Warblings

1 RBLI WARBLINGS Newsletter

RBLI NEWSLETTER Supporting the Armed Forces Community QUARTER 2 - 2013

www.rbli.co.uk www.facebook.com/Royalbritishlegionindustries Twitter @RBLI

BBC’S DIY SOS Page 6RBLI Golf DayPage 7LifeWorks moves on... and about!1Tourism & Gateway Signage Page 14CelebrationsPage 16 Getting to know Paula Richards Page 20

CONTEN TS

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RBLI News Update

BSAP’s Donation

BBC’s DIY SOS

RBLI Charity Golf Day

Employee Of The Year

Special Recognition Awards

RBLI Breaks Into Prison

LifeWorks Moves On... And About! Corporate Social Responsibility

Bygone Days By The Ancient Mariner

Tourism & Gateway Signage

Frank’s Famous Linguine

A Mayoral Year

New Partnership With Astley And Elite Graphics UK Daniel Butler - Saying Goodbye

Leatherhead Update

Getting To Know You... Paula Richards

Where’s Will?

In honour of Will leaving, we thought we’d replace ‘Find the duck’ with ‘Where’s Will?’. The aim of the game is simple - Find Will to win a bottle of champagne!

If you spot him, please email [email protected] or [email protected] with your name and what page you found him on. The winner will be drawn on 16th of August.

Wally lovers...

Welcome to this edition of Warblings. We hope to bring you up to date with all the news of Royal British Legion Industries from late summer 2012 into April 2013.

EDITORS NOTES


EDITO RS CHANGING HANDS

Will Gowin, Marketing Executive

EMMA TAYLOR; MAISIE CARNWATH ;

Illustrated by Maisie Carnwath Illustrated by Emma Taylor

The end of June sadly saw the departure of Will Gowin, the Marketing Executive, as he moves on to a new chapter in his life with the date of his marriage looming.

RBLI wishes Will all the best in his new job, new house and married life.

With Will leaving, it falls on the new Marketing assistants, Emma and Maisie to carry on with the huge task of compiling War-blings in his wake.

Without futher ado, here’s a little bit about ourselves...

My name is Emma and I guess you could call me a metaphorical baby in the world of employment! After taking GCSEs I decided to stick around my school for a little more and undergo some A-Levels. I am curently underway with a year-long apprenticeship at RBLI and so far it has been a huge but fun learning curve and everyone here has been hugely support-ive and encouraging. If you need me, I can be reached on [email protected]

My name is Maisie and I graduated from the University of Creative Arts in Maidstone with a BA Hons in Graphic Media in July 2012. I have had quite a few seasonal jobs, including potato grading and being an Elf but am excited to have a ‘grown up’ job now, sharing the position of Marketing Assistant along side Emma, and especially happy to have the opportunity to work at RBLI. If you ever need anyassistance from me, my email is [email protected]


NEWS UPDATE - THE Y EAR IN NUMBERS I hope that you have noticed that your quarterly Warblings has not landed on your door step or in your inbox since last September!

Our very first Editor, Will Gowin, has been understandably marketing and running the opening of 4 new Work Programme offices and in addition to his day job; he has been writing the vows for his wedding this month!

Therefore the new editorial team aims to bring us all up to date on the news from late summer 2012 into April 2013. Some task and in a year sparkling with British success and celebrations during the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and the Paralympics one might be excused for not noticing the fantastic achievements of all the team at RBLI.

As a charity we can be forgiven for not blowing our own trumpet but as a team of hardworking individuals, all striving to grow the services provided by RBLI, we should allow ourselves a brief period of reflection of what can be achieved by first rate team work. I have elected to highlight some of RBLI’s success by a review of numbers.

The year saw the installation and commissioning of a £700k sawmill providing 12 new employment opportunities and securing 22 other jobs. The sawmill has digested 17,000 trees and contributed to producing 180,000 pallets and the repair of 110,500 pallets.

We will reveal more in the next edition about the Sawmill 100 Club. The team in signs and ful-filment has designed and made 32,000 signs and 7,200 bollards; they have been reinforced by a £250k investment in a digital printer and laser cutter so we anticipate these numbers growing. Our printers produced over 11,000 business cards and packed and despatched more than 410000 envelopes. Within our social enterprise team we have 78 disabled workers.

Our employability and assessment teams are working with 9000+ new clients and placed over 2,500 long term unemployed back into work. Our Civvy Street team of 3 have provided information, advice and guidance to 3,500 ex-service personnel whilst 132

individuals have attended our LifeWorks vocational assessment courses. The LifeWorks Team were presented with The High Sheriff of Kent’s achievement award. The workplace assessments, ergonomic and technical, have reached a monthly rate in excess of 400 across the whole of the south of England from Dover to the Scilly Isles.

Our care and welfare services, supporting over 300 people locally, go from strength to strength and the demand for our accommodation has outstripped supply. We welcomed 2 new Gurkha families to our village and said farewell to Dawa who, after 11 successful months working in Signs and living in MBP, has now returned to live with his family in Nepal. We wish him well.

