Changing lives in local community earns Russell Taylor Group another top award
Posted by Catherine Tidy on 17/11/2022
GOING above and beyond in its support for the local community has earned Russell Taylor Group another major business award.
The company received the Made a Difference Award in the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce 2022 Recognition Awards after judges agreed the Burton Manor-headquartered operation was making a positive impact on the social well-being of the locality.
Accepting the award from BBC TV personality Sian Lloyd, Russell Taylor Group chairman Peter Russell said: “Changing lives for the better in our local community has always been an important part of a culture that spreads throughout the entire company.
“It’s an attitude that embraces every level of our workforce and challenges staff to champion initiatives that truly make a difference – from groundbreaking partnerships with community groups which are setting young people on the road to employment to supporting charities and good causes.
“We are very proud to have received this award which, more than anything, recognises the commitment our staff make to wholeheartedly supporting all the important community initiatives we undertake.”
Vital support for The Hive, the Birkenhead-based youth zone, comes from Russell Taylor Group not only as a financial backer and fundraising champion but also to helps some of Wirral’s vulnerable and disaffected young people to reach personal and employment goals.
As a coach and mentor, Peter, whose careers coaching stretches back almost 30 years, believes that living in an area of high unemployment should never prevent young people from having a chance to gain the skills necessary to put them on a real jobs pathway.
Mentoring young people is also a regular part of Peter’s working life in his close relationships with the West Cheshire and North Wales Young Chamber programme, Merseyside Community Training, Wirral Metropolitan College, Everton in the Community and the Women Into Science and Engineering WISE campaign.
However, one of the most far-reaching community partnership projects initiated by Russell Taylor Group is an alliance between local employers, educationalists, training providers and youth organisations aimed at creating and placing new workplace talent.
As business needs become even more complex, strong collaboration among these groups has become crucial to addressing current skills gaps. Here though the focus is not limited to young people alone and includes armed forces veterans who have many life skills and ex-offenders who have been shown to become loyal and hard-working employees - all deserving of a second chance.
By sharing their expertise and knowledge, members of Burton Networking Group - meeting at the Burton Manor headquarters - everyone brings their own particular skills to the table where information is shared about ongoing initiatives, trends and programmes that link in to the important agenda of getting people into work, their training, development and how to retain them.
Support for local charities has played a huge part in Russell Taylor life over its 17 years of operation, both from a corporate perspective and personal level for staff. Company-wide fundraising and donations provided a state-of-the-art bedroom at Alder Hey children’s hospital and, as part of YMCA Wirral’s Winter Support Appeal, helped equip rooms at its Emergency Night Triage Centre in Birkenhead with new bedding and towels as well as fitting out a new kitchen area.
A boost for Wirral’s Claire House children’s hospice came from a Russell Taylor-organised football tournament while head office recruitment consultant Ben Evans swam the full length of Lake Windermere and group HR manager Jennifer Scott and Manufacturing Division manager Kelly Newell both took part in the gruelling Tough Mudder challenge at Cholmondeley Castle. Meanwhile at the company’s London and South office, operations manager Steve Sockett and his son brought in £1,700 for Great Ormond Street Hospital by completing the London to Brighton cycle ride.
A lasting legacy, however, of the Russell Taylor commitment to the community was its move to Burton Manor following a massive restoration project to save the Grade II listed building, its gardens and grounds from ruin. Now restored to meticulous heritage standards, the manor has retained its on-site village café which is open to local residents and visitors to the picturesque village of Burton.
Last year Russell Taylor Group was winner of two categories in the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce Recognition Awards – Business of the Year and Young Person of the Year, presented to Isaac Hayes, the Industrial Trades Division’s labour co-ordinator.
Peter Russell and Jennifer Scott (centre) are pictured receiving the award from Chamber chief executive Debbie Bryce and Sian Hughes.