This new purpose-built multi-sports facility in Gateshead is now providing many young people in Birtley with the opportunity to take part in sport.  The facility includes two gyms, three boxing rings, two junior grass pitches a conference room, office and classroom space.  Over 150 local youngsters attend the club, and although some of these have gone on to compete internationally, the club is primarily community-focused and aims to promote health and fitness to youngsters.

Known as the region’s ‘Property Oscars’, the awards celebrate the most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment.

The nominations in each category span a range of companies and projects, from small schemes achieved by the vision of one person to globally recognised developments with significant budgets.

Birtley Young People’s Club has seen off stiff competition in the highly competitive ‘Community Benefit’ category , which recognises  outstanding achievement in providing a facility, which directly benefits the local community and illustrate its success through local community feedback.

Portland, who were the project entrant and part of the design team hosted a table at the awards ceremony with Director and Project Engineer; Lee Barr  together with Architect; Steve Howmans at Coachhouse 8, Project Manager; Darrin Marshall at Lumsdon Wood, who were thrilled and overwhelmed to take the trophy and amazing acclaim on the night.

Birtley Young People’s Club will automatically be entered into the national RICS Awards where they will compete against other leading projects from across the UK later this year.

Birtley Young People's Club Winners of Community Benefit Category RICS North East Renaissance Award 2012

Guests at the drinks reception which took place at Newcastle’s Bar Beyond, included clients, fellow professionals and staff.

Portland Consulting Engineers directors confirmed that despite the tough economic climate, they maintain a healthy workload and and a positive outlook for the future and that hosting this event is an great opportunity to express their gratitute for the continued support from all those invited.  Click here to view a gallery of photographs from the event.

The awards are widely regarded as the region’s property ‘Oscars’ and celebrate the most inspirational initiatives in the property and construction sectors.

Winners will be announced on Friday, 27 April at a Black-Tie Ceremony at Newcastle Civic Centre.

Birtley Young People's Club

Having spent a number of years working with other regional organisations within the built environment, Sharon has gained a breadths and depth of experience which she will apply to her new role of marketing and business co-ordinator.

Her main task will be to streamline Portland’s marketing activities, providing bid submission and tendering support, as well as developing the consultant’s branding, all of which will aid Portland’s ongoing development and growth strategy.

Speaking about this latest addition to the team, managing director, John Hardy said: “I am delighted to welcome Sharon to Portland Consulting.  I am confident that with the industry knowledge and experience she possess she will be able to provide the right level of support the company requires to develop in accordance with our current development strategy.

“Whilst market conditions remain challenging, we continue to win work in the industrial sector where we are considered to have specialist knowledge, particularly on projects which revolve around process industries and manufacturing and the social housing sector, where we have forged strong relationships with the region’s leading social housing providers.” 
Talking about her new role, Sharon added: “I am excited about my new role and look forward to making a positive contribution to the company’s ongoing success.”

Portland Consulting has recently developed structural designs for construction of a new facility for car parts supplier, Tallent Automotive in Newton Aycliffe and a new bus depot for Go – Ahead Northern.

Sharon Shaw

The Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex Services, SPACES, is designed to help single ex-regulars find appropriate accommodation when they leave the services. Through this service the project reduces the likelihood of ex-service personnel becoming homeless or sleeping rough after discharge.

SPACES is a project based within The Beacon at Catterick, North Yorkshire. It provides an accommodation placement service for single personnel being discharged from all three services.

The overall aims and objectives of the project are to assist single Service Leavers to secure appropriate accommodation as they leave the Armed Forces. In so doing we will be reducing the likelihood of them becoming homeless or rough sleepers. Single service leavers can be vulnerable to homelessness as a result of a combination of factors: having no home to return to after service, little understanding of how to secure rented accommodation and current legislation, little or no experience of budgeting and setting up home.

Click here to see completed photographs…

The new site developed by UK Land Estates, includes a 40% extension to the current workshop space and the creation of a central Hub which contains of classrooms, staff accommodation, library and IT Centres, a café and fitness centre and an all-weather pitch alongside the building.

