Bastows aims high with a commitment to fair pay

Bastows has today become one of the first organisations in the region to become an accredited Living Wage Employer.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, based on the cost living in the UK. The Living Wage campaign has been running for ten years and has lifted over 45,000 people out of poverty.

An independent study of the business benefits of implementing a Living Wage policy in London found that more than 80% of employers believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by approximately 25%. 66% of employers reported a significant impact on recruitment and retention within their organisation. 70% of employers felt that the Living Wage had increased consumer awareness of their organisation’s commitment to be an ethical employer.

Elvis and Andrew celebrate the news

Niki Rosenbaum, Cultural Director, says “Paying the Living Wage is a proven way to grow staff loyalty, productivity and happiness. Most importantly, it shows that a business is prepared to do the right thing by its people. We believe that every member of staff deserves a Living Wage, and hope other local businesses join us in showing a clear commitment to fair pay and respect for their employees.”

Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation said “The benefits the Living Wage brings to staff and business are clear. I welcome the leadership shown by Bastows on this important issue.”

Bastows have been accredited by the Living Wage Foundation for paying all employees a minimum of the London Living Wage rate of £8.80 per hour.

You can find out more about the Living Wage by visiting www.livingwage.org.uk

The Living Wage is backed by the Government, Her Majesty’s Opposition, the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly.

PRESS CONTACTS

Contact Niki Rosenbaum for further information at niki@bastows.co.uk, via Twitter @BastowsFamily or by phone on 020 7259 9513

Bastows 50

It's been a busy year here as we celebrated our 50th year of Making London Beautiful.

Not only did we receive awards, get recognition for what we do and share success, we were able to grow our family with new members too.

We have worked on some amazing properties, restoring the beauty in homes around London from Borough to Camden and everywhere in between.

We have seen history made, and played our own small part in marking the passing of time and events we have shared.

Our new family members Andrew and Liam joined the crew in April and December; so far they don't look too frightened, so that's positive.





















We have completed a huge project at Cundy Street SW1, delighting the client and winning the thanks and trust of all who live there. It was a delight to meet them all and leave them with such a positive impression of our industry.


Our environmental commitment continued to develop, with new initiatives and ideas coming from every area of the business, and a growing dedication to protecting our communities through our charitable support for diverse organisations doing good around our city.












We were delighted to be recognised with membership of Constructing Better Health, to be listed in the Building Good Employer Guide for 2013, and awarded by Family Business Place and Family Business United as a UK Family Business of the Year amongst some serious household names and longstanding companies.






We revamped our LPG vans with a logo befitting our anniversary, and invested some 20% more in training and development than in 2012. 

We have enjoyed some excellent nights out, worn silly masks, sung along to show tunes and been friends as well as colleagues.

Our summer picnic may have been rained off (and thanks to Frank for opening his home so the celebrations could continue) but it came with a lot of laughs and left us happy, proud and feeling part of exciting times for the family. It also left some of the kids present with a burning desire to get a puppy after Niki bought hers along... and he proved a livewire.

Commitment and Courage

Our year has been filled with welcome challenges, happiness, achievement (both persona and business) and a lot of bad jokes courtesy of Andy Raz.

Our commitment to each other and to our clients has grown stronger than ever in recent years- as we have always said, tough times don't last, but tough people do.


Peace of Mind

Our clients have been great this year- developing new ways of working and delivering Peace of Mind for them has been something we have loved getting our teeth into. Thank you to them all for being inimitable and supportive of what we do.

What's success if you don't share it?

We kept giving: Frank topped all the efforts and raised over £6,000 walking 100km in 24 hours for the Construction Youth Trust, while we donated Christmas gifts to SSAFA Norton House, the Metropolitan Police appeal for gifts for children spending Christmas in care, and cash gifts to Shelter, The Trussell Trust, First Touch neonatal care unit and Crisis.

All in all, we've had a blast, and are absolutely ready for what the New Year has in store- so bring it on, baby! 





2013 has certainly been a year to remember, and we wish you all a memorable, peaceful and joyous Christmas and New Year.

Red, Blue and Black- got to catch them all!

The best things come in threes- and our swanky new enamel badges are no exception. 

We will award them for exceptional effort in the three areas of the business, with the winner of a full set receiving a bonus payment as a thank you for helping make our values a reality.

