Demonstrating our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, the Novus Bangor Office have refurbished an unused games room into a bedroom in support of helping a local Homeless Shelter.   A Helping Hand to the Homeless of Wales During the cold winter months, it goes without saying that a warm bed for the night is invaluable to a member of the homeless community. With that in mind, the Novus Bangor Office worked in partnership with North Wales Housing Association recently to support a bedroom upgrade. Novus provided their refurbishment services to help a local homeless shelter transform a disused existing games room into a much needed, well equipped, and comfortable extra bedroom. With over 400 rough sleepers in Wales alone, the scale of the problem is seemingly huge. As part of our commitment to helping those who are at their most vulnerable in society, Novus Bangor Office  wanted to help tackle homelessness in North Wales by providing a helping hand. The completed upgrade now gives one extra person a bed for the night during these colder nights. It is hoped that the facility will also be used by over 300 people in the coming year. A Team Effort The newly refurbished bedroom has benefitted from new doors to both the entrance and wardrobe, these kindly were supplied and fitted by BDL Fire Protection. Complete refurbishment of the flooring was generously donated by Ross Hughes Flooring. Subcontractors PJR Electrical completed all electrical work from new plug sockets to repositioning the CCTV camera. Finally, there was a new sink facility fitted and full decoration of the room including a bed, mattress, bedside table, and chest of draws. CSR at Novus Corporate Social Responsibility is at the core of everything we do at Novus and we are extremely proud to help support such a fantastic project. For more information about the social value work that Novus are involved in, please visit our CSR page.

To mark 5 years of working as Novus, we supported 5 unique community projects across the UK. A year on, our team revisited these local initiatives to see the positive impact they were having on the lives of people within those communities.   Social value and working in the community Behaving in a socially responsible and ethical way is very much at the heart of what we do at Novus and giving back to local community projects by offering our property maintenance services is a natural extension of that ethos. The "BIG5" winning community projects were each awarded a £20,000 refurbishment fund to help finance the work required on their respective projects. One year on from completion, we have returned to each winning project to find out what impact the building refurbishments have had on the local community. In addition, we will continue to offer our ongoing support and property maintenance services to these facilities so that they can continue to provide a positive effect on local communities. Watch our BIG5 Revisit video below:  Rehabilitation Centre Building Refurbishment, Liverpool As part of the BIG5 Campaign, Novus undertook building refurbishments at a rehabilitation centre in Liverpool, ultimately creating a unique counselling room for Tom Harrison House – a charity that helps military veterans suffering from addiction. The fully-heated garden room is now used as part of the charity’s 12-week recovery programme and is the only one of its kind in the UK today. Watch Craig's inspiring story below: Building Renovation, Leeds Novus delivered extensive building renovation works on a derelict two-bedroom house in Leeds on behalf of LATCH - Leeds Action to Create Homes - a charity that aims to reduce homelessness in the city by providing supported housing for those ready to make a positive changes. As the Novus team were carrying out maintenance on the property, they caught up with LATCH to find out what impact the building renovation had made.  Hospital Refurbishment, Brighton Novus offer a range of hospital maintenance and refurbishment services to support the normal day-to-day operation of healthcare providers up and down the country. We work with a variety of healthcare institutions on a weekly basis, including primary care and acute hospital environments for both NHS Trusts and private sector Clients. In this case, Novus refurbished part of the maternity ward at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. This created a new bereavement suite for parents who had lost a child during birth, offering a private space for these patients. The work was completed on behalf of charities Abigail’s Footsteps and the Oscar’s Wish Foundation.  See how the new suite has impacted the hospital: School Refurbishment, Birmingham Novus provide a host of school refurbishment services that enable schools and academies to deliver the best edcuational environments to possible their students. The BIG5 campaign saw the refurbishment of Bromley Pensnett Primary School in Dudley, near Birmingham. The result was the opening of a new learning hub for parents, children, and the local community. This space offers facilities for health checks as well as and a childcare centre during the summer holidays. See how this learning hub has been beneficial to the community below: To learn more about the Corporate Social Responsibility activities that Novus undertake, be sure to visit the CSR section of our website. For more information about any of the services that Novus can provide, or to make any other enquiry, please contact us.

