intouch 30 layout 1 - hills group · 2017. 1. 4. · intouch 3 shareholders tour publishers note...

The Hills Group newsletter

Issue 30 July2013

Shareholders tour Two days, three countiesand five sites– read more on page 3

Northacre updateCommissioning andrecruitment gather pace– read more on pages 4-5

A year of giving Hills work in thecommunity– read more on pages 14-15

Cycle SafeQuarry Products take the lead with MPA Cycle Safe initiative – read more on pages 10–11

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S H A R E H O L D E R S T O U R

Publishers Noteintouch is published by The Hills Group Limited. It is distributed three times a year to employees, pensioners, shareholders and friends of The Hills Group.

Issue No 31 will be published in October 2013. Please submit news and photographs (if possible) to the communications department, either to theaddress opposite, on telephone 01672 518924or via email to [email protected]

The Hills Group Limited, Ailesbury Court, High Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1AA

Tel: 01672 516999

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.hills-group.co.uk

@HillsGroup

Hills Group

The Hills Group Limited makes every effort to verify all

information contained within intouch but does not

warrant to its accuracy. No view or opinion expressed

within intouch should be considered to be that of The

Hills Group Limited, its associated companies or any

director or officer in its employment.

The magazine is printed on Greencoat 80%

recycled paper, which is manufactured to the

international environmental standards ISO

14001 and EMAS (Eco-Management & Audit Scheme)

and supported by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Safety is no accident…Safety is a key theme in this issue.

You can read about the cover story

(pg. 10-11) describing how Quarry

Products are actively supporting a

national campaign to raise awareness

of the dangers of cycling near lorries.

We have also launched the ‘Year of

Health & Safety’ throughout the Group

(pg. 18) focussing on a few of the main

causes of accidents and also drawing

attention to improving identification of

potential accidents through our new

‘Near Miss Reporting’ system.

Behind the values...

Communicating what the company

stands for is very important and in this

issue we look at the meanings behind

the words of our core values (pg. 16-17)

and how these feed into the impressive

new employee handbook.

Reasons for optimism...?

There has been a positive start to this

financial year with the construction sector driving good volumes,

especially in the Quarry Products sectors. This feeling of

optimism is being enhanced not only by the good weather, but

also by the UK’s continued sporting achievements: Justin Rose’s

US Open Golf success, the British

Lions’ demolition of Australia in rugby

and Andy Murray’s historic Wimbledon

triumph. Can another Tour de France

win and an Ashes series victory make

it another summer to remember?

Michael Hill, Chief executive

view

poin

tContents

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A 27-strong party of Hills UK shareholders andsenior management took to the road on a twoday tour visiting a number of Hills’ sites. The tourinitially visited Homes’ site at Station Road inCalne where groundworks for the construction of101 dwellings have now begun.

The next stop was at the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre

in Westbury (main picture) which is well advanced in the

commissioning and testing phase. The last stop on day one was

at Homes’ Mendip Gardens development in Holcombe, Somerset

where the first view home is due to open later in July.

Day two started with the shareholder party visiting the

state-of-the-art facilities for the production of sand, gravel and

ready-mixed concrete at Woodsford Quarry near Dorchester. The

tour then moved from Dorset back in to Wiltshire to see the new

recyclables management facility in Amesbury before stopping

for a well-earned lunch.

Reflecting on the two days of site visits shareholder Bronia Hill

said: “We certainly enjoyed the site tour! It was informative,

interesting and of course very sociable! The site tour is

something I'm sure we all look forward to and everyone was full

of praise for the itinerary and the people we met.”

Shareholders Tour 201303 Shareholders tour

• Site visits

04 Waste Solutions• Northacre update

06 Waste Solutions• Message from Wiltshire Council• PDA update• Oil recycling for air ambulance• Staff news

08 Waste Solutions• Wiltshire Business Awards• Lower Compton Aerators

09 Homes• LABC award nomination for Stratton• Sites in development

10 Quarry Products• MPA Cycle Safe campaign

12 Quarry Products• Making tracks for the Elite League• New concrete plant• New general manager• Andrew Liddle qualifies

14 Group • A year of giving – community funding

16 Group • Our core values• New staff handbook

18 Group • The year of health and safety• People news• Obituaries

20 Group and competition • CPRE Wiltshire Best Kept Village 2013• What's on• Word search competition

Ed Dodd divisional director, Waste Operations explains the refining process at the Northacre RRC.

Shareholders at the new Amesbury recyclables management facility.

David and Rosie Hill at the Holcombe construction site.

Beverley, Robert and Tony Hill.

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At full capacity the Northacreresource recovery centre willreceive 240 tonnes ofmunicipal waste a day whichtypically could be 11 refusecollection vehicles (RCVs) andfive articulated lorries.

Northacre update

Left to right: Tony Smith shift supervisor; Simon Thomas plant manager; Adam Powell shift operative; Christopher Wheeler shift supervisor;

James Earle shift operative and Matthew Weale maintenance supervisor.

