The voice of Landsec | Aspire // Bringing our community TogetherAsOne
The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley
56-PAGE BUMPER EDITION
Discover all about the trials and tribulations of this September’s One Challenge . See pages 016-053 View now to
One Magazine
David Wickens
Cover: The team tackles this year’s One Challenge.
Head of Workplace Operations & Chair of Landsec | Aspire
OOur main feature this month introduces our new charity partner, The Connection.
Based in the heart of London, The Connection supports people experiencing homelessness, helping them to bring positive change to their lives at a pace they feel comfortable with. Our fundraising activities have already begun, with our first event being a charity football match between Aspire All Stars and BGIS. Well done to everyone who took part and helped to raise £1,000 for The Connection. I hope that you’ll be inspired to participate in some of the events we have planned to raise vital funds for our new charity partner. We also hope to be able to provide some opportunities for volunteering with this brilliant organisation.
Our October edition also features the review and photos for our Aspire Challenge hike through the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. I’m sure my fellow walkers will agree that the route was both spectacularly beautiful and
uncomfortably challenging. The sore feet and blisters at the end of the day were not really surprising, since the distance we walked increased from the planned 27.5 miles to 32 miles –read the article to find out why!
In this issue you can also read about our Deliberate Disruption Lab, where Amy Tregidgo, our new Learning & Engagement Manager, is helping Aspire members to brainstorm ideas that could transform the way our frontline teams work. Look out for the opportunity to get involved and share your inspiration when Amy takes the Lab on tour next year. This issue also reveals the results of our Aspire Photography Competition, plus you can spend ‘5 minutes with’ Billy Jarvis, Reception Account Manager with Acuity. We have our usual updates from MYO and Aspire Assist, along with news stories from across the Workplace portfolio.
the team
David Wickens One Editor-in-Chief david.wickens@landsec.com
Alison Currell One Editor & Aspire Service Delivery Director alison.currell@landsec.com
Marlene Aguilar One Assistant Editor marlene.aguilar@landsec.com
Martin French One Design & Photography martin@tigerbaydesign.co.uk
Heidi Scott One Copywriter heidi@tigerbaydesign.co.uk
Our new Charity Partner SAY
We’re delighted to introduce The Connection, an organisation dedicated to combatting homelessness in London, as the new charity partner for Landsec | Aspire.
See pages 004-009
Let’s all feel
Our brand-new charity partner believes no one should have to sleep rough, and that everyone should get the support they need to find a place to call home.
Based in Westminster in central London, the charity aims to help people experiencing homelessness, changing their lives in the way that they want to and at their own pace.
“Homelessness is much more severe in London,” says Olivia Wasson, the charity’s Partnerships Manager, “because the capital acts as a magnet for people sleeping rough.”
Official statistics indicate that more than 4,000 people are sleeping rough in England but this figure is widely believed to be an underestimate.
Fellow homelessness charity Crisis puts the number at around 8,000. However, recent data from Combined Homelessness And Information Network (CHAIN) suggests that almost 12,000 are currently sleeping rough in London alone, which is a record high. “The Connection is located at the heart of the issue,” explains Olivia, “as Westminster has the highest rates of homelessness of any borough in the UK.”
Resource centre
The Connection operates a Resource Centre in Adelaide Street, across from Charing Cross station, which welcomed over 1400 visitors last year. The facility is where the charity delivers its frontline services including supplying hot meals, clothing and information,
as well as providing access to showers, toilets, laundry facilities, telephones and computers. Visitors can also collect post, access health services, have a haircut and participate in various activities.
“Everything we do is about building relationships with people,” says Olivia. “We provide the practical stuff – food and hygiene – to reduce the harm from sleeping on the streets and so that people can trust our services, but ultimately this alone is not moving them forward – they are still homeless. The activities we offer help us to get to know them as individuals and understand their history through conversations over time.”
Not all sessions are offered all of the time, but the activities include art, creative writing, music, spirituality/ mindfulness, English as a foreign language and photography. “The people doing photography go into St James’ Park,” says Olivia, “where they are seen as photographers rather than rough sleepers – having this different identity is important in someone’s recovery.”