Our 2 √√ (2 ticks) Disability accreditation was renewed by external auditors in November and our Investors in People (IiP) accreditation was renewed with flying colours in February. QEC received 2 no-notice inspections by the Care Quality Commission and passed all competencies.


Our Board of Trustees, under the guidance of the Chairman, Richard Corben, have guided us enormously well and the Board have welcomed 3 new trustees; Kate Bosley, Stephen Kingsman and Jim Smithers. In 2012, we welcomed Kate Bosley, Stephen Kingsman and Jim Smithers. In 2012, we welcomed 10 new Friends to RBLI and we have been pleased to see the active role they are taking in supporting our charitable objectives.

Our Village development plans continued apace in 2012 with 1 master plan and 3 planning applications being granted consent by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council on 18th

December paving the way for detailed planning in 2013. Our negotiations with the NHS saw the transfer of 21 acres of land into RBLI ownership. Penny Dyson and the Friends of RBLI are now leading an exciting project to raise funding and sponsorship to build a wonderful new memorial garden.

We have continued to work with the wider community and RBLI was chosen as one of the Mayor Dave Davis’ 2 charities raising over £3,000. We have seen 1 apprentice graduating from our marketing department and 2 other apprentices still training with RBLI. The youth club, with a membership of 150, is the most successful youth club in Kent and

our charity golf day raised £4500 for disabled children and their carers.

So it is my pleasure to thank all of you in Team RBLI for contributing to a successful year. It is fun working with all the staff at RBLI (now reaching the 350+ level), the Trustees and Friends of RBLI. In addition, I thank all our business partners and supporters across the country, too many to list, for their continued assistance. We are now well into the new financial year and I am pleased to see RBLI growing and modernising as set out in our RBLI 2016 Strategy.

Onwards and upwards! Steve Sherry, Chief Executive

BSAP’S KIND DONATION Generous donation will aid RBLI’s Armed Forces repatriation work.

The British South Africa Police (BSAP), has made a generous donation of £1,000 to Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), as a gesture of thanks for the charity’s work in assisting the repatriation of Armed Forces Veterans returning from the Commonwealth.

The BSAP was the police force of Rhodesia. After the civil war in Rhodesia (resulting in the renaming of the country to Zimbabwe in 1980) the force ceased to exist and became the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Many of the members and their families were repatriated back to the United Kingdom. This type of repatriation is common and can be a particularly

challenging and traumatic time for those who find change difficult or have little welfare or financial support. RBLI operates a repatriation service based within the Royal British Legion Village, at Aylesford in Kent. Working

closely with both military and civilian charities around the world, RBLI is able to assist Armed Forces and other eligible Veterans, such as the BSAP and their dependants, return to the United Kingdom to take up permanent residence again. (L to R,) Roger Leeder – RBLI Welfare

and Business Support. Steve Sherry CMG OBE - RBLI Chief Executive. Peter Biddulph – BSAP Almoner. Alistair Black – BSAP Hon. Secretary Scan here with your

smartphone to view more about this article

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Richard Corben took over as chairman of RBLI in April 2012 and here’s a few words from the man himself...

Sadly, my position as chairman is the direct result of Edwin Boorman’s very sudden death early last year. I knew Edwin for well over 40 years.

It has been a wonderful experience to have been involved over the years with so many exciting projects on our site. In particular the two homes Gavin Astor and Queen Elizabeth Court, two of the finest developments of their type and recipients of many accolades. RBLI is a very diverse organisation and we can all be proud of our tremendous contribution to those from the services, and those seeking employment. It is very encouraging to see so many ex service employed on site.

As for me! Having spent a life time in the building and property business, I am now the proud grandfather of 9 grandchildren; boy, seven girls (future trouble!) and a boy at the small end.

My wife Roseanne and I lived in an old mill house in the Loose Valley Maidstone for nearly 40 years and now live in a littleGeorgian house overlooking thevillage green near Tenterden.

We love it! One of the great attractions for me is Rye Golf Club, a tricky links course with plenty of frustrations but a compelling feeling of ‘could do better’. Other things I do! I’ve crept back to the piano and have a lesson every two weeks. It is like going back to school and prep must be done. But I love it. I’m one of the basses in the Sutton Valence Choral Society also.

RBLI is in safe hands with a very capable senior management team with Steve Sherry in charge. The future is bright and there is a buzz of excitiment about all sorts of ideas ahead.

GETTING TO KNOW RBLI’S CHAIRMAN RICHARD CORBEN

Richard Corben, RBLI Chairman

BBC’S DIY SOS We were privileged to meet the DIY SOS BBC presenter, Nick Knowles and be involved in a project to support one of our Veterans.Ex-Royal Engineer Mo and his family stayed at our Prince Philip Lodge, which is usually host to the Armed Forces community during enrolment on the LifeWorks employability

courses. While Mo was here the team from the BBC’s DIY SOS made essential repairs and changes to his home to assist his everyday living requirements.The team came to Prince Philip Lodge to catch up with Mo and his family and we were lucky enough to meet them.

(L to R) Roger Leeder – RBLI Welfare and Business Support, Nick Knowles presenter of the BBC’s DIY SOS programme and former Army Major Ken Hames.


