Million Tonnes - Hills Group

The Hills Group NewsletterIssue 25 September 2011Million Tonnes– read more on pages 4 and 5New plant forready-mixed concrete– read more on page 7Homes sponsorWiltshire College award– read more on page 8Working in partnershipwith African charity– read more on page 10

viewpointMilestones…We all reach milestones in our lives and we markthem in different ways. As a business we reached asignificant landmark this summer in our contractwith Wiltshire Council. Over the lifetime of thecontract we’ve diverted a million tonnes ofhousehold waste from landfill (page 4-5).It can be hard to comprehend how much that figuremeans. When you put out your household waste itseems such a tiny amount compared to everythingin your street or your community – let alone thewhole of Wiltshire. However, because we all do ourbit then the impact we make together is huge.I was reminded of this when we marked the start ofconstruction on the MBT plant (page 3). It wasn’tthat many years ago when 80% of what was putout by residents went straight into the ground.Along with all the other schemes already in place, itis amazing to think that when the plant isoperational, it will mean 80% of what residents putout will actually be diverted from landfill!Making a difference…The little things we do that can make such a bigimpression can be seen in another milestone – our work with jolerider (page 14). We’ve been donating bikes dropped in to our HRCs tothis charity. They get refurbished and are then sent to The Gambiawhere they transform the lives of schoolchildren facing a long walkto the classroom on poor roads. It’s a little thing for many of us tothrow a bike away, but it makes a huge difference to peopleelsewhere.I wouldn’t say that climbing the three highest peaks in the UK is alittle thing (page 20), but it is certainly making a difference and inthis instance raising money for a children’s hospital. In each editionof intouch I read about the remarkable things Hills’ staff have doneto raise money for good causes – and this edition is no different.Despite the gathering storm…As expected the medium term outlook remains uncertain as darkclouds gather over the economies of Europe and around the world,having a noticeable effect on construction related activities.However optimism regarding the long term remains high with newmarkets being sought and exploited (page 6) anda number of planning applications being submittedto develop the waste treatment activities as wellas housing land. I look forward to reporting onthese developments in future issues.Michael Hill, chief executiveContents03 Northacre resource recovery centre• Ground breaking news04 Million Tonnes• Milestone reached for Waste Solutions06 Quarry Products• Ready-mixed concrete at Newbury• Keeping the cows happy08 Homes• College award sponsored• Going good at Ascott10 Waste Solutions• TV stars in the making• Bikes donated to jole rider charity14 Sponsorship• Golf tournaments• Jazz comes to Marlborough16 Community• Wootton Bassett cricket club nets new funding• Wiltshire tennis facilities expand18 Welcome• Meeting Richard Whale19 People News• Famous faces• Jute bag on duty20 Challenges & Competition• Three peaks and cycling –who’s been doing what?• Win a trip to the cinema012345012345WIN CINEMA TICKETS012345ADMIT ONE012345Publishers Noteintouch is published by The Hills Group Limited.It is distributed three times a year toemployees, pensioners, shareholdersand friends of The Hills Group.Issue No 26 will be published in January 2012.Please submit news and photographs (if possible)to the communications department, either to theaddress opposite, on telephone 01672 518924 orvia email to info@hills-group.co.uk2 intouchThe Hills Group Limited, Ailesbury Court,High Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1AATel: 01672 516999Email: info@hills-group.co.ukWeb: www.hills-group.co.ukHills Group@HillsGroupThe Hills Group Limited makes every effort to verify allinformation contained within ‘intouch’ but does notwarrant to its accuracy. No view or opinion expressedwithin ‘intouch’ should be considered to be that of TheHills Group Limited, its associated companies or anydirector or officer in its employment.The magazine is printed on Greencoat 80%recycled paper, which is manufactured to theinternational environmental standards ISO14001 and EMAS (Eco-Management & Audit Scheme)and supported by the Forest Stewardship Council.