Whilst the main construction phase of theNorthacre resource recovery centre inWestbury was completed at the start of 2013, the commissioning and testing phase is now well underway for plant managerSimon Thomas and his expanding team.

At the start of the commissioning phase Northacre received 40tonnes a day of municipal black bag waste collected fromkerbside collections as part of the Wiltshire Council contract. Ascommissioning has progressed the volumes of waste havesteadily increased and as we go to press Northacre is receiving120 tonnes of waste a day, 50% of its final full capacity.

Commissioning involves working closely with technologypartners Entsorga Italia to test all the machinery and systems

involved in the mechanical andbiological treatment process.Vehicles tip their loads into one ofthe five reception bays where it isthen fed into a ‘trommel’(effectively a giant rotatingperforated cylinder) whichseparates oversize from undersizeobjects. One of the two giant cranegrabs then moves the material intothe main hall where extracted airstabilises the waste along withremoving the moisture. Once thematerial is dry it is fed into ashredder with one of the cranes,followed by additional trommels,filters and magnets which extractany metals leaving SRF (Solid

Recovered Fuel) which will be utilised by combined heat andpower plants to generate electricity.

Simon is now ably supported by a team of five, working a split shift which covers 6am to 6pm - made up of two shift operators Adam Powell and James ‘Jim’ Earle, two shiftsupervisors Chris Wheeler and Tony Smith and a maintenancesupervisor Matthew Weale.

James, Chris and Tony were made redundant following theclosure of the Cement Works in Westbury, so as Simon Thomassaid: “It’s great to create new jobs for local people and to makeuse of their expertise working in large scale plants.” Tony joined

from an operational role with Wessex Water and was keen tofind “a new challenge in the recycling sector.” Adam Powell wasa successful internal candidate having moved from his previousrole at the Porte Marsh cardboard and plastics recycling facility.

With further recruitment underway the Northacre teamlooks set to grow over the coming months to 12 membersof staff – with plans to complete the commissioning andplant performance tests in the last quarter of 2013.

- commissioning and recruitment gather pace

Shift supervisor Chris Wheeler keeps an eye on theresource recovery centre from the control room

Shift supervisor Anthony Smith takes manual control of the giant crane grab

Shift operative Adam Powell checks the settings on one of the metal extraction systems

Matthew Weale, maintenance supervisor gets to grips with a scheduled job

Shift operative James ‘Jim’ Earle at the wheel of the Manitou

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W A S T E S O L U T I O N S

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Dave’s praise from Aspire P&L PDAsmake ticketingsystem PDQFollowing an extensivetrial period, the newsoftware managementsystem - ‘IntegratedWaste System’ (IWS)supplied by P&L Software reached a significantmilestone on 1 June, when handheld PDAsreplaced paper tickets.As technical services manager Andrea Pellegram commented:“Now when our drivers go on site, the customer needs to signon the handheld device and records are sent to themelectronically. This cuts down on wasted paper and speeds theprocess up. The PDAs also help drivers do their morning checks,take photos, make calls and provide satellite navigation. Theyare really mini-computers that allow drivers to be in easycontact with base and also have their customer’s information attheir fingertips.

“The drivers and transport staff have workedreally hard to ensure that

we made a smoothtransition from

paper tickets tothe PDAs.”

Chris Boyd depotmanager at Lower Compton

said “The new system isworking well and ourcustomers should see a bigimprovement.”

Steve Burns

Featheredfriends flockto Everleigh The Everleigh HRC is apopular facility for theresidents of Pewsey andsurrounding villages, but it has also become home to a surprising selection of wildlife.Kestrels have made the fir treesbordering the site their own ‘des-res’. Pheasants and woodpeckersare also frequently seen around theEverleigh site. It seems that ourfeathered friends appreciate theefforts of the hard-working Hills staff to recycle and protect theirenvironment.

Dave Long, service manager forthe Aspire contract at Aldershot,has received the personalthanks of Andy Voase, Aspire’sgarrison facilities director, aswell as an official complimentfrom the Army School ofPhysical Training (ASPT) inrecognition of the ongoingwaste and recycling educationroadshow that he carries out.

As Waste Solutions’ contracts managerRichard Bond commented: “Daveregularly holds a waste roadshow inwhich he informs the garrison how tosegregate the correct waste types intothe colour coded containers we supply.As Dave is an ex-MOD trainer he is ableto pitch the workshop at the right levelto engage with everyone”.

The ASPT’s Quartermaster said: “A bigthank you to Dave Long of Hills for thewaste recycling brief. It was pitched justright and he obviously has an empathywith the military and got over the keyaspects very well. I would recommend

that all units consider the briefing. It wasmost worthwhile.”

A campaign to recycle usedcooking oil between Januaryand March 2013 has raised animpressive £1,300 for theWiltshire Air AmbulanceCharitable Trust.

Hills employees at the HRCs workedhard to raise awareness of thecampaign by handing out leaflets andit certainly paid off - as there was ahuge 107% increase in used cookingoil volumes during the campaignperiod. A great team effort.