The RBLI Charity Golf Day, in aid of David’s Day will take place at Tudor Marriott Hotel on 11th October. The charity golf day has been running for a total of four years. Each year has been a great success and this year we hope to raise even more money for this worthy cause.

David’s Day was originally set up by RBLI in 2009 to help

provide a day out for around fifty children and their carers in memory of David Rowlands MBE. David had a great passion for enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. So when David suddenly passed away in 2008, RBLI decided to award this day in David’s memory.

As Marriot Tudor Park’s Charity of Choice, RBLI would like to thank them for allowing us to host this year’s event at their golf course.

We also thank Summit Events and Arnold Clark for their sponsorship and the offer of

tickets for both the Spurs and O2 boxes from Olive Comms for auction.

If you would like to sponsor the event in some way, either by donating a prize for our auction or by attending please email [email protected] or call 01622 795926 for further information.

RBLI CHARITY GOLF DAY

JACQUI GETS THE POINT ACROSS

The weekend of 29th and 30th June saw the 30th anniversary of the Sir Thomas Wyatt archery tournament held by Allington Castle Archers of Maidstone. This year the event was held at Kent Archery Association’s home ground in Vigo Rugby Club as opposed to Allington’s shrinking ground at West Borough Primary School.

The fantastic weather made for a good turnout of archers from

the surrounding counties. This was my third tournament of the year and I had high hopes given my past performances and results in training. These hopes were well founded as I finished the first day with a score of 1015, a personal best, new county record and a first place medal.

I later found out that evening that I had also broken the national record. The second day started out just as nicely, then shortly before the lunch break, a tricky wind kicked in that stayed for the rest of the day.

This didn’t hinder my performance too much though as I finished just 2 points less than the previous day.

I finished again in first place and got another national and county record for the double round. I also achieved the highest classification available of Grand Master Bowman. All in all, a successful weekend!

Jacqui Gould, Accounts Payable Assistant

Pictured - Jacqui Gould

E M P L O Y E E O F T H E Y E A R

This years’ Annual Employee Awards ceremony was held at Oakwood House in Maidstone on 20th July 2013. The ceremony was opened by Steve Sherry and the awards were presented by Richard Corben, Chairman of RBLI.

There were two worthy winners for Employee of the Year 2012, sharing the title were Nina Montoya, Health and Wellbeing and Sarah Winter, Gavin Astor House.

Both Nina and Sarah have demonstrated drive, loyalty and commitment to our beneficiaries. Our beneficiaries

benefit enormously from the events hosted by RBLI, it allows them the opportunity to interact with others in the community and more importantly reach out for the support that is available.

Richard Brooks, Head of Work Programme was awarded Manager of the Year 2012 for his calm and efficient approach to a challenging role. Richard has created a winning formula in the Work Programme; he has turned a struggling performance into one of success and recognition, as evidenced by the award of new contract opportunities in Tonbridge, Chatham and Margate.

Under Richard’s leadership RBLI is rated one of the top performing sub contractors.

For exceptional management of service delivery and financial performance Richard received this award.

Sarah Winter and Richard Corben Nina Montoya Richard Brooks and Richard Corben

Employee award winners. ( L-R.) Sarah Winter, Kevin Pilbeam, Richard Corben, Becky Tinsley, Richard Brooks, Kate Porter, Steve Sherry.


E M P L O Y E E O F T H E M O N T HCongratulations to Kathy Reid, Senior Administrator at Gavin Astor House who won January’s EOTM. Kathy received this award in recognition of modernizing the home’s administration systems and providing a high quality support to the staff and residents.

February’s winner has yet to be awarded due to holidays and this person always being on the road.

We will update you in the next edition.

March’s Employee of the Month was awarded to Nigel Chambers, Team Leader Pallets. Nigel received this award in recognition of the high level of support given to his team whilst ensuring all health and safety legislation is adhered with and providing training ac-cordingly.

Kathy Reid and Steve Sherry

Nigel Chambers and Steve Sherry


S P E C I A L R E C O G N I T I O N A W A R D S

Awarded to Kate Porter, Head of Business Systems for going the extra mile and working tirelessly for RBLI to meet the business demands. Kate works to extreme deadlines and often requires flexibility to meet the ever changing requirements of all of us. Kate can be relied upon to deliver more with less! Professional, questioning and supportive, Kate epitomizes the Team RBLI ethos.

Awarded to Rebecca Tinsley, Work Programme who operates on the frontline of our operations day in and day out and is one of our best ambassadors both with clients, partner organizations and colleagues. Not only managing a full caseload, Rebecca has stepped in and taken on extra responsibility with confidence and professionalism Rebecca is one of our top performers across Work Programme and works hard to support our beneficiaries to give them the tools they need to

support themselves.Awarded to Kevin Pilbeam, Signs who is one of our great gang of unsung heroes. As a great ambassador for RBLI, Kevin always meets visitors with a smile and a detailed explanation of his work and the work of his team. Kevin has embraced the significant changes which has seen an increase in his workload but this hasn’t stopped him going above and beyond our expectations to deliver a first class service to our internal and external customers.