NORTHACREGround breaking atWestbury’s new plantThe two-year constructionproject by Waste Solutions tobuild Wiltshire’s first state-ofthe-artwaste treatment plantgot off the ground in July.The £20 million Northacre resourcerecovery centre is a significant investmentby Hills which will help underpin itsexpansion into new markets. It is also a keyelement in Wiltshire Council’s strategy toreduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.Once complete 60,000 tonnes ofhousehold waste will be processed usingmechanical biological treatment (MBT) inthe facility located on the Northacretrading estate in Westbury under a contractagreed between Hills and Wiltshire Council.The groundbreaking ceremony at the endof July was attended by representatives fromHills, Wiltshire Council and Interserve, which has been awardedthe design and build construction contract.Alan Pardoe, Hills Group chairman,said: “I’m delighted that constructionis ready to start on the Hills’Northacre facility. This is asignificant milestone in both thecompany’s development and theway Wiltshire handles itshousehold waste.“In the coming months we’ll see innovative technology installedon the site by our contractors which will open up new markets forour company.”Toby Sturgis, cabinet member for Waste, Property andDevelopment Control Services, said: “This is one part of a packageOn site are (l to r) Cllr Toby Sturgis, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for Waste,Property and Development Control Services, Mike Hill, chief executive of Hills Groupand Simon Ohlenschlager, director infrastructure at Interserve Constructionof measures Wiltshire Council is rolling out that will hugely reducewhat we send to landfill.“These measures, of which the construction of the Northacrefacility is a major part, not only make environmental sense butfinancial sense for residents.”It is estimated that the Hills’ Northacre facility will savesignificant council lorry miles per year as waste from the west ofWiltshire will no longer need to be transported to Hills’ landfill siteat Lower Compton. By reducing the miles that these refusecollection vehicles travel, the facility has the potential to make areduction in Wiltshire’s carbon footprint.Initially the refuse derived fuel (RDF) produced will be transportedby road to port and then shipped to Europe for use in renewableenergy plants, but it is anticipated that the production of RDF willencourage the creation of a more local market.How will the plant work?The technological expertise from MBT specialistEntsorga Italia uses the natural microbes within thewaste to accelerate the decomposition process. Insidethe sealed building the waste dries and reduces involume over a two week period. Any metals areextracted for recycling and the bulk of the remainder isturned into a refuse derived fuel which is ready for use.In numbers80%: the amount of Wiltshire’s municipal waste theplant will help divert from landfill63%: the current diversion rate60,000 tonnes: the amount of waste theplant will handle£20m: approximate costintouch 3

Million milestonePhoto courtesy of Wiltshire Gazette and HeraldWhat’s in a million tonnes?• 16,000 Challenge 2 Main Battle Tanks• 153 Salisbury Cathedral spires• two Silbury Hills• 66 billion empty aluminium soft drink cans• more than 29,000 unladen Herculesaeroplanes• approximately 1.1million Wadsworth Shire horses• 7.3 billion iPhones• a million average sized family cars• approximately 12.5 million average washingmachines• the weight of more than 500 Stonehenges4 intouch

MILLION TONNESmakes Wiltshire greenerWaste Solutions reacheda significant milestonethis summer when it wasannounced that a milliontonnes of household wastein Wiltshire had beendiverted from landfill.It was done in record time too.The then Wiltshire County Councilsigned an agreement with Hills in1996 to handle its municipal waste.Hills took responsibility for kerbsidecollections and household recyclingcentres. The aim was toappropriately dispose of the wastecollected sending as much aspossible for recycling rather thanlandfill.It took until 2007 for the first500,000 tonnes to be diverted fromlandfill. However recycling facilitieshave expanded hugely to meet theappetite by people in Wiltshire torecycle.It has taken only four further yearsto reach the magic one million mark.Mike Webster, group director –Waste Solutions, said: “Since thelocal authority contract in Wiltshirebegan we’ve seen improvementsyear on year.“Residents now have far moreoptions when it comes to recyclingand we are diverting ever moreaway from landfill and in to reuse.“We’re proud of the part we haveplayed in making Wiltshire a greenerplace to live and work.”Toby Sturgis, Wiltshire Councilcabinet member for waste, propertyand development control, said: “I’dlike to thank residents for their partin reaching the magic million mark.“With the new services being rolledout on our behalf by Hills thisautumn to collect cardboard andplastic from the kerbside as well asfree green waste collection I’m surewe’ll reach the two million mark inno time.”The one million tonne milestonewas marked with a number ofevents.Banners were unveiled at each ofthe 11 household recycling centres(HRC) thanking residents for theirhelp. Hills gave away 100 bags ofits compost on a first-come, firstservedbasis at each HRC. Thecompany also launched a postercompetition (see below).Mike Hill, chief executive of HillsGroup, said: “Staff have workedextremely hard to make our wastecontract with Wiltshire a successand this milestone is a testament tothat effort.”Your chance to wina£20 voucher for yourself andalaptopfor yourschoolSponsored by Hills Waste Solutions LtdDrawing lessonsTo help mark the million milestone Hills launched acompetition for young people in Wiltshire to design a posterto encourage residents to recycle.Open to those in school years 1–11 entrants could pick anyof the many items people can recycle in their kerbside blackbox or at HRCs as a theme.The top five winning entries will be turned in to a posterand used by Hills and Wiltshire Council to promote recycling.Wiltshire has diverted1,000,000 tonnesof waste from landfillsince 1996Each of the winners willreceive a £20 book tokenand the overall winnerwill earn their school acomputer.Look out for thenext edition onintouch to see all the winners –or log on to www.hills-group.co.ukDesign a posterto encourage people torecycle and divertthe next million!Open to Wiltshire Schools, Years 1 to 11(See rules for details)Closing date: 30 September 2011Thanks a million… your recycling has helped divert1,000,000 tonnes of waste from landfillFull rules available from www.hills-group.co.uk Hills Groupemail competition@hills-group.co.uk or ca l 01672 518941intouch 5

