friday update

As Tuesday 23rd poignantly marks the forthcoming one year anniversary of pandemic-induced restricted living and an unprecedented year of uncertainty and adaptation that has truly turned our lives upside down, I feel it comes as quite a relief to hear that the government remains unwavering in its plan for the easing of lockdown restrictions and as such we have good reason to remain optimistic as the Springtime and brighter weather approaches.

Turning for a moment to face the devastation dominating the news this week of the tragic events leading to the untimely death of Sarah Everard, and the vast impact this has had on the wider community with calls to “reclaim our streets” I do feel this serves as another stark reminder to us all that, aside of all COVID concerns, it is a troublesome world that we live in and therefore imperative we stay vigilant in all walks of life, avoid unnecessary risks and please do stay alert in order to stay safe.

Returning to look at the pandemic, an astounding 25 million first doses have now been administered with a prevailing 1.7 million secondary doses, which is once again a most remarkable achievement by all those involved on the frontline. As the vaccine now rolls out to the over-50’s, myself and many of my co-directors and colleagues have inundated the vaccination centre in Folkestone yesterday, and saw first-hand the programme really is moving at a promising pace to keep us on the road to recovery. With Boris himself receiving his vaccination this week I feel I am in good company and incredibly fortunate to have received this level of protection in the ongoing fight to overcome the pandemic. Whilst fears of reduced supplies of the vaccination for the next wave of recipients have circulated in the media, the government reminds us that they remain well ahead of schedule and this slight dip in stock should not cause alarm, with promises that all age groups will be vaccinated by July.

With a total of 4.2 million confirmed cases and 126,000 deaths now reported within the UK as the one year milestone approaches it seems a pertinent moment to reflect on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and pay our respects to all the lost lives and the relentless dedication of our NHS staff, the government and all keyworkers for guiding us through such turbulent times. More optimistically locally cases within the Folkestone and Hythe area have dropped considerably to 22 per 100,000 and much lower than the national average of 45 so again let us hope our concerted efforts are starting to pay dividends.

Taking a brief look at project-focused news, and as promised in last week’s update, the feature of F51 (Urban Sports Park) in national publication ‘Concrete’ Magazine is now available and the PDF is now attached to view. Once again the article focuses on the huge logistical challenges faced in delivering this internationally renowned flagship project and in a most positive light, so I do encourage you to take a moment to read it.

Our Customer Care team have been incredibly busy over recent weeks delivering critical fire stopping works to residential properties at The Auditorium in Chatham on behalf of client MHS Homes, with works to the penultimate apartment commencing on Monday. Praise really is due to Neil Hardley and his team as they have worked tirelessly to deliver these essential works whilst battling confirmed COVID-19 cases and the onward need for isolation amongst the team, so to receive such positive feedback from the residents on site is incredibly encouraging to read, so well done to you all:

“I just wanted to pass some feedback from Flat 21. She felt the whole team have been so nice, friendly, informative and kept her updated about the status of the works at all times. She said if she hadn’t been in she would have questioned if the work was done as it has been so smooth and clean and she cannot even tell that work has been done, so please pass a big thank you on to your team”

An advance ‘date for your diary’ with a sporting focus is Sunday 30th May which will see the Folkestone Coastal 10k run take place just a stones throw from our seafront development site and which Jenner are delighted to be supporting as one of many local Folkestone businesses engaging in this community focused event which has been safely adapted to go ahead in COVID restricted times. It would be great if we could rally a team to participate in true Jenner team spirit as we have done over previous years with other sporting events such as the Hythe Triathlon. Whilst this may seem a little far off, falling on a bank holiday weekend and with post-lockdown excitement you’re likely to get booked up in the rush for normality, so I wanted to ensure you were aware of this date as soon as possible if you are keen to get involved. More details about the event can be found on the dedicated website: Folkestone Coastal 10K – The Folkestone Coastal 10K and please do let me or one of the Front of House team know if you would like to participate as it would be great to have a Jenner contingent out in force.

I’d like to finish tonight’s update by sending out heartfelt best wishes and congratulations to John Owen who has retired today from the General Works team after a remarkable 42 years of service at Jenner. I did request any particular memories of John from his colleagues that I could share with you all but I was quite quickly informed that none of these were deemed appropriate for onward publication and which I think speaks for itself, that John has been a much loved member of the team and a true Jenner personality who will be missed by us all. Thank you John on behalf of us all here at Jenner for your dedication, exceptional loyalty and hard work over the years. Do put your feet up and enjoy a well earned rest!

That’s all from me for another week other than to wish you all an enjoyable weekend ahead and express my continued sentiments to stay safe and well.