Services for women
Sleeping rough is incredibly dangerous for anyone but it presents additional risks for women. Research suggests that a quarter of women sleeping on the streets have experienced sexual violence. The Connection operates a supported housing project for women in South London, known as St Martin’s House.
In addition, Wednesday mornings at the Resource Centre in Adelaide Street are reserved exclusively for women. “We usually welcome about 120 people on
a weekday at the centre,” says Olivia, “but only around five are women. On a Wednesday morning, we have around 20 women coming in. Many of them don’t feel safe coming at another time.” Sadly, services for homeless women do not match the demand. This is partly because the demand is difficult for the authorities to gauge. “In street counts for rough sleeping,” explains Olivia, “women are less visible because they are keeping themselves safe – they are more likely to be sofa surfing or sleeping in a car.”
Target: £80,000+
The partnership with Landsec | Aspire will last for up to three years and the Operating Board has set a minimum target of £80,000 for fundraising over this period, with a stretch target of £100,000. This kicked off with the recent charity football match, which raised an impressive £1,000 for The Connection. Three of the charity’s staff played in the game and Olivia Wasson presented the trophies to the winning team and Player of the Match.
Olivia is very excited about the new partnership with Aspire. “Having a three-year commitment is a wonderful thing,” she says. “Often, we have shorter corporate partnerships that may be renewed, but knowing that we have three years means that we
can plan ahead. It also means there’s time for Aspire members to get to know the people we support and get a real understanding of rough sleeping in London.”
She has worked for The Connection for two and a half years. “It’s my first job in the charity sector,” she explains. “I’ve had a variety of public and private sector roles but they’ve all been focused on building relationships. I’m originally from Belfast but I’ve lived in London for ten years and I’d always found the amount of people rough sleeping to be stark. I wanted a new role that used my skills but also made an impact.”
How to get involved
We hope that as many Aspire members as possible will engage with our fundraising efforts to support The Connection. As you can imagine, running the Resource Centre and St Martin’s House is an expensive business. For example:
— It costs £2,285 to operate the Resource Centre for one full day.
— It costs £5,500 a month to feed visitors to the charity – last year, The Connection provided a hot lunch to an average of 110 people every weekday.
In addition to fundraising activities, there will be opportunities for
Aspire team joins Jay’s quiz
Every year, The Connection holds a quiz close to 10 October – World Homeless Day – hosted by legendary quizmaster, Jay Flynn MBE.
This year’s charity quiz took place on 14 October at Sway, a bar in Holborn, and a team from Aspire took part.
Jay Flynn is famous worldwide for his Virtual Pub Quiz, which started during the Coronavirus lockdown and went viral. His quizzes have raised over
£1.3 million for various charities and their popularity led to him becoming quizmaster on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Quiz for a while.
Jay’s story is amazing. In his midtwenties, he was homeless in London for two years, sleeping on a bench near Embankment tube station. With help from The Connection, he rebuilt his life and started designing quizzes. Now he is the charity’s celebrity ambassador.
volunteering. This includes the activity sessions and in the kitchen. “The kitchen is really fast paced,” says Olivia, “and we need extra pairs of hands to serve people as quickly as possible.” Help will also be needed soon to pack the Christmas hampers that are distributed to rough sleepers.
In addition, the charity is currently collaborating with Citypak, a US charity that distributes backpacks designed by homeless people for homeless people – for example, they feature anti-theft webbing, a waterproof pocket, reflective strips and an integrated rain poncho.
“Citypak are launching in the UK,” explains Olivia, “so they are donating 150 backpacks to The Connection and we are asking our corporate partners to take some and fill them with a list of specific items so that they are all identical. Then we’ll be giving them out at our Christmas dinner.”
The first project that Service Partners can utilise their practical skills for is likely to be a revamp of the Resource Centre’s reception area. In the future, there may be opportunities to participate in ‘task force’ refurbishment projects and also activities in The Connection’s employability programme.
“Happily, there is a lot of alignment between the expertise in the Aspire service streams and the support that we need,” says Olivia.