So far only one man has earned a full set- the brilliant Paul Walsh, who has worked with us since 2008 to help develop our team. 

Want one? Show us great effort to live our values- to be Brave, Harmonious and True- or to deliver Peace of Mind for clients, colleagues and residents and you'll be justly rewarded with a shiny bit of kit that recognises your effort, and probably Raz will make you a cup of tea too.

So come on guys and girls... I KNOW you're feeling competitive..!

Good Employer? Yes we are!

GREAT NEWS- I just took a call that confirms that we are one of the top fifty companies who will be appearing in the Building Good Employers Guide this year. 

The Building Good Employer Guide is a celebration of the best companies to work for in the construction industry. Now in it’s 7^th year, the guide identifies the top companies of 2013 based on key factors such as employee benefits, diversity and leadership.

The guide recognises companies that show:

o   Consideration of employees’ personal welfare

o   Dedication to Employee development

o   Promotion of motivation, training and pastoral care.

It is a great achievement to be listed in the guide and a really nice feeling that it's come about due to honest and direct feedback from our people to the assessors. We thank every member of our team that gave their time to complete the survey so honestly and completely.

The fact that we are recognised in this way in our 50th year of Making London beautiful makes our celebrations all the sweeter- and our smiles wider than ever.

Now let's make sure we're in there every year!

Feet of flame!

Get ready for a new Hero of the week. No, month. At LEAST.

Before...

Frank Bastow did it. He completed the Thames Path Challenge, walking 100km in 23 hours 19 minutes.

In the process, he raised £5,580 for the Construction Youth Trust.

AMAZEBALLS, frankly. 

He managed to tweet on his way to keep us updated on his progress and has thankfully spared us photos of his feet since the day. 

and after. Weirdly, he's still smiling.

However he is threatening to send them to us to blog here if you don't donate.

Please... think of our sanity. Think of the children. Think of those of us who have all given generously and should be spared such horrific images.

Now... please go and give what you can.

Bastows at the Red Ribbon Awards 2013

We are delighted to share the news that at the Red Ribbon Awards on Friday 5 July, Bastows were Commended for Excellence as a Family Business of the Year.

We were shortlisted in two categories, 'Customer First' (won by Harry Harper Estate Agents) and recognised as a 'Family Business of the Year.' The great team at East End Foods were honoured as overall winners in that category, but we were thrilled to be runners-up- not bad when you consider this is a national award that saw the judges consider hundreds of submissions and narrowed the finalists to just six outstanding businesses.

We were proud to welcome our family and friends to the event to share in our success and support the chosen charities by bidding in the charity auction- helping to get the money raised up on more than a few lots and winning two of them!

You can read more here.

London, and what you can do about it

I am sat here in our SW1 office looking at a busy (and to be honest, polluted and dirty) Elizabeth Street. This time last year London was bedecked in bunting left over from the Diamond Jubilee, and gearing up to receive its finery for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The buzz in the air, the positivity and excitement and pride in my home city was something that will live with me forever.

So what happened to that energy, that heart-swelling pride and that desire to make our city look its best?

It's frustrating for me as a Londoner to work for a company that works to Make London Beautiful and yet see the city looking less than glamorous. Why do we ignore the pollution and dirt? Why do we put up with overcrowded trains and buses, and pushing and shoving on the tube? Why do we shrug when Londoners are accused of being taciturn, snobbish or rude?

Why do we believe this is OK when we are lucky to live in a city people dream of seeing, and save for years to visit? Is it possible we have been browbeaten into thinking this is what London life is all about?

I refuse to believe it. I live in a city steeped in stories, rich in history and with the ability to surprise and bring pure joy to the stoniest heart.

So- does what Bastows do really make a difference?

I believe we do. The work we do to make buildings beautiful isn't just about clean paint, craftsmanship and TLC, but also the way we speak to people, treat one another and remain aware that every one of us is an Ambassador for our business and our city. Stepping off the tube at 7.30am and helping a mum with a pushchair is no different to making someone's home look fantastic by 5pm; the impact of our actions are felt by everyone we meet. If we make someone's life brighter, easier or more interesting by our actions, surely that's better than being the rude person on the train that they moan about to their colleagues or other half when they get home?

So my question to you as I sign off is this: we are a team that have chosen to behave in ways that see us Making London Beautiful- does this turn your head, or fill it with ideas for how you can do the same?

Niki Rosenbaum, Cultural Director