The team at the Warminsterhousehold recycling centre (HRC)have finally knocked Melkshamfrom the summit of the HRC leaguetable by recycling 78.83% of thematerials they received betweenNovember 2012 and April 2013. Melksham have been table toppers since thestart of 2012 but narrowly lost out toWarminster on this occasion. As you can see

from the table below it was a close run thingfor 2nd, 3rd and 4th places too with just0.17% separating the three HRCs!

1 Warminster 78.83%

2 Melksham 77.26%

3 Marlborough 77.18%

4 Trowbridge 77.09%

Reflecting on their victory, site foremanJulian Dutton said: “All the team have workedreally hard and it’s great news that we aretable toppers.”

Warminster top the table

Rubbish going to landfillreduces in Wiltshire. The amount of rubbish that Wiltshire people put in theirhousehold waste bins has reduced by over 8,000 tonnessince fortnightly collections started last year.

The amount of household waste collected from residentsin South Wiltshire has reduced by 11% compared to thistime last year. Whereas residents in North Wiltshire aresending 17% less waste to landfill compared to last year.

Residents in Wiltshire are also recycling more than everbefore. The plastic bottles and cardboard recycled inWiltshire has increased by over 2,700 tonnes per yearsince the introduction of new kerbside collectionsSeptember 2011. The garden waste collected has alsoincreased over the last year, with an additional 6,200tonnes collected for composting.

It is clear that residents are not only using their newrecycling services, but they are also thinking aboutreducing the amount of rubbish they are putting into

their bins. Well Done Wiltshire!

www.wiltshire.gov.uk

or call 0300 456 0102

A M E S S A G E F R O M W I LT S H I R E C O U N C I L

Since joining Hills in December1994 Mark Clarkson has been afamiliar sight in the weighbridgeoffice at Purton. In fact weighbridgeoperator Mark has not had a singleday off due to illness in his 19 yearswith the company. Mark also provedhis durability in his army careerbefore joining Hills. Mark feels hehas been very lucky with his healthand hopes it continues.

Mark Clarkson – still going strong

Warminster HRC team L to R: Julian Dutton, site foreman with recycling operativesChristian McKenna, Terry Riggs and Colin Miles .

Warminster HRC team L to R: Julian Dutton, site foreman with recycling operativesChristian McKenna, Terry Riggs and Colin Miles .

L to R: Paramedic Ross Culligan; Cliff Carter recyclingmanager, Waste Solutions; Rob Murphy operationsdirector at Living Fuels and paramedic Richard Millar.

Deep fat frying helps keep air ambulance flying


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H O M E S

As part of Waste Solutions’ energyefficiency reviews, site managerStuart Knight identified anopportunity which has savedelectricity and money at the LowerCompton landfill.

The old leachate plant aerators have beenreplaced with three new ones, which havereduced electricity costs by 48%.

The old aerators also had maintenance and repaircosts which were seven times more expensivethan the new ones. It is estimated that the£31,500 investment will pay back in a year.

HolcombeConstruction work for this developmentof 10 desirable three and four bedhouses in Holcombe, Somerset is wellunderway with completion by earlyautumn 2013. As the picture aboveshows, snow briefly stopped work earlierthis year but a great effort from sitemanager Jan Pearce and his team isgetting the project back on track.

To date, there has been a lot of interestin Holcombe with three plots alreadyreserved.

The homes are constructed from aneclectic mix of brick, stone and renderusing traditional methods and materialsto reflect the village around them. Theyalso feature bespoke kitchensindividually designed to maximise theirspace and layout.

WitneyThis conversion of a 19th century mill inWitney, Oxfordshire (spanning a tributaryof the River Windrush) into seven stylishapartments is due for completion early in2014. Four apartments will have two-bedrooms and will be set within theexisting mill building. The other threeunits will be one bedroom propertieswithin a new building. All the apartmentswill enjoy picturesque views acrossmeadowland and the river Windrush.

BishopstoneTwo executive four-bedroom detachedhomes in the popular village of

Bishopstone will be available foroccupation from the start of 2014.

Set at the end of a no-through road onthe edge of Bishopstone, both propertieswill enjoy wonderful views across openfarmland.

Calne, Station RoadConsent has been given for a major newdevelopment consisting of 101 homeson the site of the old Calne railwaystation, close to the River Marden andwith views across the open countryside.The initial phase will involve 32properties in an attractive mix of two,three and four bedroom houses,apartments and coach houses. As we goto press groundworks are starting on theStation Road site with sales set tocommence in 2014.

Look out for updates on all Homes’developments in the next issue ofintouch.

Coming soon– sites round-up


The Cottsway Court development of 26affordable flats in Stratton St Margaret, Swindonhas been nominated for a Local AuthorityBuilding Control (LABC) award. Cottsway Courtwas built on a formerly derelict piece of land andis the result of a partnership between HillsHomes, Cottsway Housing Association andSwindon Borough Council.