Anthony, an ex-investment banker, found himself unexpectedly homeless after leaving a job abroad and returning home to the UK. With few belongings and no idea where to turn, he was soon sleeping on the streets in London.
For the first few days, he struggled with basic survival, not knowing where to find food or anything else he needed. Then friends told him about The Connection. “I’ve had some good support here,” says Anthony. “They do a lot around arts and music, which I like. The staff are great and it feels like a community.”
Anthony did a lot of boxing when he was younger and still keeps himself physically fit. Even so, he finds that the physical and mental toll of homelessness makes it harder to think beyond basic survival. “I challenge anyone to go and sleep on the streets for two weeks and see how they feel,” he says. “See if they feel like doing anything other than the very basics – getting up, finding something to eat. Doing much more than that becomes a struggle. So much of your day is taken up with the basics of staying alive, it doesn’t leave an awful lot of mental capacity or energy to do much else.”
Congratulations to everyone who took part in our recent charity football match, which has kicked off fundraising for The Connection with a fantastic total of £1,000.
The friendly match between BGIS and Aspire All Stars was a chance to introduce our new charity partner. Three members of the team at The Connection took part in the match and the post-match prizes were awarded by Olivia Wasson, the charity’s Partnerships Manager.
The match took place on Friday 10 October – World Homeless Day –at Coram’s Fields and the two teams were cheered on by a number of their Aspire colleagues. The Aspire All Stars won convincingly, with the final score being 9-1.
Congratulations to Russell Dean of Bidvest Noonan for winning the Player of the Match award.
Representing Aspire All Stars were Kenny Bonney, Wojciech Jasinski and Russell Dean of Bidvest Noonan; Eduardo Amorim, Tyi Richards and Wilson Sterling of Principle Cleaning; Fabio Jau, Carlos Cuenca, Johan Ortega, Jorge Dorado and Claudio Carrion of Regular Cleaning; Jordon Joseph of Landsec; and Eugene Ling and Richard Guion from The Connection.
The BGIS team comprised Harrison Ferriroli, Anthony Iwere, Janis Labutis, Joe Barratt, Raffaele Centra, Ben Murphy and Dayniel Batista, along with Iain Chance from The Connection and David (‘Diggy’) Reymond from BGIS contractor, Sempra.
Well done to all the players and to Harrison Ferriroli (Account Coordinator, BGIS) and Marlene Aguilar (Team Co-ordinator, Workplace Operations) for organising this first fundraising event in aid of The Connection. Many thanks to BGIS for covering the costs of the pitch hire, FAcertified referee and refreshments.
Special thanks go to Divine Omango (Workplace Support Assistant) for representing Landsec | Aspire on the night and creating a short video for social media. “There was great camaraderie at the event,” says Divine. “It was a very competitive match –it seemed that half of the guys taking part were semi-pro! This was such a great event to kick things off and it was lovely seeing all the Service Partners and representatives of The Connection coming together.
Here’s to more to come!”
It’s not too late to support this event – simply visit the JustGiving page below.
5 minutes with…
Billy Jarvis
Reception Account Manager, Acuity
What do you like to do outside of work?
When I’m not working, I love being outdoors. Fishing and golf are my two main hobbies. I’ve been fishing for over 20 years now. I started golf when I was a child but have only really played regularly in the past four years. However, the best part of any time off is being with my two little girls, aged 7 and 4 – we enjoy exploring trails, going for bike rides, feeding the ducks and enjoying our local zoo in Hertfordshire.
What’s on your bucket list?
Whale watching is definitely on my bucket list. I’d love to be out on the water, seeing these creatures in the wild.
Are you a fan of anything or anyone?
I’m a huge film fan. I love watching all types of movies, whether it’s at the cinema, at home or on the train to and from work.
Do you have any mantras in business or in life?
‘Listen well, lead with empathy, and always invest in relationships.’
What would you say is your greatest achievement?
In my personal life, it would be my two daughters. On a business level, it would be mobilising a brand-new building in Gresham Street with two companies merging into one. This was during my previous role; it was a very challenging time but I really enjoyed it.