As December is traditionally the season for giving, Novus were spreading a little Christmas cheer to the homeless and less fortunate throughout the festive season with their nationwide “Give a Gift” campaign. Helping the homeless It is estimated that at least 320,000 people are classified as homeless in the UK with the vast majority of that number currently residing in temporary accommodation. Rough sleeping has also undergone a sharp incline over the past decade, with a staggering 150% increase in numbers over the last 10 years alone. Whilst the number of regular foodbank users has risen to over 1.1 million nationwide.  In no small way due to the cold, wet British weather, winter is understandably the most challenging time for those living without the basic comforts that a home provides. That’s why Novus, as a socially responsible organisation within local communities, sought to help those in need. In a coordinated effort that saw Novus colleagues up and down the country getting into the charitable spirit, activities such as clothing donations, Christmas jumper days and even a day out at the cinema were on the agenda, as staff happily volunteered their time and money for the cause.   The Macari Centre – Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent One of the beneficiaries of this campaign was The Macari Centre of Stoke-on-Trent (home city of Novus Property Solutions) – a sanctuary that provides safe short-term emergency shelter for any person in need of support.  The Centre is operated by the Macari Foundation; a charitable organisation established by footballing legend Lou Macari to relieve the life inhibiting effects of poverty to those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. As well offering shelter, The Macari foundation strives towards proving all the information, support and, empowerment individuals need to permanently help themselves out of homelessness. How did Novus help? Novus Supply Chain partner RK Styles donated 50 Fleeces and Hats to the Macari Homeless Centre. Colleagues from Novus HQ took 8 homeless people from the Macari Centre to the cinema Novus HQ also donated more than 30 Christmas shoeboxes to the Macari Centre Changing Lives Changing Lives has been helping the homeless and the most vulnerable members of society for nearly 50 years. This charity works with people who are in crisis or who need support to overcome serious challenges that can limit their opportunities. Changing Lives help people to develop the skills and self-belief to ultimately achieve a better future. Currently operating across the North East, Yorkshire, North West and the Midlands, Changing Lives has over 500 members of staff and nearly 300 volunteers that help over 17,000 people annually. How did Novus Help? The Novus Gateshead team filled Christmas donation boxes to the brim for the charity NHS Foundation Manchester University – Winter Homeless Appeal Every year the Manchester University hospital raises funds to help purchase clothes for Homeless Aid UK to ensure that those that don’t have much over the winter period are clothed with warm items. Homeless Aid UK is an organisation established and operated by a group of friends from across the UK. The charity is dedicated to ending homelessness through delivering services intended to transform the fortunes of those who need it most. Homeless Aid UK predominately work with the homeless in the Bolton & Manchester area but do also operate across the UK and globally. This charity relies solely on the support and donations from the local community. How did Novus Help? Our Novus Warrington office donated over £200 to the NHS Manchester University Hospital to help towards clothing items for the Winter Homeless Appeal. Trussell Trust Foodbanks Working in conjunction with The Trussell Trust, foodbanks up and down the country strive to restore dignity and revive the hope of the people it assists on a daily basis. This charity also operates with the mandate of helping build a stronger community spirit through donations of time, money, and food. How did Novus Help? The Novus Basingstoke office put together a large food donation to support its local foodbank. Each member of the Basingstoke team came forward to give a small donation to help someone less fortunate in the local area. Colleagues from Novus HQ in Stoke also collected a large quantity of food and toiletries for the Trussell Trust. Alongside helping the homeless this Christmas, our Give a Gift campaign involved helping several other causes in local communities up and down the country.  