Life’s a beachMany of us will have spent at least some of thesummer stretched out on sand relaxing.Thanks to Quarry Products, thousands of cows across the westcountry are doing the same thing every day.High quality sand extracted from the Calne and Woodsfordquarries is increasingly being used by farmers as beddingmaterial for their cattle. The result can mean healthier and moreproductive animals.The sand is laid in the cattle stalls and farmers have found thatthe animals enjoy using it more than traditional straw bedding.A contented diary cow can produce an extra litre of milk a day ifher resting time is increased.Quarry Products has built up a network of farmers across centraland south west England and south Wales.Peter Andrew, divisional director – Quarry Products, said: “Wehave a team of three sales people on the road as well as staff inthe office.“What sets us apart is notjust the quality of theproduct but the fact thatour staff know whatthey are talking about.Farmers can quicklysense when people aren’tknowledgeable about theirarea and consequently youwill have a difficult time toconvince them of themerits of your product.“We make a point of takingour sales people out tovisit farms so they canunderstand exactly whatit is that farms need andwhy it is that our sandbedding meets that need.”The sand, which isparticularly fine and withlow silt content, can bespread in the stalls as soon as it is delivered. It is easier to cleanthan straw as muck doesn’t stick to it. Once it has been used itcan be ploughed straight into the field – which is particularlygood for those farms sitting on soil with high clay content.In contrast dusty straw bedding can provide a home to all sortsof microbes and needs months to rot down before it can bespread as manure.Peter said: “Farmers are always looking at ways of enhancingthe environment and welfare of their animals. Using sandbedding is not only more efficient it is also cost effective.”Sales have increased so that now more than 100 farms usesand sourced from Hills’ quarries. One of those is Two PoolsFarm at Iron Acton near Bristol. Owners, the King family, have aherd of 325 producing three million litres of milk a year and wonthe 2010 RABDF/NMR Gold Cup for the quality of their cattle.As well as supporting such award-winning farmers, QuarryProducts is looking to expand its sand bedding operationsfurther by targeting the poultry industry.Jamie Woolford, (l) receiving hiscertificate from Alan Mackenzie,group director – Quarry ProductsWell done!Jamie Woolford, mobile plant operativebased at Lower Compton obtained a merit oncompletion of a CIEH Level 3 Health & Safetyin the Workplace course.The following employees successfully completeda one day IOSH Working Safely training course:Grant Carter, LGV driverMarc Eltham, sales representativeGraeme Haime, concrete technicianKevin Hester, foremanGarry Mullock, LGV driverKeith Taylor, LGV driverNeil Watts, transport co-ordinatorOn showDriver Lee Roberts entered his concretemixer truck into this year’s TruckfestSouth West event held at the RoyalBath and West Showgrounds inShepton Mallet.6 intouch

QUARRY PRODUCTSCompleting the jigsawQuarry Products hopes that taking over anexisting plant in Newbury will be a key part ofthe jigsaw to serve a core area.The company signed an agreement with Cemex UK OperationsLtd to take back the lease on the Newbury ready-mix concreteoperations in August.It has carried out on site maintenance and has put in a newcomputerised batching system.Gavin Walton is the business manager and Richard Swatton isthe sales representative for the site. Shaun Hayward, plantsupervisor, has joined Quarry Products from Cemex.Alan Mackenzie, group director – Quarry Products, said:“Acquiring the site complements our existing facilities inShorncote, Lower Compton and Woodsford in Dorset.“It gives Hills the strategic opportunity to develop our market inthe west Berkshire, north Hampshire and south Oxfordshireareas.”The site is now operational and delivering ready-mix concreteto customers.L-R Shaun Hayward, plant supervisor, with business manager – concrete Gavin WaltonContacts:Gavin Walton, business manager: 07775600852Richard Swatton, sales representative: 07785304190Site address: Hills Quarry Products, Bone Lane,Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5SSSite phone number: 01635 43253Shorncote says helloto new franchiseedrivers Steve Reidand Julia Robbins.Show time in DorsetAfter last year’s success Quarry Products once again exhibited at the DorsetCounty Show. The two-day event attracted thousands of visitors, with some ofthem entering Hills’ competitions with four-year-old Frankie Price winning thechildren’s colouring competition.Julia RobbinsL-R Terry Newsham, salesrepresentative, and BrianFord, plant managerSteve ReidQuarry tourMembers of the Somerset KeynesHistory Group were given a tour ofShorncote Quarry.The group was interested in howgeology has shaped the area, how thegravels were formed and the gravelextraction process.Ten members were given anintroductory talk by Jill Bewley, of theCotswold Water Park Trust. ThenDanny Houghton, quarry manager atShorncote, gave them an extensiveand extremely informative touraround the site, showing areas whichare undergoing extraction andrestored areas.intouch 7