Have you been inspired by anything you’ve seen, read or experienced lately?
Along with nine Acuity colleagues, I took part in Whitechapel Mission’s Clothing Challenge. This was a volunteering event, where we helped to process clothing that had been donated to support homeless people in London. It was an insight into how something small can go a long way in helping others.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?
How lucky we were in getting all that time off during school holidays! On a more serious note, I think we learn as we go and making mistakes is how we grow as people.
Do you have any regrets?
No, I feel that our journey through life leads us to where we are meant to be, so I think every outcome has a positive opportunity in there somewhere.
Do you have any pets?
Unfortunately, not. My girls would both love a pet, but I don’t have the time at the moment for one. My younger daughter wants a dog and my elder daughter wants a fish – that would be a bit more manageable!
What’s your all-time favourite movie?
Lord of the Rings – all three films. However, if I really had to choose one, it would be The Two Towers. I love anything that involves imagining a different kind of universe.
What was your first ever job?
It was working as a Conference Porter at the De Vere Theobalds Park Hotel in Waltham Cross, where I worked my way up to Conference and Banqueting Manager. I loved my time working at the hotel and it set me up for entering hospitality in the corporate sector.
What would you say is your best skill in business?
My personal approach; I have huge empathy and try to keep as positive as possible.
What’s your favourite part of your working day or week?
When we receive good feedback from our client, or one of my team has succeeded in something. I love to share this news with everyone and this is a hugely positive aspect of my role.
And your least favourite School illness season – otherwise known as September and October –as I have to arrange a lot of cover at short notice.
It’s been a busy month for the AspireAssist 24/7 HelpDesk team, with the usual volume of tickets and new members getting established in the team. Back in August, we welcomed Joel Siaw to the team and you can learn a bit about him here. We have also recently recruited Giovanni Martines and Oliver Storey – we’ll introduce them in next month’s issue.
Alison Currell
Aspire Service Delivery Director
AspireAssist
Let’s meet Joel Siaw
Aspire Assist Apprentice
Joel joined the team on 18 August and has settled in well. A Law graduate of Coventry University, he came to us through our partnership with 20/20 Change, a youth empowerment organisation focused on creating true inclusion in the workplace.
“I enrolled with 20/20 earlier this year,” explains Joel, “and attended sessions twice a week for around 12 weeks. They teach about career aspirations, life in the workplace, money literacy and career progression – everything about how to handle the business world. It was very insightful, with things I didn’t learn at school or university.”
Graduates of the 20/20 Change programme can access the organisation’s job portal, which details roles with its partner organisations.
“I came across this opportunity with Landsec and applied,” says Joel. “20/20 keep in touch and I can go back for any workshops that interest me. It’s a very good organisation.”
Joel is enjoying his new role. “There’s a lot to take in, but it becomes second nature,” he says. “The Workplace team have been very welcoming and are always happy to help.”
Having demonstrated that he was learning the job quickly, Joel has been given responsibility for certain properties as a temporary measure, which may facilitate his promotion from Apprentice to Agent soon. “Although I’m currently working
across the portfolio,” says Joel, “I’m acting as the Agent responsible for Zig Zag, 123 Victoria Street, One New Change and The Forge, as well as Westgate in Oxford.”
Asked what the best thing about his new role is, Joel doesn’t hesitate: “The team and the camaraderie,” he says. “Everyone has got each other’s back and I can ask anyone for help.” He thinks the most challenging thing is juggling the workload. “It’s a fast-paced environment and we handle all the calls to the main switchboard as well as the helpdesk calls,” he says.
Outside of work, Joel enjoys playing football, going to the gym and playing padel tennis. He also likes eating out and spending time with family and friends. His other hobbies include watching sci-fi films, reading and travelling – he’s off to Milan next month.
Where every detail is carefully
This month at MYO
Teamwork makes the dream work, as the saying goes. We’ve really seen this in action this month, as our Service Partners and MYO teams pulled together to get MYO King’s Cross, our latest location, off to a flying start. Thank you all for your continued dedication to service excellence for all our MYO members.
