Gerard Dempsey from Kone, a trade contractor working on the new Brent Civic Centre, won Skanska’s Supervisor of the Month Award, but instead of accepting the prize – a selection of personal protective equipment (PPE) – worth £50, he gave it to a local charity.
Gerard explained: “Kone provides me with a high standard of PPE, so I decided to pick a local charity and put the money to good use. I couldn’t think of a more worthy cause than Brent Mencap.”
Skanska, who is the main contractor responsible for the construction of the centre, and Kone who is installing the lifts and elevators, have matched the amount, which now totals £150.
Staff, invited Nihal Saib and Joel Jean-Marie who are supported by the charity, to a presentation held at the centre last week. Nihal’s mum, Chopin Saib, Ian Niven and Michelle Gray from Brent Mencap also attended.
Nahil has a genetic condition called Fragile X Syndrome. This has a spectrum of intellectual disabilities, ranging from mild to severe and includes behavioral characteristics such as social anxiety and stereotypic movements, like hand flapping.
Chopin, commented: “Before my son started attending the charity’s activities held during the school holidays, he had little confidence and was very dependent on me and the rest of his family.
“That was over ten years ago and it has been amazing to see him flourish. He is more confident, independent, loves socialising and will even travel on public transport, something we couldn’t have dreamed about without the charitable help we have received.”
Notes to editors
http://www.brentmencap.org.uk/
Brent Mencap is the leading voluntary sector organisation in Brent working with and on behalf of people of all ages with a learning disability.
It is a charity. The charity registration number is 1077038. It is a also a company limited by guarantee. Our company registration number is 3651245.
As an organisation it has achieved Investors in People and the Matrix Information Advice and Guidance Standard.
Skanska in the UK
Skanska is involved in some of the UK’s most prestigious building and infrastructure projects, working with both private and public-sector clients. We also deliver numerous smaller schemes, including public-realm improvement, hard and soft landscaping and utilities projects.
In addition, by combining our skills and experience in construction and infrastructure development we have become a UK leader in delivering schemes in healthcare, education, defence, transportation and municipal services that bring together private and public investment.
Working together with clients, partners and our supply chain, we make a positive difference to each project. Part of that is our resolute commitment to a more sustainable world, creating green solutions and setting high standards in green construction, as well as helping project stakeholders to make more sustainable choices. In acknowledgement, in June 2011 we were named the greenest company in the UK across all industries in The Sunday Times Best Green Companies Awards.
We also strive to lead in health and safety, business ethics and the working environment. Construction News named us Employer of the Year in its 2012 awards. Our Code of Conduct and Five Zeros together embody our values and form the foundation of our culture: zero loss-making projects, zero accidents, zero environmental incidents, zero ethical breaches and zero defects.
Skanska UK is backed by the financial strength of Skanska AB in Sweden.
Brent Civic Centre
Brent Council’s modern, state of the art and sustainable civic centre is due to be complete by the end of December 2012 and it is envisaged that two-thirds of Brent Council staff will move to the Civic Centre from April 2013.
The new centre will be a flagship building for a modern, ambitious, professional, and outward looking authority, at the cutting edge of UK public service.
The centre will be a “community hub” for Brent’s diverse community. There will be a library, wedding venue, a flexible events space, restaurants and regular community activities.