The LABC Building Excellence Awards are not judged onarchitectural beauty, but rather on the excellence shown from aconstruction and technical building control point of view.

Nick King, group director Homes, said: “Environmental issues werea vital part of the strategy for the build process at Cottsway Courtand we ensured that as many materials, products and trades aspossible were sourced locally to minimise the carbon footprint and

to support localenterprises.

“A major part of thebuilding was itstimber frame. Thewood came fromsustainable sourcesand by using thismethod ofconstruction, a highlevel of acoustic andenergy efficiencywas achieved.”

Cottsway Court was voted as one of the top fivedevelopments in theSouth West, with the overall prize going to a project from Bristol.

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Payback time for Lower Compton aerators

Prestigious environmental certification extended

Waste Solutions enjoyed asuccessful night at the WiltshireBusiness of the Year awardsGala dinner.

Facing very stiff competition in the‘Environmental’ and ‘Overall’ categories,Waste Solutions were delighted to scoopthe 1st runners-up prize in both.Reflecting on a memorable night AndreaPellegram technical services managercommented: “Coming second in theEnvironment category and as the runner-up for the Overall Business of the Year award is an achievement to bevery proud of and one which recognisesand rewards the hard work the WasteSolutions team have invested over the past three years to improve ourenvironmental and business managementsystems. I want to thank everyone forworking so hard to improve our systemsand in particular Daryl Taylor who hasspearheaded much of this work.”

Success at Wiltshire Businessof the Year Awards

Julie James PA to Group director Waste, Daryl Taylor environment manager and technical services manager Andrea Pellegram celebrate the achievement.

An old leachate plant aerator… …makes way for a new more efficient model

Waste Solutions was granted its first ISO14001 Environmental Management certificate in 2010. Following the completion of an extensive audit in the second quarter of 2013, this prestigious certification was awarded for a further three years.

Commenting on this achievement environment manager Daryl Taylor said “This certification rewards three years of hard work by Waste Solutions staff and reflects our commitment to identify, control andconstantly improve environmental impacts and performance.”

New LABC award nomination


visibility issues and sharetheir own road experiences.The danger of cycling on thenearside of a vehicle turningleft was also highlighted.

The MPA’s Cycle Safecampaign highlights thepotential risk of undertakinglorries and getting too closeto them at left-hand turnsand roundabouts. Cycle Safeleaflets giving practical tipson ways to prevent potentialdangers were handed out atboth events.

Quarry Products took to theroad in June in support of theMineral Products Association’s(MPA) national Cycle Safecampaign. Quarry Products’Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs)and drivers exhibited at twocycling events where thepotential dangers associatedwith cycling close to lorrieswere under the spotlight.

The two events at CastleCombe Cycling Festival and the Big Bike Week Show in Swindon gavecyclists, both young and old, the opportunity toexchange places with LGV drivers and sit in the cab of a lorry tounderstand the driver’sperspective, explain

Q U A R R Y P R O D U C T S

Alan Mackenzie, planning and development manager Quarry Products with LGV driversDarren Taylor and Steve Townsend and transport manager John Warner

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Safety in the spotlight at cycle events

With over 2.5 million trips being made every day by cyclists and with thefrightening reality that 17,000 cyclists are killed or injured on UK roads eachyear, the issue of cyclist safety has never been more pressing.

Cycle Safe Tips for cyclistsREMEMBER

• NEVER undertake a lorry – it may be about to turn left

• The same is true EVEN if you are in a cycle lane

and DON’T FORGET…

• A large lorry may well SWING RIGHT inorder to TURN LEFT

• Be visible, be confident, SIGNAL CLEARLY

• DON’T ignore traffic lights and DON’T bedistracted by mobiles or MP3 players

• A lorry driver may have BLIND SPOTSaround his vehicle and so he may not see you!

• Try to make EYE CONTACT with a lorrydriver for the sake of MUTUAL AWARENESS

“We are supporting the MPA’s campaignwhich aims to prevent collisions betweencyclists and LGVs by raising awarenesson both sides of how to cycle and driveas safely as possible.”

Alan Mackenzie, planning and development manager Hills Quarry Products

“Both events proved really usefulexercises and a great opportunity to listento cyclists’ concerns and highlight safetytechnologies on Quarry Products’ vehicleslike audible left turn signals, sensors andmultiple cameras."

John Warner, transport manager

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Stylish redesign foreNewsletterThe Quarry ProductseNewsletter has beengiven a stylish,professional new lookas part of a redesign. The new eNewsletter combines a contemporary new design with a number of functionalimprovements:

• The greeting line can bepersonalised for each recipient

• The ‘Read more’ buttons will take recipients to the quarry website for the expanded story -increasing site visits and page views

• Statistics will show which stories were most popular - helping toshape future content and sales offers

• Changes to the quarry website will allow potential customers tosign up to receive future eNewsletters.