Becca Munroe
Workplace Operations & Experience Director
80,000 sq ft of workspace, bursting with amenity.
Biggest MYO yet
Now officially open, MYO King’s Cross is our largest site to date, offering 80,000 sq ft of workspace and 30,000 sq ft of amenities across six floors.
Launch day attracted a large number of visitors and our teams stepped up with fantastic hospitality and meticulous attention to detail. Guests were given the opportunity to experience life as a MYO member, enjoying everything from fitness challenges in the gym to manicures and making cocktails. They also had the chance to inspect The Stables, our 13,000-sq-ft heritage events space. The day began with coffee and pastries, followed by a delicious lunch and was rounded off in style, with drinks and canapés on the terrace.
Our three Service Partners have been instrumental in the success of the launch and the continuing mobilisation of MYO King’s Cross. “Principle Cleaning, Bidvest Noonan and Acuity all played a crucial role in getting everything set up ahead of the launch,” says Martina Badenoch, Flexible Workspace Manager, “as well as in keeping the site running smoothly through some challenging times.
We’ve been receiving glowing feedback on everyone involved in the opening of the site – a true reflection of the hard work and collaboration across all partners.”
Martina Badenoch enjoys Christmas Jumper Day 2024.
WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY
PHOTO COMPETITION
Organised in conjunction with Bidvest Noonan, the competition was open to all Aspire members, with the only requirement being that images should feature a Landsec building in some way. The entries were of very high quality, giving the judging panel a really tough task.
1st
Matthew Cole Vertical Cleaning Supervisor
2nd 2nd
3rd
The winning entries were announced at the end of September and first place was awarded to Matthew Cole (Vertical Cleaning Supervisor with Regular Cleaning). Matt will have his photograph professionally printed and framed, as well as being displayed on our digital totems across the portfolio. His winning photo features Nova and is entitled ‘Working Above It All – BMU Team in Action at Nova’.
Describing Matt’s image, Lucy Thomas (Marketing Director, Landsec), says: “This photo gives a new and dramatic view of one of our much-loved buildings. The angle looking up to the sky creates grandeur and architectural impact while the (very clean) glazing beautifully mirrors the sky and clouds. This adds a depth and dynamism to the photo, creating an atmosphere that is vibrant and warm. The vertical lines of the building and panels draw the eye up to the cradle, which looks small and humble against the scale of the building
and leaves the viewer thinking, ‘Wow –the cleaning team do the most amazing job keeping our places looking perfect’.”
Tied for second place were Lee Nelson of Principle Cleaning (whose image features Cardinal Place and has the title ‘Landsec, Shiny and Colourful’) and Ryley Stevenson of Regular Cleaning (with an image entitled ‘Wing of Glass’, which features Nova North and South).
In third place was Lawrence Merry of Bidvest Noonan with his photo, ‘Dashwood House’.
Well done to everyone who took part and many thanks to our judges: Lucy Thomas (Marketing Director, Landsec), Tom Lambregts (Marketing Manager, Landsec), Marcus Geddes (Managing Director, Landsec), David Wickens (Head of Workplace Operations, Landsec), Martin French (One Magazine Photographer, Tiger Bay Design) and Sofia Merino (People Engagement Manager, Acuity).
Lee Nelson - Landsec Moval Vertical Operative
Ryley StevensonContract Manager
Lawrence MerryEstate Security Manager
Brainstorming for change
Landsec | Aspire has launched the Deliberate Disruption Lab as a means of brainstorming ideas that can help make small changes that really matter to frontline teams, as well as guiding training and development.
Devised and delivered by Amy Tregidgo, Aspire’s new Learning & Engagement Manager, the first Deliberate Disruption Lab was held in September at 123 Victoria Street.
“It’s a safe space for discussion and sharing ideas,” explains Amy, “and we’re encouraging those taking part to use these sessions to ‘fix what bugs them’ in their daily work. We know people have amazing ideas, but they just don’t have a platform currently for sharing them.”
