RoSPA President's Award marks Birkenhead developer's decade long top safety performance

NATIONAL safety organisation RoSPA has recognised a decade of safety achievement by Birkenhead based partnership homes developer Lovell. The company is to receive the RoSPA President's Award for outstanding health and safety performance in the North West. The award marks Lovell's achievement of 10 consecutive RoSPA Gold awards and underlines the company's commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing of staff, subcontractors and the public at its construction sites and offices across the region.

The RoSPA Health and Safety Awards programme is the UK's longest-running industry awards scheme.

Julia Small, RoSPA's head of qualifications, awards and events, says:- "The RoSPA awards are the most highly respected in the health and safety arena, with almost 2,000 entrants every year, and allow each organisation to prove excellence in the workplace, demonstrating a commitment to the wellbeing of not only employees but all those who interact with it."

Lovell national head of health and safety Darryl Hammond says:- "I would like to congratulate the region on a fantastic achievement. The safety and wellbeing of our staff, our subcontractor partners and the public is our foremost priority and at the heart of everything we do. The President's Award acknowledges the enormous professionalism and hard work by our teams which goes into keeping everyone at our sites and offices safe and well."

Major projects by Lovell in the North West include a ₤16.6 million development In Belle Vale, South East Liverpool which will create 140 new homes on the site of a Primary School. Lovell has been appointed by Compendium Living; a joint venture by Lovell and The Riverside Group; to build open market sale and affordable homes at the former Joseph Williams School where the young Paul McCartney was once a pupil. Lovell has also been recently appointed to build a ₤14 million development of more than 100 homes in Yew Tree, north Liverpool, for Liverpool City Council's new housing company Foundations. The homes are the 1st to be built through Foundations' major new build programme which is set to create 10,000 homes over the next decade. The planning application is set to be submitted in August 2018, with the Lovell construction team aiming to start work on the proposed development by the end of this year.

Liverpool Youth Hostel joins Refill scheme

PEOPLE can now refill their water bottles for free at Youth Hostels throughout England and Wales; including YHA Liverpool. The leading youth charity, YHA (England and Wales), has joined Refill, a national free tap water initiative designed to reduce plastic pollution by making refilling water bottles as easy, convenient and cheap as possible.

All YHA locations are now listed on the The Refill scheme website and app. The addition of more than 150 youth Hostel sites in England and Wales to the initiative, now means there are now nearly 12,000 Refill stations in the UK.

With youth Hostel locations in rural and coastal areas as well as Towns and Cities, people will have more opportunity than ever when they are out and about to do their bit for the environment.

YHA joins a number of national brands and independent cafes, bars and restaurants as Refill stations. The recent partnership with Refill follows YHA's decision to ban plastic straws across its network earlier this year.

James Blake, Chief Executive of YHA (England and Wales), explained:- "Taking care of the environment is an integral part of YHA and we aim to do everything we can to keep the great outdoors amazing for young people today and future generations. The Refill initiative is helping us make greater progress in further reducing not only our own carbon footprint, but that of the thousands of young people and their families who stay with us and visit our youth Hostels each year."

Since launching its own campaign across the youth Hostel network to reduce its carbon footprint in 2011, YHA has saved enough CO2 that is equivalent to a fully laden jumbo jet flying around the World; or a family car driving 30 times around the world. Carbon footprint reduction measures include the introduction of bio mass boilers, solar panels, energy saving LED lightbulbs and recycling rates in excess of 80% across the YHA network.

Gus Hoyt, Project Manager for Refill UK, added:- "We are over the moon to have YHA on board as an active member of the Refill family. Healthy hydration is essential when travelling and taking part in outdoor activities. Every Refill is 1 less plastic bottle going into the waste stream. It's as simple as that. We can all do our own bit, and maybe explore our relationship with wider single use, throw away plastics."

To find a youth Hostel and water station near you, visit:- Refill.Org.UK.