Jerram Falkus Places as a Finalist at the 2022 Newham Business Awards

Jerram Falkus, a construction company founded in Newham in 1884, is delighted to have been chosen as one of the finalists for the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) category at the Newham Business Awards. The event recognises the achievements of businesses in and around the London Borough of Newham.

Thomas Kelly, Associate Construction Director at Jerram Falkus, attended the awards ceremony and expressed his appreciation for the support local businesses give to the community. He said, “It was great to see that so many businesses support the local community in Newham. Jerram Falkus were delighted to place as a finalist for our civic contribution to the borough. Having been founded in Newham back in 1884, the borough is close to our hearts. 138 years later, we continue to serve Newham, delivering public sector buildings, including social housing and schools.”

So how are we striving to meet CSR objectives in Newham?

Jerram Falkus’ Civic Contribution to Newham

Jerram Falkus currently has three live construction sites across the borough, where the company is building social housing on behalf of Newham Council. As a company that recognises the impact of construction on civic society, we take our community responsibilities seriously.

We strive to leave a positive impact through the buildings we construct and aim to source local labour, materials and suppliers to support the local economy. Far beyond the regulatory obligations and policies we are required to adhere to, Jerram Falkus seeks to minimise the disruption caused by construction and works towards increasing social mobility through our apprenticeship programmes, as we believe that it is our civic responsibility to use our skills and knowledge for the benefit of the local community.

Developing Local Talents

We help develop talent for the future and support local schools, colleges and universities to offer regular work experience roles and industry and post-graduate placements. All our site vacancies are shared with Our Newham Work, and regular job fairs are held to attract local residents into positions within the construction industry. We employ local residents across all three Newham sites on Landseer Avenue, David Street and Anne Street.

We are also working collaboratively with Newham College and UEL to employ apprentices and graduate trainees while building a robust training programme with their collaborative support. Moreover, we host site visits and work experience placements for construction and engineering students from New Vic College. Jerram Falkus sits on the New Vic College consultation panel for their construction T-Level trainees to help shape the face of the professional continuation of relevant and innovative construction industry training.

In addition, we have hosted two work-experience students from Langdon Academy at our Head Office to introduce them to the world of work within a corporate environment and on-site. We have also hosted a work placement student from the London Design & Engineering UTC. We recently employed a local resident as an electrical apprentice with one of our subcontractors.

Inspiring the Next Generation

In collaboration with 15 billion/Inspire! alongside other local contractors, Jerram Falkus delivers construction information sessions incorporating STEM learning activities such as bricklaying techniques, sustainable construction practices, and environmentally positive architectural design activities in primary schools throughout Newham. So far, this initiative has reached 300 school-aged children.

Engagement With the Community

Our resident engagement at the site level is exemplary. Our site managers get to know the local residents personally, and all sites operate an open-door policy for the local community. We have AED devices and First Aid kits for community use, should this be required. Our recent high Considerate Contractor scores, 40/45 and 43/45, reflect our commitment to operating safe and engaging sites, with highly positive comments from the inspectors.

We have financially supported the Rotary Club of Stratford’s Community Awards event this year in the category of Employment & Enterprise to further our commitment to supporting, highlighting and embedding the importance of career development and employment within the construction industry and to reward outstanding achievements.

Environmental Responsibility

Our David Street site supports a local furniture maker by giving him wooden pallets to repurpose into bespoke household items and furniture for him to sell, thus reducing the volume of material waste going to landfills. Recycling and reusing waste materials helps reduce our carbon footprint and benefits our local partners financially.

Our local procurement is a site priority, and we prioritise purchases of materials from local manufacturers, thus stimulating the local economy. This even includes milk from the local corner shop for our builder’s tea!

Mental Health Support

Jerram Falkus recognises that mental health is an ever-increasing concern, and construction is a high-risk industry. We value our staff and believe in ensuring a safe, healthy, and supportive working environment for everyone. This is why all of our site teams are qualified mental health first aiders, as we want all of our directly employed staff and sub-contractors to seek help when required in order to stay safe.

At Jerram Falkus, we firmly believe in working with the local community and helping to create a positive impact. Our initiatives demonstrate our commitment to being a responsible contractor and employer while inspiring the next generation of young people into construction.

We are proud to be recognised as a finalist at the Newham Business Awards in the CSR category, as we believe it is a testament to our commitment to contributing to the growth and development of our local communities.

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