Quarry Products has receivedapproval from OxfordshireCounty Council for theinstallation and use of a concrete batching plant atUpwood Quarry. The plant will mix measured batches ofquarried materials, together with cementand water, and feed them into mobile mixertrucks to produce concrete for building andconstruction operations in the generalOxford, Abingdon and Wantage areas andthe rural area and villages between.

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Q U A R R Y P R O D U C T S

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Congratulations to Andrew Liddle, production managerQuarry Products, who has been made a graduate member ofThe Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) -the only Chartered body for health and safety professionalsin the world.

Andrew is now entitled to use the letters ‘Grad IOSH’ afterhis name and will work towards becoming a CharteredMember of IOSH througha programme of CPD(continuing professionaldevelopment).

Quarry Products make tracks for the Elite LeagueQuarry Products’ expertise has been utilised bythe Swindon Robins speedway team to developa unique new track surface for the Elite LeagueChampions. Peter Andrew, general manager at Quarry Products, said thattwo main considerations for the track material were the colourand size of the stone. “We had some great guidance from local

hero and Swindon ‘speedway boss’ Ronnie Russell to get themix just right. We are really excited to be involved with our localspeedway stadium.”

The unique mix for the track surface has proved a great success– as it is both aesthetically pleasing for TV and photographiccoverage and provides the right amount of grip for the riders.Quarry Products is now liaising with other speedway venuesacross the UK.

Andrew Liddle Grad (IOSH)

New general manager role for Quarry Products

A Hills mixer truck heads off to a customer from an existing concrete plant

Peter Andrew has been promoted to

general manager and Alan Mackenzie moves to the new position of

planning and developmentmanager of the Quarry

Products division.

Peter will report to chief executive Mike Hill and will

be responsible for the profit,operations and development

of quarrying and concreteoperations, and will work closely

with the Group board to ensure thefuture success of the Hills Group.

Reflecting on his new role Petercommented: “I am delighted to beappointed as the new general managerand I am relishing the opportunity tobuild on Alan Mackenzie’s tremendouswork and continue the Quarry Productssuccess story. We are fortunate tohave a fantastic team of people whohave been fundamental in developingthe business to where it is today.Whilst times have been hard in recentyears, we have still managed toenhance our position as a majorindependent aggregate and concretesupplier which has been due to thehard work and commitment of ourstaff.”

Alan Mackenzie, who stepped downfrom his role as group director on 1 July,will continue working for the companyas the planning and developmentmanager, reporting to Peter andsupporting development activities.

Commenting on the managementchanges, Mike Hill chief executive said:“I would like to take this opportunity towish Peter well in his new role andthank Alan for all his hard work,commitment and dedication andbuilding Quarry Products into thesuccessful business it is today.”

Alan Mackenzie, planning and development manager and Peter Andrew, general manager for Quarry Products

Plans for concrete plant are just the ticket


“Year on year, it becomes more difficult for the likes of clubsour size to survive. The continuing sponsorship provided byThe Hills Group is a welcome relief to us at Calne Town FC andwe hope to continue our association.”

John Rumming, chairman Calne Town Football Club

G R O U P

Landfill Communities FundLong-standing partnerships with Community First, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and theCotswold Water Park Trust have enabled Hills to maximise the funds available throughthe Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) and ensures that those communities who live andwork in the vicinity of our operations benefit from the funding. Here we give you someexamples of what has been achieved and how the funds have been used.

Grants totalling £430,000were made

to environmental bodies responsible for the

management and maintenance of numerous natural and

man-made wildlife habitats and reserves across Wiltshire

and the Cotswold Water Park.

Direct funding In addition to Landfill Communities Fund grants,Hills continues to directly support a wide varietyof community causes.In the past financial year alone sponsorship deals have benefitednumerous local sports clubs, whilst sporting excellence has alsobeen encouraged through our association with the Hills Juniorand Pro/Am golf championships and Barbury Horse Trials. Hills isalso a supporter of community arts through sponsoring theMarlborough Jazz Festival, the Old Town Festival in Swindon, theKennet Valley Arts Trust and other events.

Our direct funding also supports environmental causes such asthe Hills CPRE Wiltshire ‘Best Kept Village’ award and 5,848tonnes of Hills Warrior Compost was given away to help towns,villages and schools create greener areas. An innovativecampaign to encourage Wiltshire residents to recycle more oftheir used cooking oil helped raise much needed funds for theWiltshire Air Ambulance charitable trust.

Henry Newbery, recycling area manager for Waste Solutions shows a school group around a household recycling centre.

Sevington Victorian School: Helped the schoolpurchase their building to maintain access to thisliving museum for future generations.

Young cricketers from Burbage& Easton Royal Cricket Club

celebrate the opening of theirnew all-weather practice nets.

Box Rock Circus: A unique educational and recreational earth science facility.

Hills has been the main sponsors ofWestern Premier League side Calne TownFootball Club since the 2011/12 season.

Volunteers make the most of a Hills compost donation to brighten upBradford-on-Avon station.

