enquiries, lost, held, delayed goods.
• Be the cheapest option and people will come to you. • Be an order taker. The customer knows what they want and you fulfil that order. • Be an expert, people will come to you to because you know your subject inside and out and can advise the customer.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED? Postal headquarters baby! W H AT I S T H E M O S T I M P O R TA N T P A R T OF YOUR ROLE? To put the customer at ease by offering a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable service.
46
UNWRAPPED
W H AT ’ S T H E B E S T A D V I C E Y O U ’ V E EVER BEEN GIVEN?
F A V O U R I T E H O L I D AY D E S T I N AT I O N AND WHY?
Once at school, I got in trouble and had to visit the headmaster. He could have been strict with me but instead his approach was to speak to me like an adult. He explained that in life ‘you need to take the rough with the smooth – the good with the bad’. I’ve always been grateful to him for his handling of the situation and his wise words have often rung in my ears.
I love a holiday! The further away and remote the better. I have family and friends in Australia so I will say there. But, travelling on the trains around India is where I’m probably happiest. I like a challenge and to make my own discoveries, which is why a cruise is my idea of hell, led around by the nose, travelling without having earned it. When I was travelling in East Africa, I’d over hear the tour bus passengers talking to each other saying ‘which country are we in?’. I mean that was baffling! Myself and my wife, Adele, travelled around Africa for two and a half years in a Land Rover 130 with our dog. More recently, I travelled around India on the trains, which is a great way to see a country.
TEA OR COFFEE? Coffee in the morning. I need one first thing to be able to talk and walk! Tea in the afternoon. Irish coffee when out with friends! FAVO U R I T E T V S E R I E S O R M OV I E AND WHY? I find most modern TV shows ‘a one and done’ watch. The Breaking Bad / Game of Thrones style tv series are addictive but ultimately disposable. It’s the classics from my youth that I still watch and I’ve got my son Jules watching too. The Young Ones, Black Adder and Red Dwarf are all favourites.
W H AT D O Y O U L I K E T O D O I N Y O U R S PA R E T I M E ? I help out with the 2nd Jersey Scout Group, just down the road from Postal HQ. I’m an assistant leader with the Beavers, ages 6 – 8 years, and the cubs, ages 8 – 10 years. We have a lot of fun and the practical skills involved are a bonus.
I love my movies – all genres but from the 80s, especially the classic action movies. But to choose one single movie… I can’t do it. It depends on my mood or the season. NIGHT IN OR NIGHT OUT?
You need to take the rough with the smooth – the good with the bad.
Nights in are great but at my age that is practically every night. So it’s got to be out. I’m not fussed on eating as I eat every day, but preferably a party or live music with a theme. As a family we love any opportunity to dress up. We have a huge chest in the attic, bursting with fancy dress outfits and accessories. Over the years I have thrown some awesome parties, from our annual Eurovision and Halloween parties, to the more unusual like a Rocky Horror Show Party, where each invite came with a copy of the movie to provide some inspiration. That was a crazy party!
47
F E AT U R E
Homegrown With Jersey Post’s dedication to growth and development of its people we’ve had a few internal changes in the business recently. Delivered reached out to two of our colleagues that are moving into new roles within the business. Jake Ropers Business Development Manager Jake, you have recently moved to a new role within the business, can you tell us your new title and a bit about your new role?
Can you tell us what appealed to you about most about the move to the Business Development Team?
I’ve recently taken the role of Business Development Manager within Jersey Post. This has allowed me to see how other areas of Jersey Post operate, especially the commercial side. My new role allows me create relationships with others within the postal and logistics industry, especially when onboarding new clients.
The thing that appealed to me the most about my new role was the opportunity to progress within the business and to bring something new to the business development team. There were also some similarities to my previous role which made me believe that it was the correct step to take in my career.
Can you tell us what your previous role was within the business and what it involved?
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you like to do in your spare time?