All sold at Ascott-under-WychwoodWith just six cottage style homes beingbuilt in the sought after village ofAscott-under-Wychwood, interest wasexpected to be high. It was no surprisethat, before the houses were completed, allwere reserved. The first buyers are alreadyHomesencouragesyoung talentAt the recent 2011 Swindon College StudentAwards, Homes was delighted to be able tosponsor one of the categories.The annual event is an opportunity for further educationstudents and their families and friends to celebrate theirsuccessful study and for tutors to nominate those students whohave made a real difference, worked hard and been a credit totheir class. The award sponsored by Homes was the ‘BestOverall Carpentry & Joinery student’ and the proud recipient wasCameron Russell.enjoying their new homes. Dan Hammond,site manager, thoroughly enjoyed his timein this idyllic Cotswold village and can nowbe found heading up the team at Homes’new development in Saltford, between Bathand Bristol.The evening on 8 July was attended by local dignitaries andcommunity leaders including the Mayor of Swindon, thePrincipal and Governing Body of Swindon College, as well asother businesses and employers supporting the event throughaward sponsorship.Cameron Russell receiving hisaward from James Tischer8 intouch

HOMESComing soon…Artist’s impressionWork has recently begun on ‘The Light’ development in the historic town of MalmesburyTowards the edge of town, but within walking distance of allthe amenities of this well served community, the eight townhouses and two coach house apartments enjoy lofty viewsacross the trees towards the river. Built of natural Cotswoldstone, these new homes will enjoy all the customary Homesfeatures with traditional build quality coupled with the bestquality materials to provide economical, sustainable andefficient modern living. Jan Pearce, site manager, is runningthis project and has already started on site overseeing theearly groundworks. Launching in the new year, ‘The Light’ issure to prove a popular option for purchasers looking tosettle in this charming town.Allan achieves NVQ Level 5Allan Ramsay, site manager, was delightedto learn that his studies have resulted inhis achieving NVQ Level 5 in ConstructionManagement.The intensive assessment based course covered subjectsas diverse as the management and development of staff,project development and control, procurement, contractsand budgeting, all of which will stand Allan in good steadin the years to come.Currently running the prestigious Stonesfield Close site inthe beautiful Gloucestershire village of Southrop, Allan isspearheading the Considerate Constructor programmeand regularly meets with localresidents to keep them informedas the site develops. With one ofthe substantial houses alreadysold off plan, Allan is workingwith the new purchasers tocreate a beautiful country home.Steve and John ‘pile’ on thepressure and out ‘fox’ theoppositionAt the recent CIOB FourBall Betterball PairsCompetition Steve Pile(Futureland) and John Fox(Homes) formed awinning partnership andclaimed the trophy. Thecompetition, which hasbeen competed forannually since 1966,now has pride of place atHomes’ office in Marlborough where John is thecommercial manager.Steve Pile (left) andJohn Fox receiving their trophyAside from the golf played on the day at Bath Golf Club,the event raised monies which were donated to theDorothy House Hospice and the Forever Friends Appealfor the RUH Bath. Despite the weather which wasunseasonably wet and blustery, all the participantsenjoyed an excellent day.intouch 9

Re-cycling forAfricaL-R Tony Oliver from jole rider, Cliff Carter, recycling team manager,and Les Sedgemore from jole riderMore than a thousandunwanted bikes have beencollected from householdrecycling centres (HRCs) inWiltshire and sent to helppeople in Africa.Bath-based charity jole rider has beencollecting the bikes since March fromStanton St Quintin, Melksham, Devizes,Trowbridge, Purton and Marlborough HRCs.The bikes have been taken there bymembers of the public and are put asideby Hills staff for the charity. In August jolerider collected its 1,000th bike.Mike Webster, group director – WasteSolutions, said: “We work hard to makesure that what people bring to householdrecycling centres can be reused orrecycled. Linking up with jole rider has10 intouchbeen a great way to make good use of themany bikes we receive. I am delighted thatwe have been able to help people inAfrica.”Jole rider’s mission is to change livesthrough education and its flagshipprogramme is bikes4Africa. Many Africanchildren live in remote communities, a longway from their nearest school. Withoutreliable, affordable, motorised transportthe only way these children can get toschool is to walk.So having a bicycle makes a world ofdifference for these children, and for theirfamilies and communities too.Each bike needs to meet a minimumspecification and some refurbishment iscarried out at prisons in the UK. The bikesare then shipped to The Gambia andallocated to different schools.Bike FactsThe recycling centre which hasprovided the most bikes isStanton St Quintin.Each sea container holds333 bikes.Around 9,000 bikes have beendelivered to The Gambia since2006Some bikes being ridden are over40 years oldMountain bikes or bikes with largetyres are best suited to theconditions of AfricaBikes are shipped to Africa everytwo monthsFor more information seewww.jolerider.org

