I’m a Bid and Marketing Assistant at Elkins Construction

What does your role involve?

I work as part of the Pre-Construction team, which helps the company win new business. Part of my role is bid writing, which involves working with commercial, estimating, planning and design to collate and compile the required information to submit successful tenders and secure new projects.

The other aspect of my role is providing marketing support for the business. This includes managing promotional activities, creating content for the website and social media, visiting live sites to capture progress, and producing additional marketing collateral, such as brochures.

What’s your background?

I was previously at a marketing agency for six and a half years, working with different clients across a variety of industries. Elkins was one of our clients and I worked closely with the company, managing its marketing activities for three and a half years, before coming in-house. So, although I’m new to the team, I came in already having a good understanding of the business and the industry.

What are you enjoying most so far about your role?

I’m really enjoying working with the rest of the team. Everyone has been really welcoming and I already feel like part of the family. It’s also great to have the opportunity to visit the projects, see the work being done, and speak to the people working on them. This isn’t something I was able to do before, and it’s really brought the work Elkins does to life for me.

What appealed to you about Elkins?

Having worked with Elkins closely for a number of years, I knew quite a lot about the company already and really liked its values and ethos. I’d heard so many good things from existing employees about the work culture and how supportive and friendly everyone is, which was a big influencing factor for me.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love travelling to explore the history and culture of new places, and of course taste all the delicious food! Closer to home, you can often find me at the theatre watching a play or musical. It’s one of my favourite things about being close to London and I’ll take a chance on seeing almost anything. Otherwise, I usually have my head in a book – my favourite way to relax is by escaping into a story.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Organised, adaptable, adventurous.

We’re off to the pub – what’s your order?

Always a G&T for me!

Say hello to Katherine on our social media channels – you can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook,and Instagram.

Get to know the rest of the Elkins team and keep up to date with all our latest news.

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Alzheimer’s Research UK

Back in February, our HR Manager, Sarah Silburn, and Admin Assistant, Thomas Nicholls, both took on the challenge of running 28 miles across the month to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. The cause is one close to Sarah and Thomas’s hearts as both have family members who have been diagnosed with dementia.

As a result of their efforts, Sarah raised £1,570 and Thomas raised £525 for the charity. With the first treatments to slow Alzheimer’s now on the horizon, every penny raised will go towards funding the search for a cure.

2wish Cymru

In April, our Site Manager, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, took on the challenge of running the Newport Half Marathon in aid of 2wish Cymru. He raised £280 for this incredible Welsh charity, which offers immediate support and counselling, and provides and essential resources for anyone dealing with the sudden loss of a child or young person.

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity

After completing 28-miles in February for Alzheimer’s UK, Thomas will be taking on another challenge in September, when he runs The Big Half in aid of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) Charity. The 13.1 mile route begins at Tower Bridge and passes through four London boroughs – Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich – before finishing at the Cutty Sark.

As one of the world’s best orthopaedic hospitals, the RNOH Charity raises money to provide grants above and beyond NHS funding, which contribute to pioneering research, state-of-the-art buildings and equipment, and patient and staff wellbeing services. Thomas has chosen to fundraise for the charity after the hospital supported one of his relatives when she had to learn to walk again.

If you’d like to donate to support Thomas’s half marathon for this fantastic cause, follow this link.

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I am the HSEQ/Compliance Administrator for Elkins.

What does your role involve?

I work in the HSEQ team under both the HSEQ Manager and Compliance Manager. I provide administrative support to both areas of the business. This includes the creation of health and safety files and operation and maintenance manuals upon completion of projects, assisting in the maintenance of the company quality management system, accreditations and audits.

Most recently I completely reviewed and updated our Supplier Management System, and streamlined the supplier review process, which I now manage on a daily basis. I have also recently taken on the additional role of Mental Health First Aider for the company and now lead the MHFA team in supporting employee mental health and driving team performance.

What’s your background?

I have had a variety of roles over the course of my career, I worked for Barclays for six years, rising from Administration Assistant to Operations Manager. I then worked for a successful gym software company as their Compliance and Quality Manager for several years.

What are you enjoying most so far about your role?

I enjoy being a part of the HSEQ team, where I feel valued and encouraged. It is often very challenging, due to the amount of work, but it definitely helps to have a strong supportive team behind you.

I also very much enjoy my role as an MHFA, as it enables me to help others. This is something that is important to me, as I have previous experience working as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities and I am passionate about helping others in any way I can.

