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Brickfields Hub will become the proud home of ‘PL1 Civvy Street’ when it opens its doors later in the year – a community ready to enable veterans to thrive in every aspect of life after service, supported by Plymouth-based Retain Limited.

The news follows the exciting announcement that the award-winning, three-in-one contractor became a community space sponsor at the new Brickfields Hub. Retain Limited has been a long-time supporter of Argyle, including being an existing Argyle Principal Partner.

Retain Limited is a dedicated advocate for veterans in the Plymouth area. They have a proven track record of facilitating successful transitions to civilian life by providing veterans with employment opportunities within the Retain Limited group of companies.

Retain Limited has also fostered strong working partnerships with organisations like the Royal Marines Charity (RMA) and successfully attained the prestigious Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award in 2023.

PL1 Civvy Street will be a dedicated service that will ensure military personnel who have served their country receive the support they deserve through a tailored approach to specific needs centred around four important pillars:

• Community – allowing veterans to connect with fellow veterans, share experiences, and find support in a welcoming community.
• Signposting – personalised support through dedicated caseworkers who will assess veteran’s needs, connect them with relevant charities, and ensure they get continuous help to support their future.
• Education and Resettlement – helping veterans find their next career move, exploring job openings, identifying skill gaps, and accessing training programmes.
• Homeless and Rough Sleepers – offering immediate support for veterans in need, providing essentials like food and clothing, social activities, and health and wellbeing support.

Brickfields Hub will provide access, support, and equipment to reduce health inequalities, promote wellbeing, and become a beacon for local community activity provision for generations through a partnership between some of the city’s leading sports and wellbeing brands.

Dwain Morgan, the Trust’s Business and Impact Manager said: “We are incredibly grateful to have an organisation like Retain Limited on board, who share many of our values, and we are proud to be facilitating their inspirational veteran support project at the new Brickfields Hub.”

Ben Kerswell, Trust Health and Wellbeing Manager adds: “We have a proud history of supporting veterans in our city. We have been running a veteran’s café at Central Park Hub for three years to help reduce social isolation, increase activity levels, and improve mental well-being among veterans.

“Through PL1 Civvy Street, the partnership between Retain Limited, The Trust, and Brickfields Hub can enable veterans across the city to thrive.”

Jamie Gibbs, the Founder of Retain Limited and PL1 Civvy Street, is a veteran himself after proudly serving with the Royal Marines. Jamie said: “This announcement signifies a positive and exciting development for veterans in the Plymouth area.

“The Brickfields Hub’s designation as the home for PL1 Civvy Street, supported by Retain Limited, presents a valuable opportunity and has the potential to greatly empower veterans.

“This collaborative effort promises a comprehensive support system, addressing various aspects of veterans’ well-being after their military service.

“The Brickfields Hub’s role in assisting with our program is commendable, and its success will be a testament to the collaborative spirit within the Plymouth community.”

Please visit PL1 Civvy Street’s new website here for more information on the services and support it will offer.

Save the date! PL1 Civvy Street is holding a prestigious fundraising gala at Plymouth’s renowned Crowne Plaza Hotel this September. This unforgettable evening promises to be the social event of the season, but with a purpose that transcends mere glamour.

Your attendance grants you the opportunity to make a real difference. By joining, you’ll become part of history, contributing to crucial fundraising efforts that will kickstart the opening of PL1 Civvy Street. This impactful initiative is more than just a project; it’s a pledge to significantly improve the lives of British military personnel transitioning to civilian life.

Be inspired by the heroes themselves. The event welcomes esteemed former servicemen Simon Weston CBE and Toby Gutteridge, who will share their captivating and inspirational stories, leaving a lasting impression. Renowned broadcaster David FitzGerald will host the gala.

This exclusive gala offers a night of exquisite cuisine, delightful company, and the chance to be part of something extraordinary. To purchase tickets, please visit PL1 Civvy Street’s website here. To learn more about the Brickfields redevelopment, visit the dedicated microsite here. There, you can also sign up for the newsletter to stay updated on the latest developments. If you have any questions, you can get in touch via email at brickfields@pafc.co.uk.