Richard Corben and Kate Porter Richard Corben and Rebecca Tinsley

Richard Corben and Kevin Pilbeam

We were privileged to welcome our President, Viscount De L’Isle and 12 Friends of RBLI when they visited us on Wednesday 6th March for a tour and lunch. Following a welcome and presentation in the

Boardroom, the Friends visited the Sawmill, Signs and Digital Print and then boarded a minibus to tour the site,

calling in at Gavin Astor House and Lifeworks. It was a first visit for many of our guests and they thoroughly enjoyed seeing the work of RBLI first hand.

They asked many questions and made the most of their opportunity to chat to the staff and residents. Lunch with the Lifeworks delegates at Capel Morris rounded off a very successful morning.

The visit resulted in some great feedback and a renewed enthusiasm from the Friends to support our projects and also prompted an article in Kent Business which appeared in the April edition.

FRIENDS OF RBLI VISIT AYLESFORD

If you wish to nominate someone for Employee of the Month, please send your nomination [email protected]


LifeWorks TEAM AWARDED THE HIGH SHERIFF OF KENT AWARD A number of individuals and seventeen organisations from across Kent had their work or services recognised when they received a High Sheriff’s Award at Chilham Castle in March. The High Sheriff’s Awards are organised in conjunction with Kent Community Foundation who have administered the High Sheriff’s Awards Fund since 2009. The beautiful Chilham Castle made a stunning backdrop for this Awards Ceremony.

High Sheriff Mike Bax selected the winners who are making a huge difference to many people in Kent. The awards are his opportunity to say thank you to them – Kent’s unsung heroes - and to share their stories. These ranged from outstanding acts by public servants relating to the judiciary as well as individual volunteers. Shaun Maloney, Sharon Patmore,

Leanne Pardoe & Stephanie Cogdell

LifeWorks FOR FAMILIES In January RBLI launched LifeWorks for Families an initiative to support the families of Armed Forces personnel in Medway and the surrounding area. By tailoring the already proven LifeWorks course and adapting it for spouses, partners and depandants, we were able to maximize the delegates employability potential by building on their existing skills.

Designed around the delegate seeking work, the six week course held every Thursdaybuilt on existing skills including researching vocational options,

identifying employment skills and a range of interview skills and techniques. The course was very popular and we were delighted when one of the delegates gained employment half way through the course!

For more information, call 0800 319 6844 or email: [email protected]

Scan here with your smartphone to view more about LifeWorks

online


LifeWorks MOVES ON... AND AROUND!Since the last Warblings there have been a number of changes in the LifeWorks team and places being delivered around the country. In February the team were pleased to have Roger Leeder join them in his new role as Progression Advisor where he is responsible for all post course contact with delegates who attend our LifeWorks course. Since that time he has made 362 contacts with over 192 delegates using either the telephone or e-mail. More recently we welcomed Fay Ball and Rachel Deadman into the delivery team as Wendy Checksfield decided to leave to focus her efforts on pastures new.

In March LifeWorks went national with their first course being delivered over the border in Edinburgh. This was supported by our colleagues from Poppy Scotland who helped with the set-up and running of the course along with getting potential delegates referred. Then in April the team visited Preston, Lancashire to deliver another course at the request of The Poppy Factory and Armed Forces Group (Preston).

February also saw our first LifeWorks Families course run at Brompton, Gillingham for partners of Armed Forces who want assistance to get in to

employment. The success of this lead to a further course for Gurkha wives in Shorncliffe, Folkestone. Both of these courses were run slightly differently as short sessions over a 6 week period to allow for childcare commitments. Everyone who has attended has found this useful in their journey back to work.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to go to Oakwood Prison in Wolverhampton (run by G4S) to attend a conference looking at how organizations can assist in the rehabilitation of Veterans in Custody (VIC).

A number of presentations were given throughout the day to a wide-ranging audience consisting of Military charities, government departments, university lecturers, PhD students, psychologists, employment providers and a

whole host more. In all, 90 people attended.Of all the excellent presentations Dr Dierdre Mcmanus was probably the best. She expressed her research findings that:

• Veterans are the largest single occupational Group in Custody• Veterans commit less crime than their civilian counterparts• Veterans commit more violent crime than their civilian counterparts

And the causes of this are not as straightforward as you might think – background factors (such as family background and educational standards) appear to be the main drivers.

Oakwood is a modern, ‘Bullingdon’ style establishment

and is classified as a Training prison. All the inmates are in the final stages of their sentences and so are participating in a robust and very useful training programme. The atmosphere was ‘firm but fair’ and I came away with the impression that this was all part of a carefully thought-through rehabilitation process; a gradual re-introduction of trust in preparation for civilian life ahead.

And this is where I can see that Lifeworks has a role to play; and so do many of the Oakwood staff. I envisage RBLI running Lifeworks courses not only in Oakwood but also other prisons to improve the life chances of those VICs that yearn for the chance to prove themselves as they re-enter civilian life.

RBLI BREAKS INTO HER MAJESTY’S PRISONS

Geoffrey Dodds, Business Development


RBLI is always seeking clients that have a strong Corporate Social Responsibility agenda. Those organisations can buy a range of our products and services that they are going to buy from somewhere anyway – so why not from us, where the ‘profits’ generated help fund the vital rehabilitation work we do? The RBLI team work hard to ensure we produce high quality goods and services at great value prices. First and foremost we know we have to meet those criteria and clients will not buy on sentiment alone. So by working with us, it is not just charity giving – it is getting something you need back too.

