Colas Ltd

[Exciting News! 📣] CN Workforce Awards Shortlist Colas has been nominated for six prestigious CN Workforce Awards! These awards recognise the outstanding achievements of those striving to make the construction industry and their organisations great places to work. ·      Lucy Fell – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Leader of the Year ·      Libby Bowers – Inspiring Women in Construction ·      Period Dignity: Ending the Stigma – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year, Mental Health & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year ·      In partnership with ADEPT: PLACE for All – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year ·      In partnership with ADEPT: A great practice guide for staff retention - Innovation in Workplace Culture Visit our website for more information on the nominations. Congratulations to all nominees! We look forward to the award ceremony on Thursday 14 November. #CNWorkforce #Diversity #EDI

[Working in our local communities 🧑🤝🧑] Last week, the Colas Leeds contracting team joined forces with the Horsforth Shed charity team completing white lining works in their car park, marking a significant step towards improving accessibility, safety, and convenience for visitors. Prior to the work taking place, the existing parking lines had become faded, but our team utilised their skills and expertise to ensure clear and visible markings, making it easier for all visitors to park with ease. Horsforth Shed aims to serve the needs of the local community by offering workshop-based activities to help people get together and learn new skills in a supportive environment. From providing school student support to conducting workshops and offering specialist assistance for young people facing challenges, Horsforth Shed strives to meet the diverse needs of individuals in the community. 

We are excited to announce that two colleagues have been shortlisted as finalists in the upcoming Highways Heroes Awards! Neil Hallett, and Shayne Dawson were nominated by their colleagues in recognition of courageous action. The prestigious Highways Heroes recognises the heroic actions of individuals who have coped admirably in the face of adversity. Congratulations to Neil and Shayne, and we look forward to the upcoming Highways Heroes Awards in November.

[PFI Anniversary 🎉] Celebrating 20 Years of Highways Maintenance PFI Contract in Portsmouth. This week, we have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of the twenty-five-year Highways Maintenance PFI contract in Portsmouth. The maintenance contract was signed between Ensign Highways Ltd, and Portsmouth City Council in 2004. Subsequently, Colas was selected as the subcontractor responsible for maintaining and managing the Portsmouth network 365 days of the year. Since the contract began, the PFI team has been responsible for the management and maintenance of the city’s highways infrastructure, including roads, footways, cleansing, and streetlighting. In that time, the PFI team have worked with Portsmouth City Council to introduce innovative and sustainable solutions to the city, including the installation of the UK’s first Flowell crossing. Happy anniversary to the PFI team!

A few weeks ago, some of the Colas Ltd senior team had the privilege of being invited to hold a meeting at the Bouygues joint venture Hinkley Point C site, providing a valuable opportunity gain learnings from the impressive project site, and interact with the team. The Hinkley Point C ByLor project is a joint venture between Bouygues Travaux Publics, an entity from within the Colas group, and Laing O'Rourke, and upon completion, will be the first in a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK. One of the huge benefits we have in belonging to the global Bouygues Group is to share knowledge. By visiting extremely complex projects like Hinkley Point C, we gain insights into a different type of operation which can then be brought back to our own business in order to continue to make improvements and adjustments the benefit our customers, end users and suppliers. Read more on our website.

We are delighted to announce that Colas has been nominated in two categories in the upcoming Highways Awards! In the Digital Transformation Award category, Colas has been jointly shortlisted as finalists in partnership National Highways and FYLD in recognition of our innovative efforts in driving industry transformation. In the Health, Wellbeing, & Inclusion Award category, Colas has been shortlisted in recognition of our women’s wellness campaign, Period Dignity: Ending the Stigma. We look forward to the event in September!

Recognising the significance of supporting charitable organisations within our local communities, Colas prioritises initiatives that make a positive impact. Throughout the year, our business units actively contribute to various causes aligned with our values, aiming to foster positive change in the local communities in which we operate. Recently, our colleagues have taken on exciting challenges to further contribute to charitable causes. As a sponsor for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, a team of eight from the Area 9 team climbed the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the Scotland, the UK, and the British Isles to raise funds for the life-saving charity. Last week, ten colleagues from the Cheshire West and Chester team climbed Mount Snowdon, raising funds for Changing Lives Together, a cheshire based charity focused on making a difference in the lives of local people and having an impact on the wider environment. These remarkable endeavours demonstrate the dedication, passion, and collective spirit of our colleagues in giving back to their communities and making a positive impact. Well done to both teams!

[Decarbonisation 🌍] Our National Technical Manager, Paul Acock, and Innovation Manager Joe Kimberley will be presenting at today's CIHT Masterclass which is focussed on the topic of Decarbonisation.   They will share insights into a solution based approach to protecting and maintaining surfaces by exploring the many options available, as well as discussing our project, "Recycol in Cheshire West and Chester - Low carbon 100% binder course cold-recycling for the strategic road network," which received ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘CIHT & Ringway Decarbonisation Award’ category at the recent CIHT Awards. #ColasShares #Decarbonisation

[Working in our local communities 🧑🤝🧑] VRS installation at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Training centre     Colas has recently completed the installation of a Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) at the new state-of-the-art Training and Development Fire Station in Aintree, Liverpool. The project, undertaken by Wates Group, aims to enhance the training capabilities of the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) by creating immersive and realistic training zones, which includes a mock-up motorway equipped with a VRS system. To find a specialist for this critical component, the Wates Group approached National Highways, who in turn contacted Colas Ltd to enquire if they could contribute their knowledge and resources to the installation of the VRS system. The installation process, executed by our skilled SDF team, was carried out over a five-day period, with the team ensuring that the VRS system provides a realistic and secure environment to simulate motorway incidents for training purposes. #ColasCares #Colasshares

In June, Colas Ltd joined BOUYGUES UK, Colas Rail UK, and Equans UK & Ireland - In Focus to host an empowering Women in Leadership event! Marking the significance of #InternationalWomeninEngineeringDay on the 23rd June, the event brought together industry leaders, visionaries and aspiring professionals to discuss gender inclusivity in STEM fields. Through engaging conversations and insightful presentations, attendees gained valuable insights, shared experiences, and were also motivated to take powerful action for continued progress. Some highlights from the day included exploring inclusive initiatives within our businesses, gaining insight into Meg Khan's impactful "Seen the Stories" project, and being inspired by esteemed guest speaker, Griselda Togobo, who gave an empowering presentation on thriving in male-dominated fields. Check out the highlight video!