WASTE SOLUTIONSHills cleans upLGV driver Mike Hill at RAF Lyneham collecting the donated skipsR-L Jason Coombs, LGV driver, with Mark House, drivers mate,at this year’s Steam and Vintage Rally.Waste Solutions has provided waste management servicesat the following events:At Wiltshire’s Steam and Vintage Rally at Rainscombe Park inOare, a trade waste collection vehicle was parked on site allweekend so that Redtop containers could be emptied at the endof each day.A mini festival of local bands ‘Calnefest’ took place in July andWaste Solutions provided the waste management at the event.As staff, past and present, said goodbye to RAF Lyneham at thecharity event ‘The Final Fling’, Waste Solutions worked quietly inthe background supplying, collecting and emptying skips andrecycling bins.Kevin has Grand Designs on compostThirty-five bags of Warrior compost were collected byTV property expert Kevin McCloud for his developmentcompany Hab. The compost will be used in his ecofriendlyhousing scheme being developed in Swindon.TrainingThe following employees successfully completed a oneday IOSH Working Safely training course.• Adrian Dunn, LGV driver• Robin Pearse, HRC site supervisorKeeping the public informedOver 600 leaflets were handed out by staff at EverleighHRC informing site users of road resurfacing work thatwas being carried out and how it would affect access tothe facility.Keith Hillier,mobile plantoperative, helpingKevin McCloud loadhis truck withWarrior compostBirthday delightYoung recycler, Liam, who regularly visits Melksham HRCwith his mother to recycle had an extra treat on hisbirthday when he was handed a Hills jute ‘goodies bag’ tohelp him celebrate – many happy returns Liam!intouch 11

Stars of thesmall screenA granny with a missing grand and the Armyturning green brought the television crews toWaste Solutions.Adele Clark, kerbside collections supervisor based at LowerCompton, was interviewed on ITV after staff recovered somemissing money.Chippenham grandmother Ann Honour accidentally put £1,000 inher kerbside black box along with newspapers for recycling.After a desperate phone call to Hills, Adele called the kerbside crewback to Lower Compton. Then she, along with Mick Fisher, MarkDolman, Chris Dunn, Dave Nicholls (agency) and Ken Webbsearched through the rubbish until they found the small envelopewith the big wad of cash.It was returned less than two hours after first being reportedmissing.The story sparked national media interest and ITV dispatched areporter to interview Adele. The news story was subsequentlyscreened across several ITV regions.Meanwhile Adele’s colleague at Lower Compton, Henry Newbery,was interviewed by a crew from British Forces BroadcastingServices.Adele Clark being interviewed by ITV WestAspire Defence is creating campus-style communities with highquality accommodation, amenities and services for thousands ofsoldiers based in the county.Hills has been contracted to supply waste and recycling facilities asthe project aims to have a high environmental standard.Henry, the recycling area manager, was interviewed at Tidworthbarracks for a story on this work which was then beamed acrossthe world.Planning updateWaste Solutions has prepared a number ofplanning applications so that it can have thefacilities necessary to meet the requirements ofWiltshire Council’s new kerbside recyclingcollections.In Calne, permission has been given to convert anexisting warehouse on the Porte Marsh IndustrialEstate. This will handle cardboard and plastics collectedfrom householders. The material will be baled at thefacility and then transported on for recycling.The permission is for three years until proposed newfacilities at Lower Compton become fully operational.That is subject to a separate planning applicationwhich, at the time of going to press, was still beingconsidered.If approved, Lower Compton will have a much largermaterials recycling facility and a new and improvedcomposting facility. Some existing facilities, such as theweighbridge, will be repositioned and there will belandscaping work.For further information see:www.hills-group.co.uk/consult.htmlJessie Bunce site supervisor (2nd left) with recycling operativesL-R Trevor Reeves, Barry Surridge and Suzanne WillisPurton HRC come top!Purton has the highest recycling tonnage at an HRCduring the May, June and July. Jessie Bunce, sitesupervisor and her team of operatives managed torecycle a total of 83.64 per cent.There was praise for Shaun Harvey who works atAmesbury HRC from one regular recycler. The lady,who is in her seventies, wrote to thank Shaun foralways being on hand to cheerfully help with hergarden waste. Indeed all the staff at Amesbury weredescribed as: “most pleasant and ready to assist if andwhen required”. Well done to them.12 intouch