What appealed to you about Elkins?

I had an insight into the company before starting, due to my brother being the Operations Manager. His loyalty and drive to progress the business, showed me that Elkins was a thriving company with a great team and the potential to grow even further.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I am quite a musical person. I play the guitar, sing and, when I can get myself organised, I do gigs in pubs and bars etc. I also have a naughty two-year-old dog, so I enjoy going for walks.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Loyal, loving and honest.

We’re off to the pub – what’s your order?

Jack and coke 😊

Say hello to Michael on our social media channels – you can find us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Get to know the rest of the Elkins team and keep up to date with all our latest news.

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Business Development Manager

What does your role involve?

My role involves building relationships with existing and potential clients, consultants and architects, to identify opportunities for new projects, which will help grow and expand Elkins Construction and increase the company’s revenue. As part of this, I attend networking events and industry trade shows, as well as events with government agencies for public and private sector projects. I also undertake activities to improve client retention, which brings opportunities for further projects with those clients.

What’s your background?

I’ve spent over 30 years working in business development in the construction industry, helping companies to grow their businesses profitability.

What are you enjoying most so far about your role?

I’m really enjoying working with a fantastic team of people in an environment where there’s always a great atmosphere.

What appealed to you about the company?

As a family-run business, which has been around for over 60 years, Elkins has a long and interesting history. I wanted the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of the company by growing and developing its customer base.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’m a sports enthusiast and enjoy football, rugby, golf, cricket (mostly watching) and swimming. I love to travel to experience different countries and cultures, and I also enjoy going out and having fun with my friends and family.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Enthusiastic, friendly and reliable.

We’re off to the pub – what’s your order?

A pint of Guinness.

Say hello to Michael on our social media channels – you can find us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Get to know the rest of the Elkins team and keep up to date with all our latest news.

The post Meet the Team – Michael McGovern, Business Development Manager appeared first on Elkins Construction.

As part of this year’s campaign, which was focused on anxiety, our Mental Health First Aid team encouraged our staff to try some activities to improve their mental wellbeing throughout the week and share the results. Marnie from our MHFA team produced the poster below  with some suggested activities, which was displayed in communal areas across our sites and offices.

Throughout the week, the MHFA team shared activity sheets with staff – including sudokus, colouring sheets, crosswords and word searches – to encourage everyone to take 10 minutes out of their day for a mindful activity.

Many of the team were inspired to get moving during the week. Below are some photos from Marnie’s sunset walk and Rob and Kalvin’s cycle ride. Rob said, “I’d been putting off going for a ride all week but was feeling quite stressed one day so made an effort to finish work on time and finally get out for a few miles. It made such a difference to be outside, enjoying nature in the sunshine, and I felt much better afterwards.”

Marnie said, “The MHFA team wanted to make sure we did something meaningful that would have a positive impact on staff during this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Through sharing resources and activities, we were able to prompt people to take a few minutes out of their day to take a break and do something mindful. It’s been great to see so many of the team getting involved and the feedback has been very positive. We hope it’ll inspire people to continue with some of the activities they’ve tried this week on a regular basis and that they will experience the benefits.”

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From our beginnings as a small roofing contractor, over six decades we have grown to become a large successful new build, refurbishment, planned maintenance and roofing business, delivering high quality traditional and modular construction projects for private and public sector clients in London and the South East.

Founded in 1963 by brothers Arthur and Edward, Elkins Construction has remained family-run across two generations. In that time, we’re proud to have developed a reputation for quality, value and fairness. Arthur’s children, Ray and Glenis, (the current Directors) continue to run the business with the same strong family ethos and commitment to giving back to local communities, that their father and uncle believed in.

“Reaching this milestone is a huge achievement for any business, and I’m thrilled that Elkins Construction is celebrating this landmark occasion,” says Ray Elkins, Director of the company. “I’d like to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of our clients and customers, as well as our employees, many of whom have been with us for many years. Our people are the key to everything we do and the passion, commitment and talent of everyone at Elkins Construction is the reason behind our continuing success. We look forward to the next 60 years!”

Take a look at a few photos from our 60^th celebrations below.

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We ran a poll on LinkedIn, asking people to rate how often they experience stress at work. The results showed that over 50 per cent of those who responded feel stressed every day, while only six per cent said they never experience work stress.