All Service Partners were invited to send one representative to the first session. “They could be of any seniority level,” says Amy, “provided they could bring a positive mindset and a listening attitude. The eleven people attending the first session were from a mix of levels, which was great.”
Designed to drive service excellence and operational innovation, the sessions are just one hour long. “We invite people to think outside of the box,” says Amy, “and imagine that cost is no issue.”
At the next session, which will be held on 4 November at One New Change,
the eleven participants will be invited to bring a frontline colleague along with them. The theme will be ‘Service Partner Communications Hub’, as this topped a list of topics discussed at the first session.
After the November Lab, Amy will head out to different sites to spend time with frontline teams, right where the work happens. She’ll talk with people about what really matters to them, watch how things run on a day-to-day basis and get to know the wider teams – all guided by those who do the job every day.
“Because the approach is shaped by frontline voices,” explains Amy, “no two sites will look the same; small tweaks and shifts along the way will make each experience unique. This is a focused, intentional way of shaking things up – breaking down barriers and making sure it’s not ‘just another training’.”
The Deliberate Disruption Lab will then come back together in February, fuelled by on-the-ground knowledge and powerful frontline perspectives. Got ideas, questions or insights from the front line? Talk to your Lab representative and share what matters most to you and your team. Every conversation helps shape how we challenge the norm and build something better together.
Bloomin’ fantastic!
Many congratulations to the Q&S team for winning an amazing haul of prizes in the prestigious London in Bloom awards.
Landsec entered a number of properties in the London portfolio into the ‘Small Business Landscape’ category of the awards. The judging panel visited these sites – 62 Buckingham Gate, Cardinal Place, Nova & n2, New Street Square and The Zig Zag Building – earlier this year, accompanied by Jack Davies (Contracts Manager, Q&S), who was able to point out various plants and explain the techniques used.
At the London in Bloom awards ceremony, which took place on 20 October at RHS Wisley, all five sites scooped an award. “We did brilliantly for our first year of entry!” says Jack, who attended the awards event with Jenny Harper (Senior Workplace Manager), Fatima Agbandje (Workplace Support Assistant) and Victoria Phillips (Sustainability Executive at Landsec).
The accolades achieved were:
62 Buckingham Gate –Gold (Outstanding)
Cardinal Place – Gold (Outstanding)
Nova & n2 – Gold (Outstanding)
New Street Square –Silver Gilt (Very Good)
The Zig Zag Building – Silver (Good)
“We were also commended by the judges for our sustainability efforts during the presentation,” adds Jack. “I’m looking to enter more buildings from across the portfolio for the Small Business Landscape award next year and will also consider entering some of the other categories, such as Sustainability Landscape, Environmental Challenge and Rooftop Garden.”
bold
Fresh from the greenhouse
Q&S Limited, our urban gardening Service Partner, recently delivered more fresh produce grown in the greenhouse at Cardinal Place to The Landing café at 80-100 Victoria Street.
“We were able to drop off a load of freshly harvested produce at the kitchens,” says Jack Davies, Contracts Manager for Q&S. “There were Firecracker chillis, pumpkins and green tomatoes, all grown organically on site for use in the restaurant. Now we’ve planted the winter veg including purple-sprouting broccoli, Savoy cabbage and leeks.”
On the back of this success, Jenny Harper (Senior Workplace Manager) organised a visit by chefs from Restaurant Associates, our new catering Service Partner, to the greenhouse. Chefs Jonathan Gray and John Killington were shown around the greenhouse, which is located on the roof above Wagamama’s, by Jack Davies and were able to discuss what produce they would find most value in each season.
“They have given us their wish list,” says
Jack. “They’d particularly like some hard herbs – that is, woodystemmed ones that can withstand long cooking times – such as Lemon Thyme and Rosemary.”
“We’ve had a really exciting start with the greenhouse at Cardinal,” says Jenny Harper. “The team have been growing a variety of fruit and veg for the café this year, and our customers love it! We are thinking about offering seasonal produce samples and sharing the greenhouse’s journey as part of some pop-up events and our wider sustainability story. It’s a real ‘seed to plate’ narrative and we’re looking forward to collaborating with Restaurant Associates on this.”