WASTE SOLUTIONSOn the road with KS 40Tracy Torr, communicationsassistant, spent a morningwith the kerbside crewIt’s 6.30am and the KS 40 team ispreparing for another day collecting andsorting Wiltshire’s recycling.At the Lower Compton depot LesBaldwin, driver, and loaders Denys Jonesand Matthew Strong swap jokes as theyget ready for the round. Les has gotthere early so he has enough time tocarry out routine maintenance checkson the vehicle before they’re ready tohead off.Each day vehicles are at work in thecounty collecting materials for recyclingput out by residents and then bringing itback to depots for processing. It is vitalwork which has helped to hugelyincrease the amount of material divertedfrom landfill.Our destination was Melksham and therewas little traffic on the road as we madeour way there. Through experience Lesmade sure we arrived just at 7am. Anyearlier and the crew are not allowed tostart collecting.Denys and Matthew swung in to actionwith practiced ease. They worked theirway along the rows of familiar blackboxes, hooking them on to the side of thevehicle. There are separate compartmentsin the vehicle for each of the items thatcan be recycled. The loaders swiftlyseparated out the items and then placedthe box upside down on the kerbside – toshow it had been emptied.Kerbside loaders work outdoors in allweather conditions. The work is veryactive and involves lifting, bending andcarrying heavy boxes so loaders must bephysically fit and strong enough to workat a fast pace.It was noticeable from the start that theteam have to work closely together so theycan complete the job to a high standard.The driver has a dual role, as well asmanoeuvring the vehicle; he also helps therest of the crew in the black box emptying.The on board camera assists the driverwhile he positions the vehicle, and I wasamazed at the vehicle’s manoeuvrability.The safety of the loaders was apparentthroughout my time with the crew. At alltimes heavy duty gloves, reflectivejackets, safety trousers, ear defendersand steel capped boots were worn.The crew also deal with assistedcollections from specific homes whereR-L Les Baldwin, Matthew Strong and Denys Jonesthe householder is unable to place theblack box onto the kerbside.By 2pm KS 40 had finished thecollection round having serviced around750 houses. The crew headed back toLower Compton so the material could beunloaded – and they could enjoy awelcome cup of tea.Tomorrow it would start all over again.intouch 13

Hills’golftournamentsAndy Beal from Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club wonthe title for the third time at the 31st Hills WiltshireProfessional Golf Championships held in July.Nick King group director – Homeswith the winners of this year’s junior championship tournamentPerfect weather conditions greeted the players at Marlborough Golf Clubas they teed off though the wind picked up as the afternoon sessionbegan testing the skills of the golfers.Beal led the tournament from start to finish ending with a score of 139,five under par. Craig Bell from Ogbourne Downs Golf Club took secondplace two under par with Barry Forster from North Wilts Golf Club andlast year’s winner David Hutton from Hamptworth Golf & County Clubequal third one under par.“It was a fantastic feeling holding the trophy once again,” said Beal,who last won the title in 2005 and won for the first time 20 years ago.“It is always great to come and play at Marlborough Golf Club and I lookforward to returning next year to defend my title.”The company is also committed to supporting golf in the localcommunity at junior level by sponsoring the Hills’ Junior Open GolfChampionship, a Daily Telegraph Qualifier event.Thirty-seven juniors teed off for this event at Broome Manor GolfComplex in August.The boys scratch trophy was won by Jake Vallis, at one under par, closelyfollowed by last year’s winner Ross Gillett, who finished level. Lastyear’s girls winner, Yasmin Broocks, and previous winner Katie Warrenboth ended on a final score of eight over. The result was determined oncount back which gave Katie the win.Jake and Katie have now been placed on the qualifiers leaderboards for a chance to take one of the 21 places available to playat the Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship later in the year.The best net score was won by Will Randall and the nine hole medalcompetition for 10 years and under was won by Sebastian James.James White won the Tiny Tigers competition.14 intouch

