Bristol playtime is restored thanks to 300+ strong Landmark volunteer group

340 employees from across Landmark recently joined forces with Splash Projects and Learning Partnership West (LPW) to breathe new life into adventure playgrounds in two of Bristol’s most deprived neighbourhoods.  St Pauls and Southmead Adventure Playgrounds are situated in some of the city’s most densely urbanised areas, and much of the playground equipment was old, worn-out and in desperate need of replacement.

To get the job done, our 300+ strong team of Landmarkers took to work over two cold wet days in November on repairing the grounds, as well as restoring and installing new play equipment, creating fun and safe environments for children and families to play.

Julia Lovell, Landmark’s HR Director, shared her experiences from the day:

“When the coach arrived at the playground site in St Pauls we were greeted by the teams from Splash and LPW who briefed us on what we needed to achieve over two days.

“We were put into teams to focus on each section and joined forces to dig, paint, build and refurbish the existing facilities.  My team of twelve were responsible for installing a new clatter bridge, platform and a slide.  Although it was hard work there was a fantastic atmosphere of camaraderie, and while it might have been a bit slippery and muddy underfoot, it was great to see that the weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.” 

Landmark’s Commercial Director Greg Bryce, was at the Southmead site, and his team was challenged to renovate the outdoor classrooms and create a new picnic area:

“The whole team was energised by the lively atmosphere, spurred on by working on a real life social project. It’s been incredibly rewarding to know that every single one of us played a vital role in providing a safe environment  for children to get outdoors, keep fit, develop their social skills and let their imaginations run wild. We’re proud that the two adventure parks will continue to provide a source of creative development to local families well into the future.”

The handover was completed on the evening of Thursday, 27^th November with Landmark’s CEO Mark Milner, along with Ashley Ward Councillors Rob Telford & Gus Hoyt, Nicola Burcham (CEO LPW), and Colin Robertson (Project Director, Splash Projects).

Mark Milner, CEO of Landmark commented: “We wanted to help LPW completely renovate and provide new activities at the St Pauls and Southmead sites. Our staff travelled from across the country to make this happen; from London, Brighton, Reading, Godalming, Exeter, the North East and North West. They were all given time off from their day jobs to put on their overalls and get stuck in, from painting and cleaning through to general repairs. It really was a fantastic effort from all involved.”

Landmark gets workforce moving with participation in Global Corporate Challenge

Employee participation in largest corporate health initiative of its kind reaffirms workplace engagement

Nearly 100 employees from Landmark Information Group, the UK’s leading provider of land and property search information have completed the 16-week Global Corporate Challenge (GCC). This is the largest corporate health initiative of its kind, and for Landmark forms a cornerstone of its commitment to supporting employee welfare and improving the workplace health and wellbeing of its staff.

The Global Corporate Challenge advocates the benefits of adopting a more active lifestyle, and is designed to appeal and be accessible to every employee, regardless of age, gender, fitness level, state of health, profession or geographic location. Intended to boost levels of workplace connectedness and encourage teamwork, the resulting impact on employee engagement, job satisfaction and productivity can have an ongoing positive impact on the business.  

At Landmark the participants were grouped into 14 teams, with each employee given two GCC Pulses - a 3D accelerometer that uses the same motion sensing technology found in smartphones to accurately track daily activity. Every employee was encouraged to record their daily activity levels via the GCC website or mobile apps, and the more active a team, the more instant rewards they receive; including performance statistics, personalised motivational results videos, trophies and certificates.

Over the 16-week period, Landmark employees collectively covered a total distance of 76,453 km (almost 120 million combined steps), and expended a total of 4,816,558 calories - the equivalent of burning off 10,034 large burgers, 29,688 glasses of red wine and 19,205 slices of cake.

However the results have been even more far reaching, with over three quarters of employees (76%) reporting that their increased activity levels had become a habit and 73% saying that they had a better understanding around how to lead a healthier lifestyle. There has also been a massive 80% increase in the number of employees now undertaking 30-minutes of planned physical exercise four or more times a week following the conclusion of the challenge. 

Julia Lovell, HR Director at Landmark Information Group, commented: “We are fully committed to investing in the health and wellbeing of our workforce, and it’s been great to see the extent to which GCC’s scientific approach helps increase employee performance, productivity and positive engagement.  70% of Landmark’s participants now meet or exceed the 10,000 step recommended daily activity level, vs 11% pre-GCC; 91% said the GCC has had a positive impact on their relationship with exercise, and 79% of employees reported that the GCC had helped them take more personal accountability for their own health.”

Julia continues: “Whilst the initial challenge is over, all team members now have 12-month access to the GCC website and additional initiatives such as GCC nutrition assessments and advice, individual challenges, walking route mapping, 'meeting on the move' planner and energy management. Furthermore, being involved in GCC has had the added benefit of supporting the chosen charity UNICEF.”