From operating heavy-duty machinery to working at dangerous heights, the construction industry faces continuous high levels of risk each day. This means that commitment to excellent health and safety management and procedures is critical to ensure the well-being of workers and the community, as well as the sustainability of the organisation and its operations. Here at Retain Roofing, we pride ourselves on offering a premium service to all our clients with an elite approach to health and safety. As part of our ongoing commitment, we are pleased to announce that we have recently added CHAS Accredited to the list of health and safety certifications and awards that we are proud to have achieved since we first established in 2008…

What does CHAS Accredited mean? 

CHAS (The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is a type of accreditation that verifies a company’s excellent standard of health and safety. As co-founder of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) and the Common Assessment Standard, CHAS is trusted by multiple industries, including the construction industry, to set comprehensive compliance benchmarks that make the world a safer place. Being CHAS accredited means Retain Roofing can demonstrate compliance and demonstrate our risk management policies to match an elite standard of assessment from industry-leading accreditation schemes. 

What other Health & Safety Accreditations do we have? 

NRFC Gold Award Winners 

We are the proud winners of the National Federation of Roofing Contractor’s (NFRC) Gold Award for Health and Safety year after year. TheNRFC is the UK’s largest roofing trade association and ensures that all its members provide only the highest standards of safety and workmanship through a strict code of practice, vetting procedures and site inspections. 

Gold Level-3 members of Constructionline

Being Gold Level-3 members of Constructionline means we have proven to have defined health and safety measures including occupational health arrangements and procedures for staff health and well-being; measures to protect the public and restrict unauthorised access; and procedures to protect against the risk of fatigue. 

Approved members of Alcumus

Alcumus helps dedicated companies to manage and avoid risks that endanger workers, operations and the planet. Alcumus help us to anticipate and mitigate risks, achieve ethical best practices and grow sustainably with compliance and transparency. 

Members of Avetta 

Avetta is the world’s largest supply chain risk compliance network which helps us to create safe operating environments for site workers through industry-leading supplier evaluation and audits. 

Safeguarding our trusted reputation…

We have a proven track record of successfully delivering industrial and commercial roofing projects of all scales and sizes to a superior finish using only high-quality materials that are supplied by the nation’s leading manufacturers. Our extensive experience, as well as our array of qualifications and awards, mean we are trusted by a diversity of companies across the nation to install a range of different roofing solutions.

If you are interested in learning more about our industrial and commercial roofing services, including asbestos removal, drone surveys and maintenance services, or would like to take advantage of our no 

-obligation free quotation, please get in touch with a professional member of our team today who will be happy to answer any questions you have: 0800 027 2244

Retain Roofing is part of the Retain Limited group of companies. As well as an industrial and commercial roofing service, Retain Limited also offer solar PV design and installation and scaffolding solutions. Please ask a member of our team if you are interested in any of our other services or submit an enquiry form on our website.

“We are committed to continuing to raise the bar for health and safety practices to protect our site-workers, clients and the wider community.” 

— Jamie Gibbs, founder and director of Retain Limited

On the 6^th April 2022 there will be a new update for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) regulations that will affect the way you distribute PPE to people who work for you

At Retain Limited, we go above and beyond to ensure the safety of all people who work for us and with us.

Previously, the PPE regulations only affected limb (a) workers. These are the people that are officially employed by you, an employee. They will have an employment contract with a specific number of hours to work, a regular salary or wage and will have holiday and sick leave allowance.

The new PPE regulations now affect limb (b) workers. These are people who aren’t directly employed by you and are not self-employed. They may be an agency worker, freelancer or casual worker. They won’t receive the same benefits as your regular employees.

The new PPE regulations will not affect self-employed workers. Self-employed workers usually run their own business and are responsible for it, work flexibly and provide their own equipment and tools.

