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Did you know it’s National Do Something Nice Day on Thursday 5 October? This unofficial holiday inspires people to perform random acts of kindness and make an extra effort to be kind and considerate to others.

Following our successful National Give Something Away Day competition in July, we have another cracking prize on offer thanks to our principal partnership status with Plymouth Argyle Football Club. We have a pair of tickets for the Mayflower Stand to watch Plymouth take on Swansea City Football Club in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday 7 October (3pm KO).

Simply head over to our social media channels and follow the instructions for a chance to win the tickets. The competition is running on the following platforms:

• Retain Limited on LinkedIn
• Retain Limited on Instagram
• Retain Limited on Facebook

We will announce the lucky winner on Thursday – good luck, everyone! 

The Directors of Retain Limited are thrilled to reveal that the company has become a Patron of the Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce. Livewell Southwest joins us after accepting patronage at a hugely exciting time for the Chamber.

This winter marks the 210th anniversary of the Chamber – two centuries of proudly supporting the region’s businesses. So much of that longevity and success is thanks to the patrons of the Chamber, who represent some of the best-known and respected names in the local business community.

Jamie Gibbs, Retain’s Founder and Director, commented: “The Retain Limited team and I are very excited to become a Patron of the Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.

“This patronage presents a unique opportunity for us to grow our local and regional visibility and become further connected throughout the southwest of the country.

“The patronage also offers us many opportunities to support the Devon and Plymouth business community with our unique and award-winning three-in-one services within the construction and renewable energy sectors.”

The Devon & Plymouth Chamber is delighted that two of their most well-respected members and collaborators have stepped up to become Patrons. Chamber Chief Executive Stuart Elford said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome not one, but two new Patrons to our Chamber family.

“Retain Limited and Livewell Southwest are both hugely successful and influential organisations here in the southwest.

“Through their support for the Chamber, our patrons demonstrate their commitment to the development of the economy and business throughout Devon and Plymouth.

“Our patrons will take centre stage as we look ahead to our packed events programme for the rest of 2023 and beyond. And we’re also counting down to this year’s Devon Business Show, which promises to be a true celebration of our region’s thriving business community.

“Our Patrons play a unique role in developing the future of our region, and the Chamber is far stronger with the support and Patronage of Retain Limited and Livewell Southwest.”

Patrons of the Chamber are some of the best-known and respected names in the business community. They are woven into the Chamber’s extensive lobbying activities and become one of the region’s principal voices.

In our latest team-building event, the Retain Limited team enjoyed a thrilling few hours at Plymouth Karting on a Friday afternoon. As you can imagine, the competition was very fierce, and we’ve just about recovered from our whiplash injuries! 

We had three sessions altogether, which culminated in a 20-lap final race. Our times were calculated throughout a qualifying session, and we lined up on the grid in true grand prix fashion. The adrenaline was well and truly pumping in everyone as we waited for the green lights. 

After a dramatic and incident-packed final 20 laps, our Technical Director, Darren Notman, was first across the line and through the chequered flag. Daz was followed by second-placed Sam Betts (Quantity Surveyor), and James Styles MCMI (Operations Manager) finished third. However, some of James’s tactics were questionable, to say the least! 

Ultimately, it wasn’t about who won or lost the race (although Daz would disagree!). It was about the team’s realisation that sometimes it’s good to shift gears, take a break from the spreadsheets, and be let loose in a go-kart!

Many thanks to everyone at Plymouth Karting for your hospitality – we all had a blast.

A recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication reports that 135 workers in Great Britain were killed in work-related accidents in 2022/23. This was an increase of 12 fatalities (10%) from the previous year.

Also, 68 members of the public sustained fatal injuries from work-related accidents. This is a 20% decrease from the 88 deaths in 2021/22, significantly lower than the number of fatalities recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores.

The number of fatal injuries in the workplace fluctuates year-on-year. Over the last ten years, the highest number has been 150 in 2012/13, and the lowest was 113 in 2019/2020. Whilst these numbers continue to vary, one thing remains consistent – the construction industry is the most significant contributor of fatalities each year.

The profile of fatal injuries to workers by industry sector in 2022/23 is generally similar to the profile of the last five years, with 82% of deaths in 2022/23 occurring in five industry sectors. These are:

• Construction (45 fatalities)
• Agriculture, forestry and fishing (21 fatalities)
• Manufacturing (15 fatalities)
• Transportation and storage (15 fatalities)
• Wholesale, retail, motor vehicle repair; accommodation and food services (15 fatalities)

The 45 fatal injuries in the construction industry during 2022/23 was an increase of 16 from the previous year’s total of 29. However, this difference is not statistically significant, as the five-year average for fatalities in this sector is 37.