Pumpkin-carving workshop
With Halloween approaching, Q&S will be hosting a pumpkin-carving workshop for customers, featuring pumpkins grown in the greenhouse. This Landsec Experience event will take place on Thursday 30 October in The Landing Café at 80-100 Victoria Street.
Big thanks to Jack Davies for organising this spooky spectacle.
Ricky Elliott of our landscape partner, Q&S Limited.
26-28 September
CHALLENGE COMPLETED52 KM / 32.3 MILES IN 12 HRS The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley
£3,190 raised so far
Please support our charity
The brilliant news is that the Aspire Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Challenge, our final fundraising event for Caxton Youth Organisation, has raised £3,190 so far. There’s still time to sponsor your colleagues on the dedicated JustGiving page. Thank you to everyone who has donated.
32 miles of boot-iful countryside
The 37-strong team who tackled this year’s Landsec | Aspire Challenge endured a very early alarm call, multiple blisters and aching limbs. In return, they were rewarded with spectacular scenery, great camaraderie and a huge sense of achievement.
After travelling by coach from Victoria on Friday 26 September, the Aspire hikers arrived at their accommodation, Fawley Court in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. This impressive manor house not only had space for everyone to dine together in its Great Hall, but also featured a games room, indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi. After a BBQ meal provided by outside caterers, there was a briefing by one of the leaders from Raw Adventures – the qualified team supporting the hike – and everyone received an Aspire-branded jacket. Then colleagues sat around the fire pit in the courtyard outside and enjoyed making and eating s’mores (toasted marshmallows sandwiched in chocolate biscuits, for the uninitiated).
The more sensible participants headed off to bed early, as the coach was due to leave at 5.15am the next morning.
Marlene Aguilar, Team Co-ordinator and organiser of the event, heroically provided a very early cooked breakfast
for everyone, ably assisted by Kristina Jakaityte, Lilia Lamberto and Diana Tupiza of Principle Cleaning, along with Ollie Harris of Landsec.
Room buddies Nageen Jalal (Receptionist at One New Change with Rapport) and Martin French (One Magazine Designer with Tiger Bay Design) almost missed the coach because they forgot to set an alarm – but thankfully they made it after a 10-minute dash to get ready.
The group arrived at the trek’s start location – Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean – at around 6am and, after a final safety briefing and kit check, set off at 6.15am.
Straddling the border between England and Wales, the route took the team through some of the UK’s most scenic landscapes. The distance was supposed to be 27.5 miles (44 km) but in fact it turned out to be 32.3 miles (52 km), due to a bridge being closed! To add to the challenge, the trek included a total ascent of 3,280 feet (1,000 m).
Fortunately, the weather was kind, being neither too cold nor too hot and only depositing one very short shower. The party was divided into two groups, a faster one and a slower one, although there was only about half an hour’s
difference between them at the end of the day. Two pit stops with access to toilets were arranged on the route, one at Symonds Yat (about a third of the way) and one at Ross-on-Wye (about twothirds of the distance).
Fuelled by protein-rich snacks and energy drinks, the hikers made their way through the ancient woodlands of the Forest of Dean, an area abundant with wildlife. The route continued into the Wye Valley, where the group was treated to stunning views of the River Wye. The most spectacular vistas were enjoyed at Symonds Yat Rock, the hilltop viewpoint overlooking the gorge through which the River Wye meanders, where the walkers even spied a Peregrine falcon!
Arriving back at the accommodation after dark, the group enjoyed a hearty supper of chilli con carne and rice, washed down with some well-deserved bottles of beer and glasses of wine. Then they settled in for a relaxing evening in the pool and jacuzzi or in the lounge by the fire. Following what was probably the best night’s sleep for quite some time, the weary walkers had breakfast on Sunday morning before boarding the coach back to London.
“Thank you all for a brilliant weekend, despite the pains today!”
LILIA LAMBERTO Divisional Managing Director, Principle Cleaning
View
“Thank you, Marlene, for organising a brilliant weekend! And to everyone else for such a fun weekend! I hope everyone isn’t too sore tomorrow.”