My previous role within Jersey Post was in the AM Processing department, where I would go to the Airport and collect the mail. Upon arrival to Rue Des Pres, I would then do the “Inward Tick” role which consisted of entering and dealing with all Inward Royal Mail data.
I’m family orientated and love doing activities with my three-year-old daughter. In my spare time I enjoy running, watching football and riding anything on two wheels!
Do you think that you have learned anything from your previous role that will help you in your new role?
As much as I love keeping busy, my ideal day off consists of a morning run followed by relaxing at home.
I’ve learned a lot in my previous roles within the business and it will undoubtably aid me going forward. Understanding operational processes has already made the transition into my new role much easier.
48
What would you like to do on your ideal day off?
H O M E G R O W N TA L E N T
Talent Taylor Hunt Business Account Manager You will be moving to a new role within the business, can you tell us your new title and a bit about your new role?
Can you tell us what appealed to you about most about the new role?
I’ll be moving to the Business Account Manager role, essentially becoming the first point of contact for any local businesses. Managing these relationships and meeting customers’ needs.
I’d actually been engaged dealing with some of the business administration in the past, and when the chance came to delve deeper into it, I thought it was a brilliant opportunity to advance my skill set and add value to the business.
Can you tell us what your previous role was within the business and what it involved?
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you like to do in your spare time?
I used to work in customer care, the primary role was dealing with customer complaints. However, the role was so varied it went from depot searching, to figuring out how to charge international connections. I loved the variety of it.
I’m a big fan of the cinema, so I try and visit every month. Other than that I enjoy playing video games.
Do you think that you have learned anything from your previous role that will help you in your new role? I think my primary lesson is how to deal with disgruntled customers, there are so many ways a discussion can go. The ability to read the situation and respond effectively is invaluable.
49
What would you like to do on your ideal day off? Ideally, I like to have a nice lie in! I love a good fry up, then a little walk to people watch, I’d finish it off with a quick pint with my dad.
NEWS BITES
Let’s celebrate... We are excited to announce that this year’s Jersey Post People Awards for our Jersey colleagues will be held on Saturday 25 November 2022, at The Royal Yacht Hotel, St Helier. It’s time to celebrate the colleagues that you feel have gone above and beyond in their role. We can’t wait to hear all of the wonderful stories about our Jersey colleagues from the nominations in October. Last year’s ceremony was a great success, we enjoyed lots of celebrations, dinner and dancing and this year’s ceremony promises to be even better.
People Awards 2023
Here is a little reminder of our 2022 People Awards Winners in Jersey: Team Player Award Winner: Jerome Taylor, Postal Deliveries
Coaching Champion Winner: Nikolas Miller, Postal Delivery Officer
Customer Service Excellence Award Winner: John Troy, Postal Delivery Officer
Exceptional Listener Award Winner: Andy Dentten, Payroll/HR Officer
Community Champion Winner: Bernard Manning, Postal Operative
Team of the Year Winner: Customer Care Team
Team Leader of the Year Award Winner: Rachel Mackenzie, Philatelic Marketing Manager
Shining Light Award Winner: Louise Flynn, Vaiie Operations Manager.
Innovation Award Winner: Kayleigh Renouf, Data Analyst
Our UK People Awards will be held in spring 2024, details coming in the next issue of Delivered.
50
Don’t let shipping get in the way of your Black Friday deals.
Shop hundreds of UK retailers and enjoy delivery to the Channel Islands with Ship2me.
EMPLOY EES RECE IVE
25%OFF WITH CO DE
JPGSTAF
:
F25
Get the same shopping experience as the UK, with fully tracked, hassle free home deliveries. Sign up today at www.ship2me.co.uk Delivering the undeliverable to the Channel Islands. Part of the Jersey Post Group.