Wiltshire Scrapstore: Construction work to create a new room for community use. Opened by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

The former gravel quarry at Langford Lakes is now a 20 hectare Wiltshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a tranquil haven for a wide variety of species. (Photo: Ryan Tabor WWT)

A year of givingSupporting local communities

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325school children from 17 schools visited ourmaterials recycling facility andreceived lessons in sustainableliving, climate change, energyefficiency, composting, litter, wasteand recycling through our supportof a schools’ educations programmedelivered by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

£9,050 from the LCF

Cricklade Jenner Hall: A replacement roof for this popular community hall which dates back to 1652.





“The Hills Group has been an inspiration to all those workingto protect and restore Wiltshire’s natural environment for itslocal communities.”

Dr Gary Mantle MBE, director, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

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£340,000was granted to 15 village hallsto enable refurbishment programmes toupgrade facilities such as kitchen andtoilet areas, create suitable access for thedisabled and improve energy efficiency.

Over the past year Hills has channelled more than

£1,100,000 of funding into projects, events and programmes that support local initiatives,protect and enhance wildlife habitats and promote strongercommunities across Wiltshire. That’s a contribution of over

£21,000 every weekto deserving causes in the areas in which we operate.

£260,000has created or upgraded 10 facilitieswhere all members of the community can enjoy recreational andleisure time.


G R O U P

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intouch takes a lookat how employees'commitment to fivecore values has beenat the heart of TheHills Group’s growthsince its inception in 1900 andremains key tofuture success. Aschief executiveMike Hill explains:

“The Hills Group was founded by my great grandfather in1900 and has a proud history. In the company’s 113 years ithas grown, adapted and changed with the times, enjoyingperiods of great success and knuckling down to survivethrough the tough times. This spirit that has served The HillsGroup so well is integral to the way it conducts its businessand is captured in the company’s core values of family ethos

and commitment; honesty and integrity; innovation; service andquality and enjoyment.

“Companies who are clear about what they stand for andcommunicate this effectively are generally more successful. Valuesneed to be embraced by employees at every level in order to keepthe business moving forward.”

So what do the core values mean in practice? The table oppositesheds some light on how we can adopt them in our daily roles.

“Whilst The Hills Group remains an open andfriendly company, the adoption of the corevalues and working to the professionalstandards outlined in the code of conduct willleave us better placed as a team to maximiseany future opportunities.” Mike Hill

For more information on either our core values or our code of conduct visit eTouch or speak to your line manager.

Hills: the value of five-a-day

Induction policy and proceduresThe Hills Group aims to help you to adjust to your new workplace as quickly and easily as possible, so thatyou can feel integrated and be a productive member of the company from day one. We recognise that theinduction process begins during recruitment and selection, when contact is first made with you as apotential employee.

Hills Employee Handbook Section 1 Induction policy and procedures6

1.1 Induction programmes

Your line manager will draw up an inductionprogramme and checklist that will be usedduring the early stages of your employmentand usually incorporates the followingfeatures:

• the role

• work place practicalities

• work place health, safety and welfare

• the issuing of Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) clothing and company equipment/tools (as required)

• company rules, policies and procedures

• pay and employment conditions

• target setting and performance appraisalprocess (as appropriate).

1.2 Medical questionnaire/health screening

Following your offer of employment you will berequired to complete a medical questionnaire. Youmay also be required to attend employmenthealth screening as a condition of employment.You will be informed if your position requiresemployment health screening.

1.3 Preparation of colleagues and the workplace

Relevant people will beinformed of yourstarting date andarrangements will bemade for the initialstages of the inductionprogramme to be putinto place. Yourworkplace will be madeclean and tidy and allnecessary supplies and

equipment will be provided in good working order.

1.4 First day of employment

You will be given clear instructions about yourfirst working day in advance of starting andadvised where to attend and an expected starttime. You will need to provide documents to theHR team as requested, in advance or on the firstday of employment, as follows:

• a signed contract of employment

• proof of eligibility to work in the UK (to bechecked prior to commencing employment)

• your reference information

• P45 tax form/national insurance number

• a work permit (where applicable – to be checkedprior to commencing employment)

• bank details

• a completed medical questionnaire

• driving licence (where applicable)

• details of emergency contact and how they maybe reached, as well as details on how you maybe contacted outside working hours

• proof of vehicle insurance to cover business useand valid MOT, if you are required to use yourown car for business purposes.

1.5 Introduction to the job

An introductory talk with your line manager orsupervisor will cover the essentials including firesafety, health and safety, company rules andprocedures, and practical workplace issues. Youwill also be given a tour of your place of work, andother places of business if appropriate, andintroduced to your colleagues.

Whilst the timing and nature of training fordifferent roles will vary, the following will takeplace during your first few days of employment:

Hills Employee Handbook Section 1 Induction policy and procedures 7

• your line manager or supervisor will outline allaspects of the job/role to you

• you will be made aware of all health and safetyissues associated with the job/role and, ifappropriate, be issued with relevant PPE beforeyou start

• a balance will be maintained betweeninstruction and supervision, allowing you tolearn, practice and consolidate knowledge andskills required for the role.