SPONSORSHIPJumping the ‘Hills’ at BarburyHorses and riders from across the world tackled the crosscountry fences at this year’s Barbury Internationalincluding the Ditch & Brush jump sponsored by Hills.Hills’ jump was positioned half way around the course, andcompetitors enjoyed the gallop after the jump before tacklingthe Bears Corner fences.Waste Solutions and Quarry Products exhibited at this year’sWiltshire Show which is also held at the Barbury Internationalhorse trials.Employees from both divisions actively engaged withmembers of the public over the two days promoting theservices that they provide.The Hills JumpHills staff at the Wiltshire ShowMusic to our earsHills and Marlborough celebrated 25 years of making music as thevibrant sounds of jazz came to town in July.Hills has been associated with Marlborough Jazz since it wasfounded in 1986 and over the years has sponsored many of thevenues, including this year’s bandstand at The Crown Hotel.Big name bands to young groups from around the world came toperform at numerous locations around the town. The Crownbecame vibrant andlively as it showcasedmusical talent from theFilthy Six, Ray Harris &the Fusion Experience,Baddest Blues Band,Slide by Slide and aHills’ favourite TheAdam Winslet Band.Adam Winslet Band on stage at The Crownduring Marlborough Jazz festivalCalne beat the tasteHills Waste Solutions was pleased to sponsor the CalneFood & Drink Festival which took place on 10 September.The event saw a number of local producers exhibit theirproducts.Mongolia or bustA team of four construction workers from Wiltshire havecompleted an epic journey overland to Mongolia.The Westcountry Wanderers team drove a 1990 Leylandfire engine the several thousand miles through somerough driving conditions.Hills Waste Solutions sponsored the team who raisedmore than £4,000 for the charities Help the Heroes andthe Christina Nobel Children’s Foundation.intouch 15

Giving back to the communityFour Wiltshire communities now have improvedfacilities thanks to donations from Hills throughthe Landfill Communities Fund.Wootton Bassett’s cricket club has recently installed a doublepractice net facility. A grant of £9,814 was given towards thepractice nets which were officially opened by former EnglandInternational John Crawley.Meanwhile Shaw village basketball court got a re-vamp afterreceiving funding of £5,575 to extend the existing half-sizedbasketball court.The court at Shaw playing field is now full size with multigoalsat both ends. As well as basketball, people of all age groupshave an opportunity to play numerous activities on the courtincluding netball, five-a-side football and tennis.Future Wimbledon champions could play their first matches onrefurbished Wiltshire tennis courts.Burbage tennis club had funding of £10,274 from Hills for anew high quality, durable surface to aid drainage, which willextend the life of the court. The new court is also suitable forwheelchair tennis.John Crawly coaching youngsters from Wootton Bassett cricket clubKington Langley tennis club received funding of £2,976 fromHills to have its court resurfaced to high standards which willenable long term use of the courts.To find out about the Landfill Communities Fund contactCommunity First at www.communityfirst.org.ukCommunity togethernesswith Aspire DefenceThank you Hillsfrom St DunstanInspiring gardeners from StDunstan School, Calne, will bedigging into their own grownproduce later in the year thanksto Warrior compost.Potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes,pumpkins and sunflowers had agrowth spurt after compost wasadded to the thick clay soil.Young gardeners from St Dunstan Schoolwith Hills warrior compostAspire works with Hills donated skip in the background16 intouch

COMMUNITYWalking under the starsSwapping heels for walking boots, PAs Lynn Daniels and Julie James joined hundreds forthe annual Prospect Hospice Swindon Starlight Walk.They both said that “it was a lovely evening for a stroll” as they raised £300 for the charity. There was a new route atthis year’s event which took walkers past the hospice building.Julie JamesLynn DanielsCricket team on winning runIt was two wins on the trot for theHills cricket team as they beat HainesConstruction with eight wickets in hand.Haines opened the batting and put on 121 for 9 in theirallotted 20 overs. Tight fielding and accurate bowling couldn’tcontain some key Haines players who struck a number ofboundaries and several sweet sixes.The pick of the Hills bowlers was captain Richard Swatton whotook three wickets. Sam Jackson and Gary Mulcock took a pairof wickets each.Considering the heavy rain during the day, the Goatacre wicketwas lively and the muggy weather gave the ball extra swing.Peter Moore and Sam Jackson opened the batting for Hills andset off at a gallop with some crashing boundaries and plenty ofrunning between the wickets. Moore retired having smacked aswift 27 without ever looking in trouble. Phil Chamberlainmade his debut at number three and edged a couple of foursbefore his late call saw Jackson run out by expert fieldinghaving scored 13.Chamberlain was then joined by Adrian Knowles and theycontinued to chip away at the target supported by acomfortable run rate and some porous fielding. Despite beingbogged down for several overs by accurate and pacey Hainesbowling, the pair sealed the match with two overs to spare.Chamberlain ended on 21 and Knowles on 20.Peter Moore, fleet manager,waiting to receive the ballAdrian Knowles, finance director,demonstrates unusual techniqueintouch 17