E: customer.service@ship2me.co.uk T: 0845 800 1034 Facebook: @ship2me Twitter: twitter.com/ship2me
NEWS BITES
Go Team Jersey! Jersey Post was proud to sponsor Team Jersey at the NatWest International Island Games 2023! The team took part in an amazing variety of 14 sports across the week-long event in Guernsey from 8 – 14 July. The team took part in the following sports: Archery Bowls Sailing Tennis Athletics Cycling Shooting
Badminton Golf Swimming Basketball Football Table Tennis Triathlon
Team Jersey won a fantastic 126 medals and they showed a tremendous amount of dedication which was truly inspiring. Chief Commercial Officer, David McGrath, attended the Games in Guernsey, representing Jersey Post as Team Jersey’s sponsor and had this to say, “We are delighted that we were able to sponsor Team Jersey for the Island Games, the Team put in a tremendous effort all week, it was exceptional! The strength and determination they demonstrated really did the Island proud. As a business we want to support our Island community and the individuals that made up the Team are hard-working athletes at the heart of that community. Well done Team Jersey!” You can find out more about the NatWest International Island Games 2023 by visiting: www.guernsey2023.gg
52
NEWS BITES
Pride of Jersey Awards We are once again proud sponsors of this year’s Pride of Jersey Awards. The Pride of Jersey Awards recognises the amazing contribution of individuals, charities, businesses and other organisations who go that extra mile to help others and support the community. We sponsored the awards for the first time in 2022, and we were incredibly proud to do so. As a business that works at the heart of the community, it is wonderful to be involved in celebrating the people within it. Our support for this event underlines our community ethos, which is reflected in the Pride of Jersey Awards celebration. We pride ourselves on being communityfocused both internally and externally and as such, we recognise the importance of honouring the remarkable and inspirational work done by individuals making a real difference in the Island. To find out more about this year’s awards winners, please visit www.prideofjersey.com
53
NEWS BITES
Vaiie Kings Vaiie is one of eight corporate teams that played in the summer league organized by Jersey Basketball Association, the others being: • Mourant • Apex • Langham Hall • Alter Domus • Government • RBC of Jersey • Jersey Sport
Quick facts - Games played at Langford Sports Centre on Wednesday evenings - Mixed teams, ideally minimum of one lady playing at all times. Ladies shots cannot be blocked by men (to encourage female participation) - Round robin format where all teams play one another once in the regular season (seven games) and play-offs to decide top three positions - Vaiie finished 7th overall with one win, one draw and five losses (though most were hard fought close games)
The team at Vaiie, with the help of a few JPG colleagues, friends and family, have been unleashing their inner Michael Jordan this summer, participating in the JBBA’s corporate summer league on Wednesday evenings at Langford Sports Centre as ‘The Vaiie Kings’. The mixed league has seen them play against seven other teams including Government of Jersey, Jersey Sport and a number of financial service providers in a round robin format to see which company will come out on top. The predominantly novice Vaiie team has shown great heart, teamwork and commitment and has turned up hungry to win every week. They’ve had a number of hard-fought games against some very capable and competitive sides, but have managed to claim a draw (even after overtime!), and a win so far from their seven games. Alongside the healthy competition, the Vaiie team has continually shown excellent spirit and sportsmanship and, win or lose, everyone has finished each game with a smile on their face, happily shaking hands with the opposition. They’ve done themselves, Vaiie and the wider group proud with their effort and, looking forward to returning to the court next year for Summer League ‘24.