1.6 Completing the induction process

During the induction period, you will receiveplenty of support and guidance to help you get togrips with your new role and the company as awhole. Your line manager or supervisor will makesure that all essential information iscommunicated to you clearly and within anappropriate period of time.

1.7 Amendment to terms andconditions of employment

The company will undertake appropriateconsultation with employees as required, on allchanges to terms and conditions of employment.Once agreed you will be notified of thesechanges in writing.

1.8 Amendment to policies andprocedures

The Hills Group regularly reviews its policies andprocedures and as a result the detail in thishandbook may change. These changes will becommunicated through emailed staffannouncements, which will also be placed onstaff notice boards. Latest copies of policies oradditional copies of staff handbooks can berequested from your line manager, the HRdepartment or company secretary’s office, andthey are available on eTouch (see also 5.10).

NEW employee handbookThe core values andthe supporting policiesand procedures havebeen brought togetherin a bright, easy to useand readable A5employee handbook.

INNOVATIONAs part of the Hills team, we ask you to

be receptive to new ideas and

technologies, adaptable, forward-thinking,

proactive, entrepreneurial and

opportunistic, balanced at all times with

a pragmatic realism.

ENJOYMENTWe pride ourselves

on our low-levels

of staff turnover.

Whilst we will ask

you to work very

hard we are also

committed to

making your

working and

social life at

Hills enjoyable.

FAMILY ETHOS & COMMITMENTThe Hills Group is a long established company with a strong family ethos

and sense of belonging which are an integral part of our culture. We will

provide a safe working environment and will value your ongoing

commitment to our company. We will strive to be responsible, caring,

friendly and approachable at all times. We will also encourage any relevant

professional development within the context of your employment.

SERVICE & QUALITYThe business success

of Hills and its

longstanding

relationships with

customers has been

built on many factors,

not least of which

is our ongoing

commitment to the

highest levels of

customer service and

quality. You will be

expected to continue

these high standards

in your work, whilst

ensuring that

health and safety

and minimising

environmental impact

remains a priority.

HONESTY & INTEGRITYThe Hills Group has built a reputation for

being reliable, open, fair, trustworthy,

honest and caring for both the

environment and the communities we

work alongside. We ask that you uphold

these values in everything you do.


18 intouch

Former chairmanRobert Hill has beencaptured on canvas ina remarkably lifelikeoil painting – and nowjoins his fatherGrahame, andgrandfather (and Hillsfounder) Edward onthe 3rd floor at theMarlborough office.

The painting wascommissioned bychief executive MikeHill following asuccessful bid at acharity auction for aportrait.

The Hills Group of companies operates inthree of the most statistically dangerousindustries in the UK, as a result healthand safety must remain an absolutepriority. The Year of Health and Safetyruns from 1 May 2013 – 30 April 2014and focuses on four key areas ofimprovement:

• Near miss reportingIt is widelyacknowledged that forevery one majoraccident there are 100near misses - so anew near missreporting procedureand reporting bookhas been introducedto increase thecapture of near misses.

• Trips slips and fallsA large number of accidents involvingemployees and members of the public

visiting our sites relate to slips, tripsand falls – so all these potential risksneed our continued vigilance.

• Working at heightWorking at height presents veryobvious dangers so can we avoid,

prevent or mitigate thesedangers?

• Safety of contractorsand hauliers on siteThe senior managementteam of each operationwill be reviewingprocedures forinducting contractors onsite to explore anypossible improvements.

Whilst as a businessHills aims to have zero accidents, tomeasure the success of the Year ofHealth & Safety initiative two targetshave been set:

To reduce…

1 the number of accidents that result inan employee absence from work from19 accidents to 16 accidents

2 the number of RIDDOR (Reporting ofInjuries, Diseases and DangerousOccurrences Regulations) accidentsfrom 10 to 8

Employees will be kept up to date duringthe year on the company’s performanceagainst these targets and health andsafety issues via notice boards and staffnewsletters.

P E O P L E

A

Fondly rememberedMaking Hills a safer place for all– The year of health & safety

Thanks AngelaAngela Smith left the company in February after 28 years ofservice – keeping the offices clean and tidy at the site in Purton.Angela and her husband Martin joined chief executive Mike Hilland shareholder Glenis Hill for a ‘thank you’ lunch at the Pear Treein Purton.

Angela was thrilled by the arrival of a surprise guest in the shapeof recently retired Peter Moore, to whom she had reported to formany years. As Mike Hill reflected, “It was a lovely occasion for alovely lady. Thanks for all you have done Angela and we wish youall the best for the future.”

Sadly we have to report on thepassing of two retired colleaguesand one serving employee sincethe start of the year – all ofwhom will be sadly missed.

