Swanworth Quarry in Worth Matravers, owned by Suttle Stone Quarries, celebrated its 100th anniversary

FOCUS ON finance

with Peter Harding Ensure you’re in good financial health

The Covid pandemic has reminded us all how unforeseen events can rock the lives and financial foundations of many families. One thing is clear, as we emerge from Lockdown, repaying the high costs of the pandemic is paramount in the mind of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak.

Tackle rising taxes

Taxes are predicted to increase significantly, some allowances to remain frozen, with others expected to disappear altogether to help begin repaying the government’s mounting debt accumulated in tackling the pandemic.

Top tip: Look carefully at how to make the most of the current tax and pension saving options, as by not doing so, many of these tax allowances can so easily go unused and become lost to you forever.

Combat low savings rates:

With interest rates remaining at a record low, keeping large amounts in a bank or building society leaves your savings exposed to being severely eroded over time by inflation as well as taxation.

Top tip.Explore the many other ways available to help make your money work hard, but be careful, don’t leave yourself open to undue risk.

Protect family well-being:

The past 2 years has served as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and with it, the need to protect ourselves and those around us to ensure well-being and peace of mind.

Top tip: Check to ensure you have the right levels of life/critical illness protection in place and taking the appropriate measures to preserve your hard-earned assets from the financially devasting impact Inheritance Tax can sometimes have on the legacy you wish to leave to your family. If any of these 3 points resonate with you, it’s worth acting today. To receive a complimentary guide covering wealth management, retirement planning or inheritance tax planning, contact Peter Harding Wealth Management on 01202 830730 or email peterhardingwm@sjpp.co.uk. Peter Harding Wealth Management is a trading name of Peter Harding Practice Ltd. www.peterhardingwm.co.uk

Swanworth Quarry in Worth Matravers, owned by Suttle Stone Quarries, celebrated its 100th anniversary

The quarry currently supplies approximately 50% of Dorset’s required crushed stone to the area, which is used as a sub-base for construction schemes, rock armour on sea defence works, gabions and decorative chippings. Suttle Stone Quarries is a division of the Suttles group of companies, employing some 120 staff locally, with 55 of those employed at Suttle Stone Quarries.

Originally, Swanworth Quarry was a two-man underground quarry called ‘Sheepsleights’, operating around the early 1920s. According to a book entitled Swanworth by David Pushman, it was ‘quarried by Billy Brown, and, when the mood took him, Buff Bower!’ The quarry later became ‘Worth Quarries Limited’ in 1923, with its head office in Bournemouth, producing road stone: broken blocks for foundation, crushed and graded chippings, and tarmacadam. One large contract in 1924 was to supply material for the foundation of the lower valley road between Corfe Castle and Coombe Junction, replacing the cart track that was there previously. From 1933, Swanworth Quarries Limited took over the site, at its peak producing 600 tons per day. The quarry changed hands again in 1980 to Tarmac Roadstone Limited, increasing to a peak of 450,000 tonnes per year in 1985. Today, the quarry is run by Suttle Stone Quarries (part of the local Suttles group of companies), who took it over in 2011, supplying around 50% of Dorset’s crushed stone.

Although the quarry has changed hands over the years, four generations of the Samways family have been a permanent working fixture at the quarry since 1921. Thomas Samways was the first to work at the site in the early 1920s as a digger; Thomas’s son Pete Samways worked at the quarry for over 40 years as a shovel driver, along with his brothers. Carly (3rd generation) and her daughter Lauren (4th generation) currently work in the quarry’s weighbridge office, selling crushed stone from the quarry to both trade and residential customers for a range of end uses from housing and civil engineering to private garden and driveway projects.

Carly said “My family has worked at the quarry for 100 years - the quarry is in our family’s blood! I love working here. It has seen a few changes over the years, although when Suttles took it over in 2011, they woke it up again. It is a real privilege to work here.”

The Suttle family has worked in the natural stone and quarrying business on the Isle of Purbeck since the 1920s, before purchasing the Swanworth Quarry in 2011. Suttles is a familyrun ethical business with sustainability at the core of its values. Suttles is working towards becoming carbon neutral and has already made many investments in the business that reduce its CO2 emissions by around 60 tonnes per year. This includes investing in a growing fleet of 19 electric and hybrid vehicles and plant; upgrading the quarry’s crusher from diesel to an electric-powered engine; and installing a solar panel system that powers the quarry’s workshop and crusher.