Tips for managing stress

In light of these results, we wanted to share some tips that can help manage stress levels:

1. Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happy, so regular physical activity can have significant benefits to your mental health.
2. Eat well. Eating healthily, including the right amount of fruit and vegetables, and drinking enough water, can help improve your mood and ability to concentrate.
3. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can make you feel tired, groggy, and unhappy. Create a routine that ensures you get enough shut eye. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try cutting down on caffeine and screen time before bed.
4. Take time for yourself. It’s important to take time out of your day to relax and do activities you enjoy. Try taking up a new hobby, as learning new skills can help you feel fulfilled and accomplished.
5. Tell someone how you’re feeling. If you’re struggling, the best thing you can do is talk to someone – either a friend, family member, colleague, or, if you think you need more support, a professional.

What we’re doing

At Elkins, we take mental health very seriously and aim to provide as much support as we can to ensure our staff stay physically and mentally healthy. We have Stress at Work and Employee Wellbeing policies in place, outlining our responsibilities as an employer and the actions we must take, including:

• Identifying and controlling workplace stressors using risk assessments;
• Providing training to help managers, supervisors and staff support their own mental health and that of others;
• Promoting good communication between employees and management;
• Providing an open forum for employees to discuss stress in HSEQ committee meetings;
• Conducting regular reviews with employees to assess workload, mood, output and motivation;
• Investigating any serious cases of stress, behavioural change and workplace absence;
• Referring employees to support services where they are being negatively impacted by stress.

We aim to encourage open and honest conversations about mental health in the workplace and have a dedicated Mental Health First Aid team of six staff, who are always on hand to offer advice and point people in the direction of further professional support if required.

During Stress Awareness Month, our MHFA team have been sharing resources with our staff on indicators of stress and how to handle it. We have included a list of these, along with some further helpful advice here:

• Dealing with stress – NHS

• Tips for managing mental health at work – MHFA England

• Coping with stress – Mental Health UK

• 10 ways to manage stress (video) – BUPA UK

• Health benefits of walking – Super Wellness

• How stress affects your body and mind (video) 

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Louise Mullarkey – Customer Services Manager

Customer Services Manager, Louise, has been at Elkins for three years. She is responsible for managing our Resident Liaison team, monitoring KPIs, performance management, complaints management and resource planning.

“I started out in the construction industry as a Resident Liaison Officer, after someone suggested that it would be a good fit for me. I applied, got the job and found that, not only did I really enjoy it, I was also good at it. I’m proud that my hard work and dedication has paid off, as I was able to work my way up from an RLO to Customer Services Manager in just five years.”

“Construction is still male-dominated and often women are not treated equally. That being said, I wouldn’t discourage women from getting into the industry – in fact, we need more women to influence change. You can be successful as a woman in construction, just don’t be afraid to ask questions and work hard.”

Marnie Greenwood – Assistant Contracts Manager

Marnie joined us as Assistants Contracts Manager nine months ago. She assists the Senior Managers in Elkins’ New Build division in managing our modular projects, from manufacturing to delivery, handover and post completion.

“I went straight into the construction industry from school. After my A-levels I got a Level 4 Project Management apprenticeship and worked full-time for a modular construction company whilst studying for my exams. Once I completed my apprenticeship I continued working in construction, and here I am nine years later!”

“I’ve not really experienced any specific challenges as a woman in the construction industry. I was very fortunate to have other strong women around me in the early stages of my career and I would say that they taught me how to hold myself, earn respect and really relish in my work. I feel lucky that the companies I’ve worked for have always offered equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of their background, gender, race etc. My experience has been really positive and I’d encourage other women thinking about working in the industry to do it! At times it can be high pressure, but it offers great variety – no two days are the same – and you get to be a part of the journey in seeing projects become a reality, which is really rewarding.

Sarah Silburn – HR Manager

Sarah has worked for Elkins for close to seven years, managing all the HR elements of the business, providing strategic support on people-matters, advising on risk, training and employee relations.

“I used to work on the operations team in logistics and manufacturing but I was told I needed to gain some ‘formal qualifications’ to move up the ranks and earn the same as my male counterparts – so I did. I was sponsored to study for an MBA and, after four years of hard work, juggling my studies with my full-time job and a busy home life with my seven-year-old son, I was awarded my MBA in Business and Organisational Design and an MA in Human Resources Management. The qualifications allowed me to change my direction to pursue a successful career in HR.”