John Day – John joined Hills in 1976 as aLGV driver and worked until 2007 whenterminal illness forced him to leave hisrole as foreman at Latton quarry. As AlanMacKenzie planning and developmentmanager, Quarry Products reflected:“John was the ideal employee and I hopehe is able to rest in peace.”

Tony Lane – Tony spent a total of 19years working for Hills before retiringfrom his role as a recycling collectionsvehicle driver in 2005.

Paul Sandell – Paul was a hard workingkerbside loader at Lower Compton fornearly five years and passed awaysuddenly earlier this year.

The Hills tackle the hillChief executive Mike Hill and his brother andshareholder Jamie took on and completed thechallenging Longleat 10k road race whichincludes an energy zapping hill climb - raising£1,500 for the charity ICP Supportwww.icpsupport.org

Jamie’s wife was suffering fromICP (Intrahepatic Cholestasis ofPregnancy) and so the promiseof raising money for such agood cause helped pull himthrough what he calls the “28days of pain” training for andtackling the race. Both brotherscompleted the 10k in under anhour, with Jamie pipping Mike atthe finishing line (apparently).

If you see a near miss report it.

If in doubt report it.

Use your nearmiss reportingbook!

John Day after an aerial acrobatics experience in 2007.

Former chairman Robert Hill speaks to Tony Lane at his retirement in 2005.

G R O U P

Robert makes the hall of ‘frame’

intouch 19

Left to right: Martin Smith, Angela Smith, Peter Moore, Glenis Hill and Mike Hill

“Our good health and safety record speaks for itself and is one all employees should be proud of, but

whilst there is no room for complacency there is always room for improvement. Please join me in

supporting our new initiative ‘The Year of Health and Safety’ and making Hills a safer place for all.”

Mike Hill, chief executive

Year of Health & Safety quick quiz – One of these is not a near miss, but do you know which one? Answer on back page.

D

B

E

C

F

2012/13 2013/14

Accidentsresulting

in absence

RIDDORAccidents


The Hills Group has sponsored the CPRE Wiltshire‘best kept village’ award for 2013. Thecompetition is open to all 234 villages in Wiltshire. As chief executive Mike Hill said: “Ours is very much a Wiltshirebusiness and through our support we are able to give back to theareas in which we operate. The competition encourages villages towork together and it’s a good opportunity to build a strongercommunity.” Over 50 villages have entered this year’s competition.Look out for an update on the best kept village competition in thenext intouch.

20 intouch

G R O U P A N D C O M P E T I T I O N

Hills sponsors CPRE Wiltshire‘best kept village’ award for 2013

The intouch word searchwin £50 of vouchers

Keep up to date and keep in touch via @HillsGroup and Hills Group

Richard’s spot nets him £50Richard Taylor (kerbside LGV driver at LowerCompton) was the successful winner of thespot the ball competition in the last issue of intouch. Richard won £50 of vouchers forcorrectly guessing that the ball had vanished from square G7 which made him rather happy!

What’s on?National events, and regional events ofinterest, some of which Hills will besponsoring or participating in.JULY19–21 July Marlborough International Jazz FestivalGeorgie Fame will open this year’s festival.www.marlboroughjazz.com

AUGUST4 August Barbury Horseless SteeplechaseJoin ‘Team Hills’ in this 2.5 mile fun-run for charity. Contact Dave Bevan or Mike Webster for more information.

26 August Summer bank holiday Monday

29 August Hills Wiltshire Junior Open GolfChampionship 2013 at North Wilts Golf Club.

SEPTEMBER7–8 September Dorset Show – Woodsford Quarryexhibiting

10–12 September Hills Waste Solutions exhibit at RWM2013 at the NEC www.rwmexhibition.com

I N T L N S O L R A R S L T NN C N A O P N C M I S T T N NR E Q E I T E I L E R T S E KT N R U T F N H L B S R E M TS Y N Y A W D E E P S N R T NA L R M V L T A M C R O V I ES S I N O N I L Y Y O L I M FR L H O N E S T Y E O R C M AY Y O R N H I H Y C B J E O SF H S A I R A M B U L A N C ET C E R G N O R T H A C R E LI R U E L T T H O I M S T M CM E T A E A T E O L N H Y M YA N M I N D E E I L O S R S CI T I C S C D T H S C E I I T

Can you find the words that are hidden in the intouch wordsearch? All the words have featured in this issue of intouch andinclude the core values featured on pages 16-17. The words arelisted forwards and in reverse – horizontally, vertically anddiagonally, so good luck!

When you have completed your word search add your nameand location and then either scan and email your entry [email protected]; or send via the internal post toDarren Goddard in the communications department,Marlborough.

If you would like a separate sheet to complete the word search onplease email [email protected] with your request.

Entries must be received by Friday 30 August

Name:Location:

Wiltshire’s Lord Lieutenant and villagers from Great Hinton, winners of best kept small village 2012.

The answer from the quiz on page 18 is C as the accident has caused an injury and should be recorded in the accident book.A, B D, E and F could cause an accident or result in an injury occurring if no action is taken.


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