Suttles has provided crushed stone to many high-profile projects in the area, including Compass Point Housing (Swanage), Pierhead Development (Swanage), Priests’ Way Regeneration (Langton Matravers), Durlston Country Park Learning Centre and Footpath renewal (Swanage), and the Dorset Innovation Park (Winfrith).

Suttles’ Director, John Suttle added “As well as supplying around 50% of Dorset’s crushed stone, we are also keen to support community and charity initiatives, too. For example, we donated materials for the extension at Corfe Village Hall, as well as stone sub-base for Dorset Wildlife Trust’s ‘Greengage’ project, too. Suttles also sponsors and helps to organise the annual ‘Big Night Out’, a local night of clubbing for people with learning disabilities, attended by over 400 people from around Dorset.”

John goes on to say “The quarry plays an important role locally; it boosts the local economy and employment levels; it significantly minimises the carbon footprint of Dorset’s crushed stone market (compared to bringing in stone from other areas) and keeps aggregate costs lower for local businesses and residents. We are very proud of the quarry’s 100 year history and we are currently in planning for the next phase of operations.”

www.suttles.co.uk

Lewis-Manning Hospice Care kicks off 30th anniversary celebrations with a bang, by launching their ’30 for 30’ campaign alongside Yellow Buses

Lewis-Manning Hospice Care has teamed up with Yellow Buses for the launch of their ‘30 for 30’ campaign.

Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser Nicki Cluley said, “We are launching ’30 for 30’ to mark the 30th anniversary of Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, which takes place during 2022. 30 years ago, it was our founder, Mrs Marjorie Lewis-Manning, whose generosity and inspiration started Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, with a vision to help people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. Since 1992 the charity has helped over 8,000 patients, carers and loved ones and hope we can do it for another 30 years and more!

During the year we will be encouraging 30 local businesses to pledge to raise £1,000 each, in order for the charity to raise £30,000 from 30 businesses in its 30th year!”

Yellow Buses Sales & Marketing Manager Fiona Harwood added, “I heard Nicki speak at an event recently about the ’30 for 30’ initiative and immediately felt inspired to come on board and join the campaign. Knowing the amazing work that Lewis- Manning do, we wanted to be the 1st business to sign up and be able to help with the launch, as we also celebrate a very special year in 2022 as we will be marking our 120th year on Yellow Buses in Bournemouth, so it felt the right thing to do.

“Over the coming year we will be doing lots of external and internal fundraising initiatives, with customers, staff & partners. One of our events will be a ‘Go Yellow’ dressing up day which seems fitting as we share the colour yellow logo with the hospice. We are proud to be supporting our local hospice and making a real difference to the work that they carry out to support patients and their families in Poole, East Dorset & Purbeck.”

Nicki concluded, “I would like to say a huge thank you to Yellow Buses. I felt extremely proud to see the Lewis-Manning Hospice Care name on their bus signage and we are so pleased to welcome them on board as our 1st charity pledge partner. It was also a real pleasure to finally meet Yellow Buses infamous mascot, Buster Bear!”

If you or your business wants to get involved in our 30 for 30 campaign and help people and their families in your community get the vital hospice care they need and deserve, please visit our website www.lewis-manning.org.uk/30for-30-2 or call 01202 708470 and ask to speak to the Fundraising Team.

www.lewis-manning.org.uk

FOCUS ON education

with Weymouth College

The expansive offer of training courses and qualifications available to adults, fully supports lifelong learning, providing development opportunities to all, with many courses available to both unemployed and employed individuals.

However, as part of our ongoing partnership and work with local businesses, the Employer Services team can clearly see that the support package adult skills can offer to businesses and their employees, continues to be overlooked or undervalued.

In addition, to supporting individuals in and out of the workplace, the benefits of adult skills for businesses are endless. Training for employees helps businesses shape their organisation to meet business needs and addresses any identified skills gaps, enabling businesses to develop and adapt in response to demand and economic evolution.

Many businesses take the approach to suspend staff development in challenging and uncertain times when it is arguably the most crucial and beneficial time to invest in workforce development. With many government initiatives and funding available to adult employees, costs should not be a barrier for organisational development. The improved productivity and contribution that this training enables, both in the short-term and long -term, outweigh any cost implications being considered.

The Employer Services team at Weymouth College are seeing more organisations investing in CPD courses to retain, retrain and upskill their staff and have witnessed organisations offering redundancy and redeployment packages to support the transition and future outcomes for their employees.

For more information about how a range of adult skills training solutions can benefit your organisation, please contact Employer Services. employerservices@weymouth.ac.uk 01305 208709 www.weymouth.ac.uk/employerservices