Works commenced onsite in March 2011 and the facility opened in September 2011. This new facility will allow the college to build on the current range of ‘green’ courses currently delivered making the college a regional centre of excellence. Which includes solar photovoltaic, solar heating, rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, heat pumps, biomass and combined heat and power training – all designed to enable the wider construction industry to gain new skills to remain competitive and providing the College with additional capacity to accommodate the anticipated growth in learner numbers and, most importantly to further develop their curriculum in sustainable construction.

Click here to view completed photographs…

Portland, based in offices on the Watermark, Gateshead, specialising in providing civil and structural engineering design services was launched in 2004 by an experienced team of design engineers headed up by managing director, John Hardy. 
 
Since that time the company has secured prestigious contracts in a diverse range of sectors including social housing, working for providers such as the Riverside Housing Group on much needed schemes under the ‘Places for Change’ initiative; education, providing structural design services on behalf of Gateshead College on its latest development and construction of a new junior school at Dame Allans, Newcastle, as well as the ecclesiastical sector, winning both restoration and new build contracts.
 
Weathering the current challenging trading conditions, by  which the construction industry has been hit particularly hard, Portland’s board of directors decided earlier this year to develop a robust strategy for growth, part of which involved this latest investment , funding for which is organic – all shareholders are now employees.  Such is their confidence in the business that the directors have each made a personal commitment and not sought outside assistance to fund the acquisition of shares.  
 
Also, as part of this process, Lee Barr has been appointed as a director.  Lee joined Portland in 2004 as a senior technician and since then has achieved IStructE Associate Membership, becoming a qualified project engineer before rising to his new level of director.  He is currently advising clients on community projects including the development of Birtley Young People’s Club which, when completed, is set to be used as a training venue for the 2012 Olympics.
 
Speaking about this latest phase in the company’s success, John Hardy said:
 
“This is really positive news.  Everyone within Portland Consulting Engineers is wholly committed to the future of the company and this latest investment is a key component of our detailed strategy to grow the business.  In addition to this, apart from continuing to secure contracts, we will also be looking, when the time is right, at growth through acquisition.
 
“ Small companies such as ours rely on the commitment of staff to work extremely hard and deliver the high level of service that clients have come to expect from us.  In recognition of this and his desire to be involved at a more strategic level, Lee Barr has now been made a director and joins Peter Dwyer and Mark Grant on the board.”
 
Currently working on developments in Catterick and Gateshead, which will have a positive impact on local communities, Portland is expected to make further contract win announcements later this month.

From left, Portland's directors, Peter Dwyer, John Hardy, Mark Grant and Lee Barr

Whilst I am not against progress per se, I am a great believer in the saying, ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’, not least when it comes to engaging with school leavers, encouraging them to think about a career in construction and training them in the time honoured way.

With a career spanning 47 years, I have survived a number of recessions and with each one witnessed a shrinkage in traditional training opportunities.  Additionally with support from the Construction Industry Training Board for apprenticeships almost diminished, both have had a hugely detrimental effect on the skills base within the UK.

Construction in general and in particular my own field of structural engineering design, is a highly skilled operation, requiring an understanding of the behaviour of very different and complex materials coming together to form a completed building or structure. Understanding this huge subject fully, cannot be gained from the classroom, a text book or a piece of software.

The best construction professionals, in my opinion, are those who have entered the work place straight from school and worked alongside time- served, experienced designers who have mentored them whilst benefiting from first-hand experience working on live projects and overcoming the challenges there- of.

Sadly very few of this particular breed of people are around now, with the preference for most young people being the university route, where they spend up to seven years studying to obtain academic qualifications, sometimes without even setting foot on a live site, rather than enter industry. 

In addition to this, the Institutions, led by academic influence, have increased standards to levels that require students to enter university and achieve an MSc qualification, before they can become chartered.

The impact of a good learning environment is evident with the constructors also, because at site level, I feel that there is a common lack of knowledge in terms of reading and interpreting sometimes complex drawings.

We hear a lot about Modern Apprenticeships however, but without help and support from the Government the cost, especially to smaller companies such as Portland Engineering Consultancy, in the current climate, is impossible to bear.

What should we do?

Capture the imagination of young people and encourage them to consider construction as a long-term career by offering them the opportunity to earn and learn straight from leaving school.  This will allow the experienced construction professionals to pass on their knowledge and their passion for their particular specialism, before they retire and it’s too late!

John Hardy : Managing Director