Care Home Christmas Parties As a care home maintenance provider, we often rely on the patience and understanding of the care home residents themselves to enable our technicians to complete works quickly and efficiently. Novus prides itself on being a helpful, respectful Novus colleagues from Birmingham, East Midlands, and Southampton threw Christmas parties for the residents living care homes in which they have refurbishment contracts over the festive period. With festive buffest, Christmas music, crackers and festive gifts, this was the perfect way in which to thank the residents for their co-operation and understanding throughout the year. In a similar vein, Novus in York decided to treat one deserving tenant with a winter warmer hamper packed to the brim with cold weather essentials such as soups, hot drinks, and a few special treats to last throughout winter. In addition, Novus in Manchester donated Christmas hampers to serve as raffle prizes to Six Town Housing. As Novus are currently undertaking the internal decoration works at the Falcon House retirement home, the proceeds of the raffle will be helping to buy furniture for the house.   Helping Children’s Charities According to the latest figures, there are over 4 million children living in poverty in the UK alone and this number is expected to rise to over 5 million in the next 2-3 years. Christmas time can represent a particularly difficult period for children and families living in poverty and it is for this reason that Novus choose to donate to charities that address growing issue in society.   Save the Children For over 100 years, Save the Children have been feeding, clothing, educating protecting young people throughout the world. From humble beginnings in the wake of the First World War, to reaching a record 21 million children in 2016, the charity is now one of the largest in the world. How did Novus help? In what has become an annual tradition, Novus colleagues at every office have once again worn their Christmas jumpers in support of Save the Children. The Children’s Foundation The Children’s Foundation is a local charity created to help children that other charities don’t always reach; those who are the disadvantaged, disabled and distressed. Set up the 1990’s in Newcastle upon Tyne, this charity was established to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people affected by poverty/poor health/poor mental health. How did Novus help? Our Gateshead team organised a Christmas jumper day that took place on 13th December, donating all proceeds to the Children’s Foundation. Fresh Visions Established in 2003 by frontline housing workers in London and based in Kent, Fresh Visions works with some of the most vulnerable young people in society, offering support for a whole range of different issues such as poverty, domestic abuse, and social exclusion.  Fresh Visions was setup to fill gaps in local support structures. Over the last 16 years the charity has helped transform the lives of hundreds of young people and continues to do so every year. How did Novus help? Every Christmas the Novus Team at Leighton Buzzard choose a local charity to support. This year we decided to support Fresh Visions by offering toy donations for those young people that the charity supports. Numerous toy donations came from the staff at Leighton Buzzard Office, and our very generous sub- contractors. Novus would like to thank NXTGEN Scaffolding, Eric Group, PGB, Clear Style Windows & Doors, Coulman Roofing, Reed Scaffolding and Meadows Electrical for their amazing efforts in supporting this cause. NHS Boston Hospital Children’s Ward How did Novus help? Hospital maintenance is a key area of operation for Novus and as the East Midlands office were carrying out fire door upgrades on behalf of Boston Hospital, Novus colleagues donated selection boxes to the children on the pediatric ward.   More information For more information about our charitable and socially responsible work that Novus are involved with, please contact us using our online web form. Alternatively, why not browse other articles contained within our blog?

Social housing tenants in Wrexham are set to benefit from more modern accommodation following the awarding of £500,000 worth of works to contractor Novus Property Solutions by Wrexham County Borough Council. The work will see Novus carry out internal re-decoration of void properties and a programme for external repairs and painting to the council’s stock over the next three years, with the potential for a further three-year extension. Novus’s work builds on the relationship the firm has established with Wrexham County Borough Council in previous years carrying out refurbishment and repair projects. Sam Frame, head of operations at Novus, said: “Novus has a strong presence in the North West and Wales and this contract will enable us to strengthen this by employing more people and continue to give back to the communities we operate in. “We’ve built a good understanding of how to deliver refurbishment projects to Wrexham Council’s high standards over the years and, together with experience working alongside other local authorities and housing associations, this will develop further. This contract will ensure social housing in Wrexham is fully prepared for future use.” Lee Roberts, Property Investment Lead at Wrexham County Borough Council, said: “Over the past few years we have invested heavily to improve our housing stock to provide our tenants with modern and affordable housing now and into the future. This contract will see that work continue and as we have worked with Novus in the past we look forward to continued good relations with both ourselves and our tenants.”