CSR could be the key to boosting engagement and productivity, research suggestsThis article by David Woods first appeared in HR Magazine on 28 Apr 2011. We are indebted for their support in allowing us to reproduce it here in abridged format.

If productivity of the UK workforce went up by just 1%, the economy would save approximately £17 billion, research shows.

A survey of 1,007 UK employees released today by LeapCR, the UK provider of employee engagement software found 57% of employees want their companies to do more towards CSR (corporate social responsibility) and charitable giving. And a significant 63% of UK employees believe that having paid time off during working hours to commit to charitable initiatives would significantly improve employee engagement.

Malcolm Scovil, CEO of LeapCR said: “This correlation between employee engagement and CSR initiatives can’t be ignored by UK employers wanting to increase the productivity of their company. If employers don’t get to grips with the expectations of employees then they face punitive recruitment costs and unsatisfactory levels of productivity from a workforce that feels its motivations are being ignored.”

But it was also evident from the survey that UK employers are either not taking CSR seriously or failing to effectively communicate what they are doing to their employees. Just 58% of all employees know if their company has a commitment to CSR and a similar percentage (57%) felt their employer could do more in

that area. A lack of communication could mean a high proportion of the workforce is unnecessarily disengaged.

Scovil said: “The reality is that the UK workforce passionately cares about CSR and expects their employer to share that commitment. If employers fail to meet these expectations, either through a lack of CSR initiatives or a failure to communicate what they are doing to their staff, then they will find themselves struggling to remain competitive. “I predict that by the end of this decade, the UK employers that are deemed successful will be those who have faced up to this pressing issue.”

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ARE YOU DOING YOUR BIT?

Source: DWP

• 3.2 million disabled people are in work

• 11.5% of all employed people are disabled

• 9% of working age disabled

The work we do around disabilityis vital.


In the last edition, we left the saga in 1905. The history of Royal British Legion Industries and the Royal British Legion Village really began at the outbreak of World War One. To set the background to this long and dedicated service to the Armed Forces Community, we must first look at its use during the “Great War” In 1907, Robert Sauber owned Preston Hall and its surrounding estates. Following his death, his widow, Madame Sauber permitted Preston Hall and the Estate to be used by the Red Cross as a hospital for wounded troops returning from the trenches and as a remount centre for service horses from 1914 to 1918. At the outbreak of the First World War, the British Red Cross and the Order of St John of Jerusalem combined to form the Joint War Committee to pool resources under the protection of the red cross emblem. Because the British Red Cross had secured buildings, equipment and staff, the organisation was able to set up temporary hospitals as soon as wounded men began to arrive from abroad. The buildings varied widely, ranging from town halls and schools to large and small private houses, both in the country and in cities. The most suitable ones were established as auxiliary hospitals. Preston Hall became an auxiliary hospital because of its suitability. The patients at these hospitals were generally less seriously wounded than at other hospitals and needed convalescence. The servicemen preferred the auxiliary hospitals to military

hospitals because they were not so strict. Also, auxiliary hospitals were less crowded and the surroundings more homely. The work carried out today by RBLI is not a new concept nor is the “Armed Forces Covenant” which was published by the Government in May 2011. The idea was conceived by Mr Thomas Mawton, some 94 years earlier, when he had a vision prior to the end of the “Great War” about planning villages for ex-Servicemen to inhabit in order to give them and their families a quality of life after risking their own lives to fight for their country. In his book “An Imperial Obligation”, first published in February 1917, he set out his dream of industrial villages for partially disabled soldiers and sailors. To quote from Thomas Mawton’s book, when he talks about helping the Armed Forces’ Veterans: “So he is taken by the hand, his pre-war experiences and capacities investigated, his sympathies and aspirations consulted, and, these having all been weighed against his infirmity, he is, as speedily as possible, drafted into congenial and profitable employment - employment which shall not only be conducive to the preservation of his self-respect, but profitable alike to himself and to the Nation”.

At the end of the First World War 55,000 people were discharged from the Services.To quote from Thomas Mawton’s book, when he talks about helping the Armed Forces’

Veterans: “So he is taken by the hand, his pre-war experiences and capacities investigated, his sympathies and aspirations consulted, and, these having all been weighed against his infirmity, he is, as speedily as possible, drafted into congenial and profitable employment - employment which shall not only be conducive to the preservation of his self-respect, but profitable alike to himself and to the Nation”.

At the end of the First World War 55,000 people were discharged from the Services suffering from TB, of those discharged 18,000 died as a result of returning to inner-city housing. By 1918, Preston Hall had become an established TB hospital and the staff running it were loathe to see it close down.

In 1918 Madam Sauber sold the Estate piecemeal, with Home Farm being bought by the sitting tenant, William Kemsley, and the remainder of the Estate, including Preston Hall, the deer park and Holt Woods, purchased by the Leeds Fire Clay Company. …… to be continued.

BYGONE DAYS BY THE ANCIENT MARINER.


