Party like it's 1963/1989 (delete as appropriate)

What a swell party...

The Bastows Family got together in late May to celebrate 50 years of Making London Beautiful and 25 years of happy marriage for Frank and Amanda Bastow. 

The party was hosted by Frank and Amanda- sorry, expertly hosted- and was held in the beautiful Surrey countryside.

Over 200 guests of all ages were treated like A-list stars, with live music, beauty treatments, beautiful marquees, gorgeous food and drinks- even a cocktail bar and a vodka luge, suitably branded with our anniversary logo!

Afternoon tea was followed by an incredible buffet expertly served and presented by specialist caterers Scotts.

From fresh fruit and canapes to pastries, from salads and sandwiches to a hog roast, we were spoilt for choice- even if everyone felt momentarily guilty about sampling and ruining the works of art on offer.

A close-up magician entertained us with amazing tricks and illusions, and never gave away a single secret....

The spaces created were sumptious, comfortable and welcoming whether you needed to kick up your heels or have a quiet moment to catch up with friends.

For a while everyone was on their best behaviour...

 

 ... brotherly love was in evidence...











... contractor/ client relations were at an all time high...






... and the garden looked stunning as night fell. It was a sophisticated do, the highlight of the year and everyone was enjoying the elegance of the day.




Then the swing band kicked off, the cocktail bar got busier and it all got a bit messy.

The band were amazing- storming, stomping and whipped up the crowd, filling the dancefloor and rocking not just the house, but the whole street. 


Shoes were kicked off, and the dancers gave it their all.

The food became props for silly photos... here's Nim and Dave sharing a baguette and not messing about at all, oh no...










... while Raz and Frank challenged all comers to try their luck on the vodka luge. Have you ever tried marmalade flavoured vodka? We have. Twice. Trust us- it's potent.

Our thanks to all who celebrated with us, to all who worked so hard to give us all a great experience, and to Frank and Amanda for organising it all. It was a brilliant event made more special because we shared it with Family. 

Though the 75th anniversary party is going to have a LOT to live up to...

It's SILVER!

We are proud to announce that we have been recognised with the Investors in People Silver award.

Following our recent assessment where people from across the Bastows Family were interviewed we are delighted to confirm that we have been awarded Silver status. We have gone from being unaccredited to one of the highest levels of recognition in just 3 years, illustrating out ongoing commitment to excellence in people development.

Jim, our assessor, was particularly impressed by:

• The way the values drive the company forward and underpin everything it does.
• The approach of treating employees as members of the ‘Family’.
• The concern for people’s health and wellbeing.
• The effort made to ensure people feel informed and that their ideas are welcomed and valued.
• The ways we facilitate sharing of knowledge.
• The way Directors make people development a high priority and are keen to provide the necessary resources.
• That people feel listened to and that most believe their manager will do what they can to address their concerns.
• That people have a high regard for their site managers and trust and respect the Directors.
• That people are encouraged to attain qualifications and are kept up to date in all technical subjects.

We are delighted that so many members of our Family took time to share their stories and experiences with Jim to support our efforts. It makes us very proud that we attained this as we asked everyone to just "Be honest."

We want to be the very best for our clients. Our people are what make us the best- and we can prove it!

Family Business of the Year- cast your vote!

We are thrilled to share the news that Bastows have once again been shortlisted for the London & South East Family Business of the Year 2014.

15 great family firms have been shortlisted for the award in our region and as well as being nominated for the regional title, we have also been entered to the People’s Choice Award which is determined by the public vote.

To add to that, we have been shortlisted for the Property & Construction Family Business of the Year Award too.

Online voting is now open here and we would love your support. Please vote and encourage everyone you know to support us too! 

Aiming High- will you be a part of it?

WE'RE HIRING.

Bastows have a great year ahead and will grow our business considerably in 2014. Our plan this year is to 'Aim High' and that means recruiting the best people for key roles.

BUILDING SURVEYOR

We are seeking a qualified, can-do Building Surveyor to help with the increasing number of tenders we are sent by clients hoping to work with us, and help manage the works once underway.

Our projects are largely external repair and redecoration projects ranging from £50,000 to £1m in value, and lasting anything from 8 weeks to a year in duration.

We work with prestigious clients and the residents of some of London's landmark homes.

We are looking for someone with a relevant degree in Building Surveying for this role which attracts a good salary commensurate with skills and experience. There are numerous other benefits including the knowledge that you're working with (we don't mind saying) an AWESOME team in an award winning family business.

Professionalism, organisation and the ability to build great relationships are essential.

The role is based in SW1 with projects located around Central London. 

The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years' experience in a similar role, show enthusiasm and passion for their profession, be aligned with our values and purpose, and be willing to learn.

OFFICE LEGEND

We thought about 'Office Assistant' and 'Office Adminstrator', but the person we want is so much more than that. We need a LEGEND.

Not only someone who can help with day-to-day admin tasks such as arranging licences for scaffolds or ordering stationery, but someone with a really positive outlook and drive to develop the role to support our Contracts Director and Managing Director (and become indispensible to them) and pick up tasks using initiative and observation. 

The perfect person will need a great standard of spoken and written English, excellent IT skills including Word, Excel and email, a great sense of humour, a 'can-do' approach, the ability to prioritise and a sense of doing the right thing. The plan is for them to become a trusted 'gatekeeper', ensuring the Directors are focused on their jobs- and not answering emails.

The ideal candidate will also be developing the role to support our Cultural Director, developing an even stronger strategy for our resident care programme, learning the skills needed for an HR Administrator, and supporting residents when they contact us with questions or concerns.

The role is based in SW1, and comes with a competitive salary, good benefits and the satisfaction of working for London's most employee-friendly construction company!

Interested? Call Niki on 020 7259 9513 or email your CV to niki@bastows.co.uk. 

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..!