Alongside PPE, it is paramount to conduct regular risk assessments to make sure that all safety risks are reduced to a minimum. PPE works alongside your other health and safety measures, supplementing the overall safety of the work environment. Head over to this Peninsula blog to find out ways to assess your PPE needs.

To learn more about our services or to enquire about anything else, please contact the Retain Limited team on 0800 027 2244 or fill in our online contact form to request a callback.

Elevating excellence.

It’s no secret that the Retain Ltd Group are extremely proud to work closely with the RMA, an association that has grown professionally over the last few years but was originally established via personal connections in the early days from our very own Management Team

The RMA are a fantastic charitable organisation that aims to provide a lifetime of support to the Royal Marines Family, by whatever means required.

With many of our own employees previously serving in the Royal Marines, including Founder and Director Jamie Gibbs, we endeavour to not only provide employment opportunities to help other Royal Marines re-adjust to the lifestyle of a UK civilian, but also educate, train and create bespoke career pathways, tailored to their individual skillsets, to enable and encourage a successful and fulfilling life post-service. 

Take a look at the video in the link below to see Retain Limited and our former Royal Marines speaking about our association with the RMA and their current career plans. 

WATCH HERE

If you wish to donate directly to the RMA charity, please do so using the following link: 

The recent news that the construction industry is facing significant issues with supply and demand for both building materials and skilled labour comes as no surprise to Retain Limited founder and director, Jamie Gibbs.

Gibbs founded Retain back in 2008 and has experienced sustainable growth throughout this time but these well-documented issues have proved to be a real challenge for the day-to-day running of his company.

“What we are currently witnessing across the construction industry is predominantly a knock-on effect from the problems facing the logistics industry,” Gibbs said.

“The logistics industry was already struggling to meet demands after the Brexit fall-out and the COVID-19 pandemic has added further disruption with ongoing sea and road freight issues.

“This has resulted in much higher costs for building materials across the board and this has made managing our supplies and projects even harder. I believe this is more extreme for smaller companies who rely on regular stock deliveries at builders’ merchants which simply isn’t there at the moment.

“The larger construction companies that have greater purchasing power are able to bulk buy and stockpile the materials they need which are at a detriment to everyone else who is trying to finish an existing project or even start a new one.

“It’s a classic economic example of demand exceeding supply where prices go through the roof as we’ve previously experienced in other industries such as farming and more recently housing.”

It has recently been reported by Glenigan (for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors) that the second quarter of the year continued to follow suit as the first with sustained growth in workloads and new projects are given the green light by local planning authorities.

Many industrial and commercial roofing contractors, including Retain, have also reported difficulties in recruiting skilled labour to physically get on site and do the work they have on their books.

Throw in the supply shortage and the rising cost of materials and there is growing pressure on companies operating in the construction industry to complete projects on time which will add further delay to the sector’s recovery since the pandemic hit our shores some 18 months ago.

Gibbs added: “If these shortage problems aren’t addressed and resolved soon it will only result in a further squeeze on the everyday costs and margins for roofing contractors which makes it difficult to plan ahead with confidence.”

We are delighted to have secured another gold award in health and safety from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). This is the fifth consecutive year we have struck gold and further highlights our ongoing commitment to our successful health and safety programme.

As a professional industrial and commercial roofing contractor, our most common residual safety risk is working at height on roofs. We cannot stress enough how important health and safety is to us – it is quite frankly the backbone of our business and the rock-solid foundations we’ve built our business on.

We appreciate that this can come at a cost but at the same time you are getting excellent value for money for a specialised service that cuts no corners and does everything by the book. We do this to not only protect the well-being of our workforce but to maintain our first-class reputation as a diligent roofing contractor that provides a high-quality service both on and off a roof.

Working at height on an industrial or commercial roof comes with its obvious hazards and risks and the recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show that roof work accounts for a quarter of all deaths in the construction industry.

Falls from an unprotected edge or through fragile or brittle roofing materials, such as roof lights or asbestos cement sheets, account for the majority of fatalities. There are also many serious injuries as a result of a fall and these can often result in permanent life-changing injuries.