TOURISM & GATEWAY SIGNAGE

RBLI has invested over £250,00 to modernize its signs printing business, ahead of the Government’s launch of striking new road signs for tourist destinations.

From July, the brown heritage and tourism signs will be revamped as part of an ongoing strategy to boost the country’s tourism.

Heritage sites and tourist destina-tions will be able to swap their existing old brown signs for the prominent new ones that can include a full colour photograph of districts’ landmarks and which will also be just as visible at night. The recent purchase of a new MUTOH Zephyr Digital Printer and Zund flat bed plotter means that RBLI will be one of only four organizations in the country to produce the improved tourism and heritage signs.

The front cover of Warblings shows a fine example of our teams’ handiwork.

RBLI Work Programme launched our new centre in Margate on the 14th of June, providing much needed employment solutions to both businesses and jobseekers.

We were offered this centre in March and a caseload of more than 1300 customers was transferred to RBLI on the 1st of April. We found, kitted out and moved into the new offices in record time as well as transferred into the team some new colleagues from ATS.

The centre, which is based on site at East Kent ITEC college on Victoria Road, will support local businesses with their employment requirements by providing free recruitment services including candidate screening, interview facilities and legal advice and guidance. It will also provide the highest quality employment services to jobseekers; including career advice from RBLI’s experienced employment consultants, CV development, information technology training and job searching and matching facilities.

Sue Graham, our Centre Manager, said, ‘I’m really excited at RBLI’s expansion into Margate. Our services have been well received within Kent so far and we know that businesses in the Thanet area will really benefit from our range of free employment support services as well.

Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, officially opened the new centre and supports the important work being undertaken by RBLI in Thanet, ‘There is a very real issue with regards to unemployment within Thanet and I am delighted that RBLI are helping to address that problem by supporting local businesses. I know what it is like to be unemployed and it can easy turn into a downward spiral, but that’s where RBLI come in. Their job is to support jobseekers to become more employable and recreate the sense of self worth and dignity again. There is a new buzz about Margate and I am starting to see things turning around, more jobs becoming available and more support services for both employers and jobseekers. This is an exciting time and I wish RBLI and their clients the very best for the future here.’

The RBLI Work Programme has performed extremely well over the last two years and it is wonderful to be in a new town and show what we’re capable of. Well done to Sue and her team for already achieving more than 60 job starts since opening!

New digital printer, Aylesford

MARGATE OPENING

AYLESFORD’S NEW PRINTER

Richard Brooks, Head of Work Programme Delivery


Frank’s Famous Linguine RecipeThis recipe takes no more than 20-30 minutes, uses only one pan and a colander, and is a great main course when you have guests, who will think you slaved over a stove for ages! It is girly-spicy, so even vindaloo-haters should like it! All ingredients are easily available from Tesco or Sainsbury.

Ingredients:For 4 people you need:• 500g linguine (or spaghetti at a push)• 200g of shelled tiger prawns (more or less to taste)• 4 tiger prawns with shell on tail (for garnish, not essential but looks good)• 1 green chilli• 2 cloves garlic• Handful of pitted black olives (If large, split them) Even if some of your diners don’t like these, include them and remove them from their plates when serving as they are essential to the flavour or chop them small and tell them that they are truffles if they ask!• About 200g fresh baby plum tomatoes, rinsed (cherry tomatoes will do at a pinch)• 2 jars Heinz Tomato Frito (This is amazing stuff, cooked, sieved tomatoes with a hint of garlic and onion. I discovered it in Spain under a local brand name! Good quality passata is an acceptable substitute).• Extra-virgin olive oil• Bunch of flat parsley, rinsed

Method: 1. Saving 4 sprigs for garnish, de-stalk and chop the parsley.2. Crush or finely chop the garlic3. Cut the stalk off the chilli. Use a teaspoon handle to scoop out the seeds and discard them. Cut the chilli into very thin slices. Wash your hands after to avoid pain later!4. In a large pan, cook the linguine according to packet instructions. Use the lowest time stated e.g. if it says 9 - 11 minutes, cook for 9 minutes only. Drain in the colander.5. If you are having a starter (try a simple salad of sliced fresh mozzarella, rocket, roasted pepper slices and balsamic vinegar), rinse the pasta in cold water, serve the starter now and join your guests.6. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the saucepan and return to the stove on a medium heat. Immediately throw in the plum tomatoes. Cook for 2-4 minutes, shaking occasionally (the pan not you) until the skins just start to split. 7. Add the chilli, olives and shelled prawns. Cook for another 2 minutes.8. Add the crushed garlic. Cook for one minute ensuring it doesn’t brown.9. Add the chopped parsley and frito. Simmer vigorously for 2 minutes.10. Remove the pan from the stove and stir the drained linguine into the sauce, separating it and making sure it is warm and well-coated.11. Using the largest plates you have (I use these huge pasta bowls about 15 inches across!), pile the linguine on each plate ensuring everyone gets a fair share of prawns and sauce.12. Garnish with the reserved parsley sprigs and tiger prawns with shell on tail.13. Serve to rapturous applause and admiration!

