Hadleigh Community Event

On Sunday 2nd of December, I have organised a winter walk and litter pick at the local nature reserve. Once again, working with  local stakeholders and Castle Point Council.  'The Westwood' is

literally, just around the corner from the bus depot.  This event  involves us volunteering as a team and giving 90 minutes  of our time on a Sunday morning (or whatever time you can spare). Our objective is to aim to put something back into the community which we serve, whilst enjoying a pleasant mornings walk through the woods.  For example, if you walk home this way or have friends and family who live in the community.  Or you might want to help the wildlife.  Sometimes when you give a little, you get more back.

 

The last time we actioned this it created a feel good factor, we collected over 6 sacks of plastic, had a mild healthy workout and chatted to locals about what we were doing.

 

We will provide PPE, equipment and bin bags. Put the date in your diary 2nd December between 9.30 am and 11am.

You will definitely need to wear wellies or walking boots. please wrap up warm!

 If you have any questions please speak to me via normal channels.

 

 

 

On Friday morning, I will be in Chelmsford from 5.00AM for the morning run out , we are holding a breakfast briefing based upon 'Winter Preparation' join me for a coffee and mince pie or simply grab an orange juice.

How family impacts us all

Recently, I have been thinking about family and work. They go hand in hand and have many similarities and comparisons. We spend almost an equal time at work, as we do with our own families. We give 100 % at home and we give an equal amount at work. I enjoy spending time with my family and in a similar measure I enjoy spending time with colleagues at work, chatting about the day or  relevant topics.

Ultimately


Our family is the most important aspect, we work for our family but equally work must protect us both financially and physically. One of my colleagues has a saying 'nobody gets injured on my watch'. I love this, he will do his upmost to make sure that all of his colleagues go home safe at the end of the day, back to their families.  For me this is 'making safety a personal core value', this comes from within, a desire to be 'supportive of each other'.
You are part of the team, it's a family. Remember throughout all of the dramas your team is there for you and you need to be there for them. You may work alone at times but without the wider team around you nothing can be achieved.
Think about how you treat others at work, do you treat them like a member of your family?

Autumn is here

Be Safe in Different Weather Conditions

Over the last week, it seems summer is finally fading, the temperature has dropped and the nights are starting to draw in.

 So it's hugely important that we use our skills, judgment and experience, as well as training to make sure we keep ourselves, our teams and others safe.

Other drivers may not be as well trained, courteous, or as sensible as you are!

 Autumn Leaves

 

When working around the depot, wet leaves can be as slippery as black ice.  The leaves may also cover road markings and traffic lines.

 

 

 
At this time of year the sun is rising and setting during later mornings with earlier evenings causing extra sun glare on wet roads. This can sometimes be temporary time blinding when you are driving.

 

 

 Key point:

Pay attention to traffic slowing down and don’t forget your sunglasses.

 

Finally when the weather finally deteriorates:

 

 

•  Frost can be a concern on the roads as well as your windshields.

• Take a few extra minutes to clear your windshield before heading out on the road.

• Also, watch for those bridges and overpasses; they may have ice accumulating on them already.

• Slow down when driving in foggy conditions. Do not use high beams as they will reflect back at you making driving even more difficult.

• Use your low beams and/or fog lights when required.  

School break,they think its all over It is now !



That time of year when the school year starts is finally here!

 

It is quite profound how much this effects the role of a driver. Some of us enjoy these busier periods and thrive on the 'buzz'; responding to the challenge and taking pride in being able to deliver a service in these conditions. Other colleagues may need some advice and support especially if they are new to the role of a driver.

 

1.  Prevention is better than cure. Avoiding unnecessary aggravation will minimize your stress.

2.  Acting in a confident manner is important. Confident people act in an assured assertive manner. 

3.   Avoid provocative gestures such as pointing.

4. Try to minimize the ‘audience effect’, especially with young males, the whole idea of ‘saving face’ and ‘losing face’, which makes resolving a conflict much harder.

5. Try to be aware of warning signs and think ahead.

 6. Try to make your behaviour proportionate to the provocation. If we ‘strongly react’ at the least sign of unruliness how are we going to signify that things have really ‘got out of order’?