GRAHAM Head of CMMS, BGIS
JENNY
View now to check out all the event images.
“Thank you, Marlene, for everything. It was great!”
EDGAR SILVA Bidvest Noonan
MARTIN FRENCH Tiger Bay Design
View now to check out all the event images.
Meet the team
Many congratulations and sincere thanks to everyone who took part – your efforts are much appreciated and we hope you have recovered:
Jenny Graham BGIS
Edgar Quiroz Silva Bidvest Noonan
Melanie Innes Bidvest Noonan
Chloe Sheehy Bidvest Noonan
Georgeta Dancovici Bidvest Noonan
Guy Pakenham Bidvest Noonan
Joe Mudd Bidvest Noonan
Serafino Masella Bidvest Noonan
Dave Payne Landsec
David Wickens Landsec
Marlene Aguilar Landsec
Brad Cordrey Landsec
Fatima Agbandje Landsec
Inesa Rusiene Landsec
Jamie Cotgreave Landsec
Louise Ody Landsec
Gabbi Wyle Landsec
Janet Ogunsanya Landsec
Ollie Harris Landsec
Raymond Kayima Aspire Assist
Andy Ballard Landsec
Dorcas Muyumba Landsec
Sandra Dulkyte MYO
Diana Tupiza Principle Cleaning
Kristina Jakaityte Principle Cleaning
Lilia Lamberto Principle Cleaning
Tom Lloyd Principle Cleaning
Vitor Ferreira Principle Cleaning
Wilson Sterling Principle Cleaning
Juan David Gomez Principle Cleaning
Nageen Jalal Rapport
Fabio Jau Regular Cleaning
Francisca Cumbicus Regular Cleaning
Chris Cain Regular Cleaning
Ryley Stevenson Regular Cleaning
James Carnegie Tiger Bay Design
Martin French Tiger Bay Design
Special thanks go to Marlene Aguilar for organising another fantastic Aspire event and making sure that everyone was catered for, despite completing the full challenge herself.
View now to check out all the event images.
View now to check out all the event images.
View now to check out all the event images.
“These Aspire Challenge events require an incredible amount of organisation. From the transport and the hike itself to the accommodation and catering, everything ran smoothly and consequently everyone really enjoyed it. Thank you for your efforts and attention to detail, Marlene Aguilar.”
David Wickens Head of Workplace Operations
View now to check out all the event images.
Landsec | Aspire is always looking for your feedback to help us give praise where it’s due. Whether you’re a team member or a Landsec customer, let us have your Player of the Month votes and winners will be featured in One Magazine.
What are the Aspire Awards?
Every month a ‘Player/Team of the Month’ is voted on by you and your Aspire colleagues from nominations by Aspire team members and Landsec customers. Winners receive a certificate and some well-deserved prizes.
It is a credit to everyone that each month lots of nominations are received, illustrating just how good the Aspire team is and how team members are held in such high regard by the people they work with.
How do your workmates reflect the Aspire purposes?
— Customer Service
— Excellence
— Integrity
— Respect
Aspire Recognition Awards.
Aspire PLAYER OF THE MONTH September ‘25
Each month we salute the people recognised by you for exceptional performance or for simply being a great team member. Nominations can now be made by emailing aspireplayerofthemonth@landsec.com or directly via WhatsApp on 07702 908921
Flushed with pride
CCongratulations to Babatunde Obadare of Bidvest Noonan for winning our Player of the Month award, as voted by the Aspire community. When a toilet became blocked and overflowed at Nova recently, a bathroom was quickly flooded. Although the toilet in question was located within a customer’s own area, and despite the issue occurring outside of normal working hours, Baba took the initiative to try to resolve the situation.
Using a metal rod from Jaguar Building Services’ workshop, he managed to unblock the toilet, thereby preventing the water from spreading into lift shafts and neighbouring customer premises. Without his prompt action, the flood could easily have caused significant damage to both communal and customer-specific areas and equipment. Well done, Baba – we’re proud of you!
Nova South, Victoria.
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