Scan the QR code to see the fixture list and final standings
54
NEWS BITES
Jersey Post becomes DPD’s delivery partner In April, Jersey Post won the contract for all on-Island DPD deliveries, winning final mile delivery, while Woodside Logistics successfully won their freight business. The win signifies the start of a new partnership between the Island’s postal operator and the well-known parcel delivery agent. Earlier in the year, DPD went out to tender looking for a final mile delivery provider on-Island and Jersey Post was successful in its bid for the contract. DPD deliveries have integrated with Jersey Post’s current operational delivery processes, which include partners such as Amazon and HelloFresh, and have been underway since 26 June 2023. With Jersey Post’s electric fleet and advanced technology, it laid the foundation for a solid partnership and demonstrated its capability as the top on-island delivery partner. “By winning contracts like this Jersey Post is making strides as the Island’s preferred delivery provider. We are thrilled to be able to serve Jersey residents and businesses with their DPD deliveries.” stated Julie Thomas, Managing Director of Postal and Logistics. With the new contract in place as the delivery partner for DPD, Jersey Post has also hired seven additional employees as permanent members of staff, in a demonstration of its commitment to growing the business.
UPS coming soon! Jersey Post are currently working on the contract to be the final mile delivery provider for UPS in Jersey. This will be a fantastic win for the business and a big step forward in our commitment to becoming the Island’s preferred delivery partner. UPS deliveries will integrate with our services, adopting where possible our existing policies and standards, in a similar way to those we offer for DPD, Yodel and Amazon.
55
HR NEWS BITES
HR launch self-service app
My View
Good news for all colleagues, it’s now even easier to update personal information with HR! The HR team has recently adopted the use of the My View app for all colleagues to have quick access to make changes to their personal details, including address, emergency contact and banking information. Plus, with the My View app you no longer need to worry about keeping track of, or storing your paper payslips. One of the key features of the app is the My Pay section, which allows Jersey Post to securely direct your payslips to you in digital format on the app. It also stores them all so you can easily compare your payslips on a month-by-month or week-by-week basis. A personal time-saver and a win for the environment too! The My View app is accessible across iOS and Android formats and gives colleagues instant secure access no matter what device you use, from laptop, to mobile and even your tablet. Plus, there is only a single sign in between My View and Microsoft 365 applications, eliminating frustrating login problems. Take the first step in managing your details today and download the My View app from your app store! If you haven’t received an email from HR about MyView you will do soon. We encourage all colleagues to sign up soon, as by the end of the year there will be no more paper payslips being sent out.
The MyView app is only applicable to Jersey colleagues.
56
HR NEWS BITES
HR Connect The HR team is excited to announce the launch of their new HR self-service portal, HR Connect! Designed to streamline HR-related tasks and enhance your overall experience, HR Connect is here to empower you with more control and accessibility when it comes to managing your HR needs. The HR team has worked hard to create a user-friendly portal that caters for your specific requirements, ensuring a seamless and efficient HR experience. This portal is now live and accessible for all employees and is easy to use, perfect for queries regarding payroll, recruitment, pay advance and general HR questions. Getting started with HR Connect is simple. Just follow these steps: 1. Visit Home - Jira Service Management (atlassian.net). 2. Go to ‘Show more portals’ and select HR Connect. 3. Familiarize yourself with the portal’s layout and explore the various features available. 4. Start using the portal for your HR tasks! HR Connect will allow you to take control of your HR needs efficiently. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please reach out to HR Partner, Robyn at robyn.pestana@jerseypost.com or phone 01534 616538.
Scan the QR code to get started.
HR Connect is available for colleagues to access across all Jersey Post Group locations. 57
NEWS BITES
GST De Minimis On 1 July 2023, the Government of Jersey reduced the GST threshold on all goods coming into the Island. This means if you shop online GST will be required by the Government on all orders of £60 or more. To find out more visit: www.gov.je/gst
Letters from the Tooth Fairy! In June, we teamed up with the Government of Jersey during National Smile Month to help promote oral health in primary school-aged children and below. Children in Jersey were invited to write a letter and send colourful drawings to the Tooth Fairy, detailing how they care for their precious teeth and the secrets behind their bright and healthy smile! As we were involved in the initiative, no stamps were required for letters going to Tooth Fairy Land. This was such a great initiative to be able to support.