Contractor Novus has whisked its 18-strong 2019 cohort of apprentices to the Derbyshire countryside to build a model village ahead of their education in the construction industry. Novus held its Building Success day as part of its wider Apprentice Week at Mount Cook Adventure Centre in Buxton, an eco-friendly venue that Novus helped create in 2016. The annual event brings all of the business’ nationwide apprentices together, giving them an opportunity to meet members of the Seddon family and the wider leadership team. In addition to the Building Success project, the apprentices will learn about Novus’ core values, its customer service and health and safety standards and have the opportunity to work in the local community to deliver a social value project. The Building Success day saw a conference room transformed into a live construction site, where the apprentices were tasked with building a modern village consisting of streets and homes. The event was highly interactive with scaffolding, tools, building materials and safety notices provided to create as close to a real live environment as possible. The teams, consisting of planners, builders and decorators, were supported throughout the day by the Novus operational teams, who will work alongside the apprentices throughout their Apprentice programme. Sarah Collins, head of people services at Novus, said: “Apprentices have always played a fundamental role in Novus’s success and are one of the key reasons we have such strong teams delivering exceptional work across all of the country. “Today’s event has provided our apprentices with an opportunity to put their potential skills to the test and has allowed us all to get to know them better in a practical environment. We’re hoping that all of our 2019 apprentices will go on to have long and successful careers with Novus, whether in professional trade roles or progressing to management and leadership positions. “We’re proud the day proved to be such a success and look forward to following the development of our apprentices over the next few years and beyond.”

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for CSR Initiative of the Year at the Construction News Talent Awards. It comes following last year’s hugely successful Big Five campaign, where we supported five renovation projects around the country that were nominated by – and completed for – the communities we operate in.  The Big Five was a major initiative for us, with each project receiving a £20,000 investment. Those chosen by our own judging panel included: The refurbishment of a maternity ward to create a new bereavement suite at Royal County Sussex Hospital in Brighton for parents who have sadly lost a child during birth. The conversion of a derelict house into a modern home for a vulnerable person in Leeds on behalf of Latch (Leeds Action to Create Homes). The refurbishment of a new community and learning centre for parents and children in Dudley. Modernising a Youth Action Project community hub in Livingston, Scotland, to provide courses and workshops for young people. Building a counselling room at a rehabilitation centre in Liverpool for military veterans suffering from addiction. Being able to support our communities is vital to us and the Big Five has actively improved the lives of around 700 people. Not only that, it has united our workforce and reaffirmed our core values – The Novus Way. Launched in 2018, the CSR Initiative of the Year award recognises outstanding commitment to transparency, fairness, integrity and diversity. Our shortlisting highlights our efforts to be socially responsible, as well as honouring the hard work our exceptional tradespeople invest into the community. Kevin Rhone, head of social value and customer services at Novus, commented on making the shortlist: “The Big Five initiative offered us a fantastic opportunity to build on the incredible progress we’ve already made with our CSR campaigns to-date, reconnect with the communities we operate in across the country and bring our corporate values to life. “The campaign has produced tangible results that will continue to change lives for years to come – something our staff can be incredibly proud of.” Lem Bingley, editor of Construction News, said: “These awards celebrate companies and individuals that are infusing the construction industry with amazing positive energy.” “The shortlisted entrants have taken huge strides forward in training and education, health and safety, technology development, equality and diversity, community outreach and corporate responsibility. Together, they are making our industry more efficient, more responsible, and more inclusive.” “Our panel of expert judges now has the difficult task of selecting the cream of this incredible crop.” The awards take place on 20th November 2019 in London. Find out more about our CSR approach here.