We also have to deal with the inconsistent weather that comes with working and living in the UK. We carefully manage how to deal with and respond to any extremes of weather such as high winds or hot and cold temperatures to ensure our roofing operatives are not put at any additional risk.

There is a range of laws that is relevant to health and safety in the construction industry that we work closely with. The main elements of these are as follows:

Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)

Work at Height Regulations (2005)

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (2015)

Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (1998)

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998)

To make things even safer before we start working on an industrial or commercial roof, we have purchased a drone to undertake all roof inspections and surveys. This has totally eliminated the risk of working at height at the quoting and initial stage of a potential new project. 

Our drone operators are able to capture high-resolution imagery and record footage which can then be turned into videos and/or presentations for the client to clearly view our findings and recommended solutions. 

Further to this, we ensure our workforce is kitted out with the most suitable PPE (personal protective equipment) and they have the right tools and machinery to work both safely and effectively. All PPE and tools are correctly maintained to ensure they’re fit for purpose and remain in good working order.

We also ensure that our workforce receives regular training and refreshers to use their PPE and equipment safely as stated by the guidelines of the respective manufacturers. The training that we participate in allows us to maintain our position as one of the market leaders in our field of expertise.

To learn more about our professional and personal approach to all things health and safety or to enquire about our drone roofing service, please contact the Retain team on 0800 027 2244 or fill in our online contact formto request a callback.

Knowledge based on experience.

Have you heard the famous quote: ‘the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten?’

As well as the above by Benjamin Franklin back in the 1700s, there’s another well-known saying that we all hear on a regular basis which is ‘choose quality over quantity. You can apply this to most things in life but not everyone will choose to go down the quality path depending on a number of reasons.

The main reason will more than likely be a financial one as when you hear the word quality banded about you instantly think it’s going to be expensive and more than you can afford to pay. This isn’t always the case, and another well-known saying springs to mind which is ‘buy cheap, pay twice’ and this is probably something we’ve all experienced during our lifetime.

With regard to industrial roofing and commercial roofing, we know that we’re not the cheapest roofing contractor out there. If you were to obtain three quotes for a roofing project, we probably wouldn’t be the cheapest. However, we are confident that we will do the best job for you and your property.

By adopting best practices towards our approach to health and safety and having an unwavering commitment to our ongoing training programme we are good value for money. Our teams are both highly skilled and experienced and go the extra mile to make sure your needs and expectations are fully met.

Our entire business model is based on a quality ethos in everything that we do. We set our standards to a very high level and continue to raise the bar. We’re an award-winning company (we’ve won the NFRC Gold Award for Health and Safety for the last 6 years) that does things by the book and we take no shortcuts along the way to leave a thoroughly professional job.

We bang the quality drum quite a lot but this is what we stand for and we won’t lower our standards or your expectations just to win a roofing contract. We want you to feel like you have made the right choice from the moment you make an initial enquiry all the way through to completing your project.

A price for an industrial or commercial roofing project often reflects the standard of safety, workmanship and materials. Cost shouldn’t be the determining factor if you want your new roof to be fit for purpose and long-lasting, as well as being installed correctly to the manufacturer’s guidelines so all guarantees are valid.

It is said far too often that the final decision will be made on cost alone, without regard to the quality of what is being offered or if it is indeed ‘apples for apples.’ It is so easy to assume that because a new roof has been requested, everything that has been priced will include similar materials and equal levels of safety on site.

This was recently proven with a client receiving costs for a new roof covering. It was not until the offerings were investigated further that it was discovered that our proposal was far in excess of our competition. Our quotation included a longer manufacturer guarantee on materials, stainless steel fixings and higher-performing insulation. Sometimes the devil is in the detail.

To discover more about our high-quality industrial and commercial roofing services and why we are different from other roofing contractors, please contact the Retain team on 0800 027 2244 or fill in our online contact form below and we’ll be in touch.

Knowledge based on experience.