SPAR UK Partner, A.F. Blakemore celebrates 100 years of business with new initiatives

SPAR UK Partner, A.F. Blakemore celebrates 100 years of business with new initiatives

 

United Kingdom, 2017-Oct-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — SPAR Partner, A.F. Blakemore, is celebrating 100 years of business and has undertaken a number of new initiatives that add value to the local communities it serves.

Installation of defibrillators

The partner has purchased 10 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be installed at seven main sites including head office and distribution centres, reflecting their commitment to creating a good working environment for employees.

At each of the seven sites, the defibrillators will be located on the wall in lockable boxes. In the case of an emergency, the code for the box can be retrieved by calling 999. No training is required to use a defibrillator and applying it to someone who does not need it will not cause harm.

The company’s Group Health & Safety department will be promoting awareness amongst colleagues along with the support of Duncan Parsonage of Abacus Training – a state-registered paramedic with a mission to ensure timely public accessibility to defibrillators in emergencies.

Group Board Director, Tom Blakemore, said: “As a large family business we have a responsibility to provide access to the most up-to-date life-saving equipment should an emergency ever arise. A defibrillator is an essential step in the chain of survival when dealing with sudden cardiac arrest, and by making plans to install 10 at our larger sites across the business with higher footfall, we have made sure that staff and visitors to the buildings receive the best possible chance.”

Celebrating 100 years with ‘100’ challenges

As part of A.F. Blakemore & Son’s centenary celebrations, a number of Blakemore colleagues have raised more than £5,000 by taking part in a series of unusual and challenging ‘100’ themed fundraising activities.

Colleagues set individual and group challenges with a centenary theme to raise money for various charities of their choice, including the Alzheimer’s Society, the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and Bloodwise, a leukaemia and lymphoma research charity, to name just a few.

Some challenges were personal goals, with several colleagues aiming to lose weight by the 100thyear anniversary, while others organised 100-mile walks and bike rides.

Contact:

SPAR International
Email: info@spar-international.com
Tel: +3120 626 6749

Source: Spar International

###

A.F. Blakemore launches Blakemore Branching Out programme to support young people gain skills to enter employment successfully

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, 2017-Jan-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — A.F. Blakemore has launched a new community programme to inspire, engage and motivate young people about the opportunities in the employment industry. The Blakemore Branching Out programme will support young people across five key interventions, enabling them to gain the necessary skills to enter employment successfully, provide insight into the world of work and ultimately help reduce youth unemployment.

A.F. Blakemore employees will work with schools across its trading area to offer a more strategic approach to employability which will include reading support, workplace insights, employability workshops, career support and work experience.

Today, about 60%[1] of young people in the UK are leaving school without the necessary skills to enter the world of work. Furthermore, the City and Guilds Group state that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 40,000 skilled jobs within the UK – many of those skills are required by A.F. Blakemore.

A.F. Blakemore have had strong links with schools for over 10 years and in that time the volunteering programme has grown significantly, being nationally recognised with Business in the Community Responsible Business Awards.

By 2020 the Blakemore Branching Out programme aims to deliver 1,200 events involving 2,000 employees, inspiring 13,500 young people and recruiting 50 people into the business as a result of engaging in the programme.

A.F. Blakemore Community Affairs Officer Liz Bell commented: “We have spent many years working with schools but I believe Branching Out will bridge the gap between education and employment. Branching Out is going to allow young people to grow and flourish. The young people of today will be our leaders of tomorrow, and it is our job to inspire them to work for our business.

“Inspiring young people to work and to want to work for A.F. Blakemore is just the start of Branching Out. We will look at the way we recruit and grow young people when they are in the business.”

Contact:

SPAR International
Email: info@spar-international.com
Tel: +3120 626 6749

Source: Spar International