58
Global eParcel Solutions Expand your options for international shipping. At Global eParcel Solutions we understand the importance of treating your precious goods with the right level of service and personal care. Our services: • Warehousing and Pick-Pack Fulfillment Services • International Packet and Parcel Postal Solutions • International Express Packet Parcel Solutions • Import and Export Air and Sea Freight Solutions • Domestic Postal, Ground, and Express Shipping Solutions • LTL and FTL Domestic Trucking Phone: (630) 672-8686 Email: customerservice@globaleparcel.com www.globaleparcel.com
NEWS BITES
CELEBRATING THE
ARMED FORCES RESERVES DAY 21 JUNE 2023
Reservists are everywhere, but you might not know it. So, on Reserves Day, Reservists wear their uniform in their civilian life. Reservists give up their spare time to serve in the Reserve Forces for the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines. Balancing their civilian life with a military career to ensure that should their country require them, they would be ready to serve as part of the military. The Reserve Forces make up approximately one sixth of our Armed Forces personnel and as such are integral to protecting the nation’s security at home and overseas, particularly providing capability in specialist areas such as medical and cyber. Wednesday 21 June is Armed Forces Reserves Day, and as a business we are celebrating two Jersey Post postal workers who are part of the Armed Forces Reserves, they dedicate their spare time to serving our country. For those colleagues based in Jersey, you may see them around the sorting office or out on delivery in their uniforms to celebrate the work of Reserves, which often flies under the radar.
60
NEWS BITES
MICK DE LA COUR We sat down and had a chat to get to know Mick better and learn more about his involvement with the Royal Marines Reserves.
How long have you worked at Jersey Post and what is your role? I’ve worked at Jersey Post for over four years. I used to do parcel deliveries but now work in processing due to a back injury. What do you enjoy about the role? I love the variety, no two days are the same, which keeps it interesting. I’m part-time now, so I have a good work-life balance and Jersey Post was very supportive during my back injury. What prompted you to join the Reserves? I enlisted in the Royal Artillery when I was 17 and I was with them until 1991 when I left as a Sergeant. I went back in as part of the Royal Marines. Since leaving and becoming a Royal Marine Reserve, I’ve become a Troop Officer for Jersey and Guernsey Royal Marine Cadets. What is your role in the Reserves and how much of your spare time is dedicated to being a Reserve? As a Troop Officer I oversee a troop of 51, which is equivalent to an army platoon. My role involves ensuring that the cadets are trained in assault courses, field tactics and weapons training. I also get them ready for Inter Service Competitions where they compete against other areas of the Armed Forces, including events like rifle shooting and other sports. One of the cadets grew up and represented Great Britain in the shooting section of the last Olympic Games. I also ensure the staff in charge of the cadets are undertaking the correct training courses for their development, which I also find rewarding. With regards to hours spent as a Reserve, for me it varies week-to-week, it depends if I have cadets going away on trips as this can increase the amount of administration work etc, but I would say on average it’s six hours a week.
How would you sum up the overall experience? My experience of being in the Armed Forces and then subsequently the Reserves has been extremely valuable. The people I served with became like family and I’m still in touch with many of them today. You make a unique bond with people and it’s great having social media and tools like Facebook to make sure they are still in your life, regardless of where they are in the world. In my time with the Armed Forces there were certainly challenging times when I served but the overall experience by far outweighed these. I can say without a doubt I would sign up and do it all again, it’s rare to find the same sense of accomplishment and camaraderie anywhere else.