Written by Frank Gilbert, Holistic Assessor


A MAYORAL YEAR In May 2012, we were delighted to learn that RBLI had been selected as one of the chosen charities for support by the newly appointed Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Cllr David Davis, himself an ex-Serviceman. This honour was shared with Crossroads West Kent, a charity providing support to carers.

What an eventful year it was! There were quiz nights and pudding evenings along with a number of RBLI events that enjoyed the presence of Cllr Davis, who, together with his wife Mary, provided RBLI with tremendous support throughout.

Many of us enjoyed a very successful Alternative Valentine hosted by RBLI, when the Capel Morris Centre was transformed into a Casino and night club. A number of Kent Mayors and Mayoresses, along with RBLI employees and friends enjoyed

a fun packed evening and members of our HR Team revealed their flair for roulette! The fun packed evening raised over £500 for the Mayor’s charities.

And it didn’t stop there – the fundraising activity continued in June when, on Armed Forces Day, RBLI hosted a tea party for residents and villagers. Everyone enjoyed amazing performances by the Military Wives Choir, Aylesford School Sports College and Fiveacre Wood choirs along with tea and cakes to raise money for the Gavin Astor House Therapy Bath and

Memorial Garden projects. Mrs Ann Daniels, a resident on the Village, won the giant cupcake by guessing its weight and Matthew Sherry successfully guessed that the teddy bear was called Humphrey! (Is there a pattern here?) The sun appeared for the first time in a while (and stayed out!) as every generation hooked ducks and decorated gingerbread men while the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Change 4 Life Team offered health checks. Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this event such a great success.

Liz Rickaby, Steve Sherry, Councillor David Davis

Alternative Valentine at Capel Morris Centre

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

A huge congratulations to Lauren Dawkins, RBLI’s Business Support Manager, who gave birth to Flo on the 7th of February 2013 and weighed 6lb 12oz!

GUESS WHO?Who is this Charming Child I hear you cry?

Your hint is that they work at RBLI, Aylesford.

Well if you can figure it out, send your answer to either [email protected] or [email protected] for your chance to win a cake!


NEW PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT ARMED FORCES COMMUNITY AND PROMOTE BUSINESS GROWTH The RBLI is to collaborate with Elite Graphics UK of Wrexham, and Gateshead-based manufacturer Astley, in a new scheme that will sponsor military Veterans in gaining work experience. The partnership means that while the companies being able to offer a wider range of products, they also confirm their support for the Armed Forces Community.

Alongside working in the heart of the road and rail signage industry for 30 years to help fund its charitable work with the Armed Forces Community, a core part of RBLI’s work is also to provide support to Veterans starting new careers in Civvy Street. LifeWorks is a fully funded, residential, employability course provided to Veterans from across the UK. Every month, twenty Veterans of different ages and service backgrounds attend RBLI’s one week residential course with over 63% of those leaving service going on to find civilian employment after the first year.*

Astley and Elite Graphics UK pledge to sponsor a Veteran onto a local RBLI Lifeworks course, as well as provide paid work experience. The sponsorship will enable individuals to gain valuable skills and experience in the manufacturing sector.

RBLI’s CEO, Steve Sherry CMG OBE, a former Brigadier, explains how the pledged training and

funding will help the Armed Forces Community. “I have experienced the mass of difficulties that all service personnel have to go through on leaving the Forces - particularly the trauma of having to find employment in an unfamiliar environment.

This partnership is all about enabling greater numbers of our Armed Forces beneficiaries to get the essential employment support and guidance that they will need to transition into the challenging employment market.”

The signing of the agreement marks a new era as David Forrester, Sales Director at Astley explains, “This is an exciting opportunity for Astley to work in partnership with like minded businesses whilst supporting the work of the RBLI. By combining our skills we can provide a broader offer to existing clients and look at alternative routes to market which will enable us to see real results by supporting Veterans.”

Lisa Godfrey, owner of Elite Graphics UK explains why this partnership is so much more

than a package of services to their clients, “We’re pleased to be able to provide additional products to our customers but above all we’re proud to provide sponsorship to the Armed Forces and eventually training and genuine employment opportunities within our local community, especially for those who have given so much to our country. I feel this partnership will be the catalyst which enables us to do just that.”

Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead who also witnessed the partnership take place, is pleased to see the businesses collaborating. “It’s very encouraging to see our local businesses pooling their resources for greater outcomes and considering their own responsibility within the community. I personally find it heartening that these businesses are not only giving money charitably in sponsorship, but looking at what their own organisations can provide though these much needed employment opportunities for our Armed Forces.”

* Of 55 surveyed respondants, of those that were still serving at the time of their attendance on LifeWorks, but had left at the time of the survey, 63% had managed to secure a new Civvy Job.


Daniel Butler left RBLI at the end of July following a very distinguished career as an ergonomic assessor.

Daniel joined RBLI straight from University where he qualified as a physiotherapist. Joining RBLI in December 2008, Daniel took up a post in the north-west supporting customers overcome their work-related needs as a result of a health condition or disability.

This role as an ergonomic assessor took Daniel from the Cumbrian borders right down to the edges of Staffordshire and at times across to Leeds and back again. The promise of localised work in Manchester never really seemed to come off although he did spend an awful lot of time in the probation offices of Liverpool!

