When I first took up the role of the Managing Director’s PA at Special Profiles in Skinningrove, did I think I would be dressed in full RNLI PPE being squirted with a hose pipe? That wasn’t in the job description!
However, my first 18 months have been full of variety and I’ve loved every minute!
Since joining, I’ve witnessed how hard we work on developing our safety culture to reduce work related incidents. Thanks to the commitment, dedication and effort by everyone in our business, we’re helping to create a safe working environment.
Safety achievements used to be celebrated by decorating the clock-in office with balloons and bringing in cakes for everyone. Around the time I joined the company, it was decided at one of our monthly Safety Committee meetings that when a 50-day safety milestone came around, instead of celebrating with cakes and balloons, we’d prefer to give something back to the local community. We decided a donation of £50 could be made to a local charity for every milestone.
The Special Profiles team nominate charities that are local / close to their hearts. So far, 18 local charities and organisations have benefited thanks to our improved safety performance – ranging from the lifesaving Cleveland Mountain Rescue, based in Great Ayton, to the extremely worthy local animal shelters. I have grown up in the local area around Skinningrove and have several family members who have worked within our Special Profiles team for a number of years, so am extremely proud to be helping give something back to the local community.
I visit each and every one of the charities, so I can meet with the organisers and volunteers to see first-hand how much donations mean to them. These visits often evoke a range of different emotions. It’s genuinely heart-warming to see the level of dedication and passion from every single person I have met over the course of the visits. They commit so much precious time to these organisations, often as volunteers, taking time out of their own busy lives to give something back to the community.
The £50 donations we give them are just a small token, but they are so greatly appreciated! They go hand-in-hand with the positive safety outlook for British Steel! Long may this continue!