61
NEWS BITES
PAUL INSLEY Paul is a British Army Reserve and has been involved with the Army for the past five years. We sat down to discover more about his experience. How long have you worked at Jersey Post and what is your role? I’ve worked at Jersey Post for approximately two and a half years, as a Postal Operative within the parcels department. I work three rounds that make up a quarter of St Helier. I also have a truck licence, so I occasionally do deliveries up to the Airport and Broad Street too. What do you enjoy about the role? I like meeting people on a daily basis and getting to know them, everyone has a story. For example, I started delivering baby items to a customer when she was pregnant, now I turn up and her little one is walking around and excited to see parcels getting delivered, it’s great seeing other people’s journeys. Customers are always grateful to see you, it’s a nice feeling. Plus, I like that the role is active, it helps to keep you fit with all the walking and lifting it involves. What prompted you to join the Reserves? I remember when I was little I always wanted to join the army, my grandfather was a Colour Sergeant for the army in the Second World War, which I think also inspired me to go down a similar path. A friend and I tried to sign up to the Royal Navy after leaving school, with my goal to be a pilot, unfortunately, my eyesight took me out of the running for this and I ended up taking a different career path and becoming a chef. I had planned on joining the army instead but back then my school discouraged the idea, I ended up being a chef for 24 years. I decided I wanted a change from full-time catering but didn’t really know what to do, coincidentally I happened to see a recruitment advert on Facebook for the Jersey Field Squadron and thought why not! I went to speak with them and promptly signed up to join the army, at the same time I also set up my own catering business on the side. The catering business was focused on going into peoples’ homes to cook for them and did really well until COVID-19 hit. At which point I gave up the business and focussed on the Army, which coincided with when Jersey Field Squadron were called upon for the delivery of PPE. I was heavily involved with that, and then the Government of Jersey took over the handling, which led to myself and six other squaddies continuing to work on the delivery of PPE under their management. When Jersey Post took over the PPE deliveries, I managed to get a role here, which I love and I can continue my work with the Reserves alongside it.
62
How long have you been an Armed Forces Reserve and for which contingent Army/Navy/Marines/Air Force? I’m a Lance Corporal and second in charge of a section of eight men and I have been an Army Reserve for approximately five years now. Since signing up to Jersey Field Squadron I have undergone extensive training. The Jersey Field Squadron is part of the Royal Monmouthshire Regiment, which is attached to the Brigade’s armoured division, ultimately the Jersey Field Squadron provide support for the armoured division, ensuring manoeuvrability. This includes building roads, building bridges and ensuring a lack of manoeuvrability for the enemy which can involve demolishing roads.
NEWS BITES
What does your involvement within the Reserves include? Our team is responsible for engineering and infantry, meaning we could be building a bridge but have to adapt to defence mode when under attack, then quickly regroup and continue building. My team spend two hours every Wednesday evening undertaking group training, which could be anything from sitting in a classroom debating current affairs, to being on the rifle range shooting, or digging fire trenches or putting up an 8 Bay Bridge and seeing how quickly we can do it. The Bridge is similar to a massive Meccano set, with each piece weighing 300 kilos. The world record for building it is nine minutes and currently we’re at 11 minutes, so it’s an ongoing challenge to get our time down.
I tried to sign up to the Royal Navy after leaving school, with my goal to be a pilot, unfortunately, my eyesight took me out of the running for this and I ended up taking a different career path and becoming a chef.
Within the Army Reserves, it’s mandatory to spend a minimum of 21 days a year, dedicating time to the Reserves, this also includes a two-week continuous camp. In Jersey though, it’s easy to do more than 21 days if you like because you take part in ceremonial events throughout the year, for example Liberation Day. How would you sum up the overall experience and would you recommend to others to become a Reserve? I would 100% recommend it to everyone. Being part of the Armed Forces teaches you discipline, respect, timekeeping and the ability to work as a team. The drive mentality you gain is invaluable and transfers to every aspect of your life, I think it is something everyone should experience. Whilst, you do get a small payment for being a Reserve, the reward is definitely in the skills you acquire, from first aid training to engineering, to the sense of achievement from going through some of the tougher training. It’s also fun putting the uniform on and taking part in events. My only wish is that I had joined the Army sooner!
63
Setting new standards in regulatory technology. Vaiie solutions digitise experiences to enhance the way businesses meet their regulatory obligations.
Part of the
vaiie.com