7. Let management and colleagues know of any persistent problems on a route or trouble you think is brewing.
 

8. Be ‘professional’ rather than ‘official’.

 My youngest is changing schools and he probably won't be too sure about the routes and timetables at first. For many year 7's this could be their first time on a bus. let's show patience, if we do it right we may get a customer for life!
Secondly ,prepare mentally for the increase in traffic. If you do end up behind your time, don't rush to try to make the time up. Remember to think about the most valuable cargo, your passengers. 'Get the bigger picture' it's more important to get everybody from A to B safely, than to take a risk and save a few seconds.

Have a great week everyone
  

 

Recharge the batteries

Annual leave gives us all a chance to recharge our batteries and get some quality family time. We all  need  time away from work to create a work life balance. Too much time at work and you risk a burn out, both physically and mentally - this is neither productive or helpful.

As well as annual leave, there are steps during the working week that can help keep us ticking over. Taking even 10 minutes away from inside a cab or from a desk environment provides a mini break which can have great value. Such as, thinking more clearly and feeling sharper and refreshed.

Weekend time -3 Children, 2 dogs and 1 wife!

 

So how else can we relax:

 

• Always go for a short break even if it's just up and down the bus
• Take lunch outside your depot or office, find a quiet spot
• At the weekend, choose a hobby that takes you into a positive mindset
• Complete crosswords and brain quizzes
• Read the book you have always promised yourself that you would read
• Walk to the shops instead of using the car
• Walk and enjoy the scenery
• Have a drink and read a paper
• Work in the garden
• Go for a bike ride
• Cook a nice meal
• Relax in the garden
• Turn off the mobile for 1 hour during the evening. 

 

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Why the Feel good factor works

Hadleigh Litter Pick Update

This was created to  encourage a positive vibe with regards to doing something good as a First employee.  As well as, being a good opportunity to meet and greet some of the local community as they asked us what we were doing etc. This created a feel good factor and was a good work out. We ended up with 6 bags of rubbish and a shopping trolley. It really was eye watering, the level of plastic rubbish we found in just a 2 hour window.  This event will probably be arranged again in 6 months’ time as a Xmas litter pick event. So if interested, please chat to me and I will take it forwards.

 

As you can see, we helped local wildlife; with lots of positive feedback from walkers who could view our First table display. It is nice for our team to be able to walk home this way or take a walk in their break, and have a clean and wildlife friendly zone to stroll through.  This  example will engage  our local community, it is a progressive step.  As well as, working with the council with whom we work amongst.

 

 Maybe we could use an event like this to review the plastic we have on our sites and perhaps, going forward, manage the plastic bottles from the canteen, the plastic packaging that’s used on site, or even see if Biffa have a plastic-recycling initiative we could use.  there are many possibilities.

 

This is only a very small step but if others followed suit, then our local surroundings and leisure environments would be cleaner and happier places.

 

Ant

The roller coaster of life

I always look at life in a number of ways. Firstly, I often describe it by quoting "with no lows how would you enjoy the highs". And I totally agree with comments such as "you only fail when you give up trying".  Also, It's important to remember that when setting goals there must be some realistic outcomes.  However, in reality many of us seem to over set goals and then completely fall away from our target, before getting any where near and giving up.  Why not, instead of aiming for the unachievable, aim for what is achievable.  This can be accomplished by simply setting yourself a daily reachable challenge, then try a monthly one, followed by a yearly one. Think about the question, what will you do to make a difference to yourself and others?

 

In the bigger picture of things, time passes so very quickly. I am sat writing today, in a humid 25 degree temperature and it's hard to believe that only 8 weeks ago we were all shivering during the visit from the 'Beast from the East'.

Over the past year, I have lost family, friends and work colleagues, who all passed too early. This has made me consider the value of everyday.  Yes, we are all on the rollercoaster of life and sometimes the ride will be bumpy, but believe me it's a trip that will also offer joyful moments. This makes me want to grab every opportunity, to have new and shared experiences.

Next Sunday, we have arranged a litter pick event, which would benefit all concerned. Working with Castle Point Council, we plan to have a litter pick at the local nature reserve. The Westwood, which is just around the corner from bus depot, this event  would involve us volunteering as a team and giving a couple of hours of our time on a Sunday morning (or whatever time you can spare). Our objective is to aim to put something back into the community which we serve, whilst enjoying a pleasant mornings walk through the woods. Sometimes when you give a little, you get more back.

 

We will provide PPE, equipment and bin bags. Put the date in your diary 10th June between 10am and 12am. If you have any questions speak to please speak to me.