However, when you look at the fatal injury statistics regarding the number of fatalities per 100,000 workers employed, the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector comes out as the worst.

Falls from height, being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a moving (including flying or falling) object continue as the three leading causes of fatal injury. They have accounted for over half of all fatal injuries yearly since at least 2001/02.

In 2022/23, a total of 40 fatal injuries were due to falls from height, which accounts for 30% of all worker deaths over the year. This represents an increase of five fatalities from the previous year.

As a professional three-in-one contractor in the construction and renewable energy sectors, all our projects are above ground level, working on industrial or commercial roofs or from scaffolding. The health and safety of our workforce are constantly at the forefront of our minds.

We are proud to have developed market-leading health and safety policies that go above and beyond the standards of the sectors we operate in. These award-winning policies have been the solid foundations on which we have successfully built our business.

We’ve been annual winners of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) Gold Award for Health and Safety since 2016. These awards fully endorse our primary objective – the continued safety of our employees.

Jamie Gibbs, Founder and Director of Retain Limited, commented: “Compared to other countries worldwide, Great Britain is regarded as one of the safest places to work.

“However, the subject of health and safety needs to be a top priority for all organisations regardless of the industry they operate in. We must ensure our workers return home to their families after a hard day’s work.”

Knowledge based on experience.

Retain Limited was delighted to participate in National Give Something Away Day this year. We were provided with some fantastic prizes from our principal partners, Plymouth Argyle Football Club.

Gemma Clark was the lucky winner of local star goalkeeper Michael Cooper’s match-worn shirt, and Amber Reeves was thrilled to take Sam Cosgrove’s match-worn shirt home. Our Technical Director, Darren Notman, handed over the shirts in a special presentation box.

National Give Something Away Day, celebrated annually across the nation, brings communities together and encourages people to share their abundance with others. From small acts of kindness to grand gestures, this special occasion offers a chance for everyone to make a positive impact and spread joy far and wide.

Our congratulations go to Amber and Gemma, but we also want to acknowledge all the other hundreds of entries who didn’t win this time. There will be more competitions throughout the year, so please keep an eye out for those on our social media channels.

The Directors of award-winning Retain Limited are thrilled to announce that they achieved the prestigious Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award. This accolade follows the ERS silver and bronze awards which were attained last year.

Achieving the Gold Award reflects our continued commitment to supporting the armed forces community in a manner that aligns with the values of the Armed Forces Covenant.

Through a three-tier approach of bronze, silver and gold, the ERS scheme acknowledges employers’ different levels of commitment. It allows the Ministry of Defence to publicly thank and reward organisations for their support.

Retain Limited is privileged to have worked closely with the Royal Marines Charity (RMA) over the last few years. The RMA is a fantastic charitable organisation that provides lifetime support to the Royal Marines Family by any means required. We are delighted to offer our support, including mentoring and career opportunities for former service personnel.

With many of our employees previously serving in the Royal Marines, including Founder and Director Jamie Gibbs and Technical Director Darren Notman, we endeavour to offer employment opportunities to help former Royal Marines and other armed forces personnel adjust to their new lives as British civilians.

Retain Limited also strives to help educate, train and create bespoke career pathways tailored to individual skill sets to enable and encourage a successful and fulfilling life post-service.

In response to receiving the ERS Gold Award, Jamie Gibbs said: “We are truly honoured to have gained ERS Gold Award status.

“This is such a proud moment for everyone associated with Retain as we receive recognition for the endeavours we employ as a business to support the armed forces and veterans community.

“To have received all three ERS awards within 18 months is a wonderful achievement and must be applauded.

“Our new gold status further demonstrates to our staff and clients that we fully support the armed forces community and are a safe and trusted employer.”

The colour gold is familiar at Retain as we have been year-on-year winners of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) Gold Award since 2016 for our ongoing commitment to health and safety.

Furthermore, we have recently announced our support for Plymouth Argyle Football Club by agreeing to be a principal sponsor for the next three seasons. A gold-coloured Retain logo appears on the Argyle playing shorts, reaffirming our gold standard in everything we do as a trusted three-in-one contractor operating in the construction and renewable energy sectors.

Knowledge based on experience.