friday update

Friday seems to be upon us again all too quickly and I hope you are all managing to stay upbeat and positive as the latest lockdown continues. I do appreciate that life remains unsettled and frustrating for us all but I encourage you to stay focused and not to underestimate the importance of your efforts as we all play our own small part in overcoming the pandemic. By following the enhanced rules we have implemented and working remotely you really are helping to stop the potential spread of infection and with the new strain so prevalent and highly transmissible this is more important than ever. Latest statistics illustrate that the steps we are taking as a nation are starting to take effect, as evidenced by a declining R rate for new cases, so I do hope you will take comfort that our sacrifices and restricted living, combined with the mass roll-out of over three million vaccinations administered already and which continues at pace, will move us closer towards some form of normality in the near future.

As part of further new procedures to overcome the virus, rapid-result coronavirus (COVID-19) testing is now being rolled out across Kent to identify those who are asymptomatic and therefore unknowingly spreading the virus to take action. The testing will find people who are asymptomatic (i.e. don’t currently have symptoms) who may be unknowingly spreading the virus in the community and the sites are part of a rolling programme to help reduce the rates of transmission in Kent. These symptom free tests are available daily from 9am to 7pm at several locations across Kent. This sort of testing will be particularly useful for those of us who cannot stay at home and have increased level of contact with others in our daily roles and I would encourage you to consider this as another contribution you can make to help reduce risk of infection across the Jenner team and beyond. Those who test and do not have symptoms should look to get retested every 2 weeks and it is advised that the whole household gets tested at the same time. To book simply visit: COVID-19 Test Appointments Home (healthit.org.uk)

As promised last week I thought it would be appropriately timed to address BREXIT as this seems to have, quite understandably, been pushed aside as COVID-19 continued to dominate our thoughts and actions over recent weeks and months. After two years of ongoing negotiations which at times seemed like a ‘no-deal’ was a very real possibility I am sure the relief is significant that a trade agreement is now in place and we can once again move forwards as a nation. So, what does this mean for construction? I would suggest that at present it is too early to tell what the full impact will be but for now we remain very much business as usual. With a weakened pound price rises are inevitable, but focusing on locally sourced supplies wherever we can should alleviate this somewhat, and ensure continued productivity. BREXIT will potentially affect both people and materials but we would have faced a far graver situation without a deal in place. With the majority of our people and wider supply chain ‘home-grown’ and locally sourced we should not be too detrimentally impacted by a reduction in immigrant labour that will be felt by others and most prominently in the capital. As an eternal optimist I always like to take the positive out of any situation and in the same way that COVID-19 has offered a new found respect and appreciation for construction in our critical role to support the economy and society, I feel BREXIT will sharpen our focus and once again urge us to step up and play our part to encourage and upskill the next generation, and proactively promote construction as an attractive and rewarding career choice with many prospects available in order to fill any gaps left by the BREXIT fallout.

On an incredibly positive note F51, or Urban Sports Park as commonly known to most of us, has gained recognition on a global scale being featured in Dezeen magazine’s article ‘Twelve Buildings to look forward to in 2021’ which takes a look at some of the most interesting and inspiring architecture across the world, with F51 ranking alongside a host of visual masterpieces being delivered in China, USA, France and the Netherlands to name just a few. To be featured in such a highly esteemed publication of this nature on a global scale is a huge accolade and gives great credence to our work in bringing the design aspirations of Hollaway Architects to life in the built form. You can view the 12 showcased and quite awe-inspiring buildings via the link below:

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/01/02/top-buildings-complete-2021-dezeen-review-2020/

Further recognition for our completed projects was gained as Harmonia (Dementia Care) Village in Dover, as pictured below, is included in the longlist for the RIBA Journal MacEwen Award 2021, which is an awards scheme to recognise exemplary schemes which bring compassion and dignity to those needing support, creating familiar and nurturing places designed to help people live as normal lives as possible. Harmonia remains shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Construction Project of the Year’ at the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards following the postponement of the ceremony in 2020, and which we sincerely hope will be able to proceed this year. We’ll be keeping everything crossed as we await the results.

Across all construction sites productivity remains good in light of current circumstance and considering the further restrictive measures that we have had to impose hampering working conditions even more. I do predict some tough times ahead as we continue on the road to recovery but remain confident that we can ride the storm, just as we have done throughout the past year and alongside my Co-Directors I can assure you we will do everything we can to safeguard the health and wellbeing of you all.

On a personal and most saddening note, I am sure that many of you will be aware that tragically Steve Cullen, our much respected Site Manager for Canterbury Medical Centre suffered serious ill health during the Christmas closure and remains in hospital in a critical condition. Our very best wishes are extended to Steve and his family at this incredibly worrying time and he remains firmly in our thoughts as we sincerely hope for his full recovery.

I would like to finish today by wishing Mick Gatehouse within the General Works team a very happy birthday this week. Whilst not a milestone birthday as such, I do feel any birthday celebrated beyond retirement age whilst part of Team Jenner deserves high praise indeed and I hope you enjoy your day Mick.

As always I wish you all an enjoyable and relaxing weekend ahead and please do stay alert and mindful of your actions in order to stay safe and well.