“Although things have improved massively for women in construction over the last five years, there are still a lot of old-fashioned attitudes in the industry and getting past that can be a challenge. My advice would be to speak up, make yourself heard and get noticed. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on – but be fearless, and show everyone that the contribution you, and other women, make is valuable. I’m really proud of my achievements and would encourage other women to go after what they want, because you can do anything!”

Nadine McCourt – Client Manager

Nadine has worked for Elkins since 2015. Her role involves assisting our team of Resident Liaison Officers with their processes, procedures and audits, to ensure the client is updated on project progress. She is currently heading up the rollout of our new digital construction toolkit software across the business.

“I didn’t necessarily expect to end up in the construction industry, but I was drawn to the customer-facing side of the role. I found I enjoyed the variety and being out and about in the community, so decided to pursue it as a career.”

“Being a woman in a male-dominated industry can be challenging and, in the past, there have been times when I feel like I’ve not been taken as seriously as my male colleagues, but I’ve not let it hold me back. It does feel like things are changing and I’d encourage any women who want to work in construction not to be put off. Over the course of my career, the number of women has been increasing, and the more we diversify the workforce, the more we can change the outdated opinion that construction is just for men.”

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How did you become a Mental Health First Aider?

Louise: I trained as a Mental Health First Aider in 2017. I’ve been a member of Elkins’ Mental Health First Aid team since 2020, which is when the company first introduced the scheme.

Paul: In contrast, I’m the newest member Elkins’ MHFA team! I was asked by the company if I was interested in undertaking the training as they were looking to get more men involved.

Richard: Louise, Paul and I are all very approachable people and have good established relationships with our colleagues, which is why we were suggested for the roles. Personally, I have experienced some difficult times in the past which have made me aware of the importance of looking after your mental health – it’s something I’m really passionate about.

What does being part of the MHFA team involve?

Richard: We’re here to offer a listening ear with no judgment if they want to have a friendly chat with a familiar face. While we can’t offer professional advice, we’re able to steer them in the right direction and put them in touch with the right people if they do need further help.

How have you found your experience as an MHFA in the business?

Louise: It can be quite a difficult role. In the past I’ve had to support people with a variety of mental health issues. It can be draining, and you have to make sure you protect your own mental health, but it is also rewarding to know that you’re helping people and getting them the support they need.

Richard: It is sometimes frustrating trying to get people to buy into the importance of mental health support. There is usually some initial resistance, because in the past people didn’t talk about how they were feeling, but thankfully this appears to be changing.

Paul: As I’m quite new to the role I haven’t had any significant incidents to manage. For me it’s really just been an extension of what I was doing before – listening to and supporting my colleagues. The only difference is I have the extra knowledge and training to back that up, so I’m able to offer additional support if someone needs it.

What should someone do if they’re experiencing mental health issues at work?

Paul: We have posters up and around our sites and the office with the phone numbers for mental health support and crisis lines for emergencies. If they feel comfortable, they can approach either Louise, Richard or myself as a first port of call as we can put them in touch with more specific support for what they’re struggling with.

What do you do to look after your own mental health and what advice would you give others?

Louise: For me, it’s really important to try and leave work at the door, and not carry the stresses and pressures home with you. This can be particularly difficult as a MHFA as you’re also dealing with other people’s mental health concerns, but you have to try and let it go.

Richard: It’s definitely important to talk. People need to know there’s no shame if you’re suffering with your mental health.

Paul: Many people are worried about speaking up for fear of the stigma. It’s especially a problem with men and those working in the construction industry. There’s no shame in looking after your physical health so there shouldn’t be any in looking after your mental health, it’s just as important!

We know people working in the construction industry are more likely to experience mental health issues. What changes do you think the industry could implement to help reduce stress and encourage people to seek help?

Richard: Increased awareness and funding of schemes to provide mental health support in the construction industry over the last few years have gone a long way. There’s more that could be done but things are definitely getting better.

Paul: We are seeing things start to change. Campaigns like Mental Health Awareness Week have made it more socially acceptable to talk about mental health and widely published statistics about the suicide rates in the construction industry means companies can no longer ignore the problems.

Louise: For many people suffering, just having someone to talk to honestly and openly can make a huge difference. At Elkins we’ve had Mental Health First Aiders for over two years and the company has always been passionate about supporting employees’ mental health. It’s not a requirement to have a MHFA team but it’s something that employees really appreciate and thankfully more companies seem to be realising this support needs to be in place.

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