WelcomeA warm “Hills” welcome to the followingemployees who joined the Group between1 May and 31 July 2011.Robert CrossPamela HuntJeff RowlandLGV driverHR advisorLGV driverPhil ChamberlainEmma CarterRichard WhaleCharles KettletyAnthony BarrettGillian ChandlerRichard HartleyPhilip PieragostiniPamela ParfettCharles ParkCommunications advisorContracts co-ordinatorField sales managerMobile plant operativeKerbside LGV driverCommercial team administratorMobile plant operativeYardpersonSales administration clerkLGV driverMeeting Richard WhaleIntouch caught up with Richard Whale, field sales manager, to ask him about his background and whathe brings to his role within Waste Solutions.Intouch: What is your background?Richard: My background is in sales, sales management and salestraining consultancy. I have worked with brands Pepsi Cola,Hallmark cards, Head Sport, Kellogg’s, Gossard, Rimmel andTwinings. I have 30 years practical experience of managing anddeveloping teams to achieve their maximum potential, viamotivation coupled with ongoing individual and team training.Intouch: What brought you to Hills?Richard: The company, its people and its exciting futurechallenges and opportunities.Intouch: How do you like your role?Richard: I’m particularly enjoying my team and their receptivenessto a new way of thinking and the results they are beginning toachieve.Intouch: What do you do when you are not working?Richard: I love live music, walking, good food and wine. Most of alltime with my children and grandchildren (I know I look too young!)Richard Whale, field sales managerL-R Robert Hill, Rosie Hill, John Cleeseand Mike Hill, chief executiveMeeting up with a PythonRobert Hill recently caught up with old schoolfriend John Cleese when he was on tour inthe area.Mike Hill arranged the reunion after John’shilarious performance at the Theatre Royal inBath. “It was the first time they had seeneach other for 57 years,” said Mike. “Theywere absolutely thrilled to meet up and havemade arrangements to stay in touch.”Famous facesHave you ever been photographed with a famous face?Send in your photograph to the communications departmentby internal mail (all photographs will be returned) or emailto: info@hills-group.co.uk saying who is pictured and wherethe photograph was taken.18 intouch

PEOPLE NEWSFamily reunionThe last time Robert and Rosie Hill were together with their five boys – Mike, Chas, Bill, Daveand Jamie – was at Dave’s wedding in March 1997. As you can see from the picture theymanaged to get them all together again, while Chas was visiting from Australia and Bill wasback from Colombia – although now with a few more additions!New arrivalCongratulations to Jodine Pask and Steve Burns,divisional director – Waste Solutions, on the birth oftheir son Jacob who was born on 21 May 2011weighing 6lb 81/2 oz.Jute bag on tourSales representative Terry Newsham’s nephewKieron Newsham with a Hills jute bag in CampBastion, Afghanistan.Jacob Tyler Burnsintouch 19

PEOPLE NEWSClimbing to the top“It was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life,however through the blood, sweat and tears it was all worthit,” said Gavin Walton, business manager – concrete.From Friday 1 to Saturday 2 July Gavin Walton and friends took part in theThree Peaks Challenge and climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and MountSnowdon raising £706.79 for Bellhouse-Drayson, an acute medicalward at the Oxford Children’s Hospital.Starting their gruelling climb at Ben Nevis, the challenge took themacross 26 miles of all terrain on foot, as well as nearly 450 milestravelling the country by car. The team finally made it back ontosolid ground and crossed the finish line in a remarkable 23 hours.Gavin would like to thank everyone who gave a donation towardthe Oxford children’s hospital.Gavin Walton, business manager – concrete, at the summit of Ben NevisFancy a night out at the movies?Answer the following question correctly to win cinema tickets to see the latestblockbuster at your local cinema. Send your entry to the communicationsdepartment by internal mail or email: competition@hills-group.co.ukHow many Hercules aeroplanes = 1 million tonnes?Entries to be received by Friday 7 October. One entry per employee andthe winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries received.The winner will be announced on Monday 10 October.012345012345WIN CINEMA TICKETS012345ADMIT ONECarrs take to the road on two wheelsLiz Carr, credit control, and Nathan Carr,depot manager, took to the saddle againthis year and raised funds for the BritishHeart Foundation.Liz rode 35 miles to complete the BHFRound the Harbours Bike Ride starting andfinishing in Langstone, Hayling Island,which also included two ferry crossings.Nathan, along with seven friends,completed the BHF London to Brightonbike ride. The 56 mile route started fromClapham Common at 8.30am with theteam arriving in Brighton just after 2pm.Liz and Nathan raised a fantastic combinedtotal of £350 – well done to you both!012345Liz Carr holding her medalafter completing the courseNathan Carr, 4th from left, and his team mates having abreak during the London to Brighton cycle challengeKeep up to date and keep in touch via @HillsGroup and Hills Group20 intouch