Daniel’s other favourite haunts as an assessor were the teenage family planning clinic, police station custody suites, and the NHS.

In his first year with us he received the RBLI “Newstarter Award” at the 2010 annual conference for his role as an ambassador for the company in the North. This was an achievement both he and I were extremely proud of.

At the beginning of 2011 Daniel agreed to relocate for 6 weeks to the South where he helped RBLI set up the independent assessment project and this involved yet more travelling but this time around the Sunny Southern counties of Kent and Sussex. Some six months later he returned to Manchester and his original stomping ground in the North-West.

A Port Vale fan through and through (yes he’s the one) he never lost his northern roots despite mixing with all us Southerners. That said, a new Access to Work contract in the South brought a more permanent relocation for Daniel as he moved to the Sussex coast in December 2011.

The accolades continued to come to Daniel as in 2012 he received the Employee of the Year award for his contribution to RBLI’s success with the Access to Work contract.

Again another fantastic achieve-ment.

After nearly 5 years of dedicated service Daniel has decided now to expand on his knowledge and move on to pastures new however Daniel will always be an RBLI man. His passion for our company and the work that he did manifested itself in a very can-do attitude, nothing was too much of a problem and he would always help out whenever he could or whenever he was asked. A genuine team player.

I’m sure you’ll join with me in wishing Daniel all the very best in his new career but I know that we have not heard the last of Daniel Butler.

Edward Tidbury, Access to work Manager

DANIEL B UTL E R - A SHORT BUT DIS TI N GUI S HE D CAREER W ITH RBLI

Daniel Butler (above left)

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P R I N T & M A I L U P D AT E Our Print, Mail and Assembly service in Leatherhead has had a good start to this financial year. Hopefully we can continue this trend into our busier Xmas period and we’ll keep you posted on new activity. There are a few things we can pick out to mention as an overview of our business...

We have had our main print machines for a few years now and they are coming up for renewal, so we will be increasing our capacity and capability with new purchases before the end of the year. We are still offering a wide range of products to customers, given our extensive print finishing capabilities, and as you’ll see from the photo we have attracted work in from many well known brands, both general commercial and charity/military.

Having just completed one of our larger personalised mailings

for Best Parties in June, this was also a good opportunity to show off our new colour personalisation on envelopes, so not only can we add regular address details, but we can add a colour image to the design. The kit is proving to be very flexible and is opening up a wider market for us in marketing promotions. We now have a growing number of military organisations and charities which rely on us for their fund raising and general marketing. Further opportunities will develop for our wider portfolio across all RBLI manufacturing.

Our work force continually rises to the challenges that new elements of handwork require. We now have regular pick ‘n’ pack activity for half a dozen customers, which ranges from waste sacks to ice grip products. One new customer which makes specialist book seats relies on our “just in time” manufacturing to receive orders, assemble product from flat stocks, bulk pack and despatch. We are also very pleased to have completed our first fulfilment order for Bloodhound SSC, which as many in Aylesford will know are attempting a world land speed record in c.2015. We received

Corgi models, unpacked and repacked the models with new “Bloodhound” display materials and prepared the finished items for bulk shipment. The customer was on site during the final phase of production and kindly took a shot of the team at work.

So what else is new? Well one of our main customers for present wrapping has just merged with a design agency to form Magentastar. We are already discussing the wrapping activity for the 2013 campaign and hope for some major PR out of the relationship and the nature of the work – Santa Claus in Surrey !

Our product portfolio is growing and we have produced many orders now for our Clear Pocket Folders – customers love these for smaller runs as they are very cost effective, have good product visibility, and no messing with the notches to put the business cards in! We will be producing more wire bound calendars and diaries later this year.

If anyone else has a good idea we’ll try to make it happen!

Mike Tuohy, General Manager, Print & Mail


G E T T I N G T O K N O W Y O U PA U L A R I C H A R D S ! To carry on Will’s tradition, Paula Richards, Gavin Astor Houses’ Registered Nursing Manager was questioned for ‘Getting to know you’.Interviewing her was a pleasure, and her enthusiasm for the colour pink is overwhelming (but in a good way!). So let’s delve...

What was the last book you read?The last book I read was ‘A street cat named Bob’. It’s an easy read.

What’s your favourite food?My favourite food would have to be curry.

What’s your favourite film and or TV show?I have to admit that I love Disney films – especially Toy Story. As for TV shows, Eastenders

Were you watching Wimbledon this year?No. (blunt and to the point!)

How do you spend your free time?Training for the triathlon I just did (haha!). Other than that - holidays, spending time with my children and driving my pink car

Who do you respect the most?Margret Thatcher

What countries have you visited?Maldives twelve times, skiing in France and Italy, America, Egypt, Turkey to name a few...

What do you do on Sundays?Have lazy days

What is your motto in life?Live every day to the full

Who’s your celebrity crush?Mark Wright

What are your hobbies?Skiing, Scouts, Working?

Who has had the mostinfluence in your life?I would have to say my parents have

What super – power would you most like to have, and why?It’s not a super –power but I’d love to own an invisibility cloak to sneak up on people and see what they’re saying.

Warblings

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