Constructing Excellence in the North East Awards 2009
Held every year in May, the Constructing Excellence in the North East Awards are a celebration of everything the North East construction industry has to be proud of. This year held at the Newcastle Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel, Client of the Year was awarded to Jane Ritchie, creator of The Work Place.
Winner: Jane Ritchie
Project: The Work Place, Newton Aycliffe
Sponsor: Ward Hadaway
This year’s deserved winner is Jane Ritchie – the inspiration behind The Work Place, a new learning centre in Newton Aycliffe which opened in September 2008. Nominated by Peter Burrell of Clugston Construction, Jane not only funded the creation of The Work Place through sacrificing a multi-million pound inheritance, but successfully delivered an iconic and forward-looking facility through her single minded drive to engender a ‘family’ approach to overcoming the many challenges faced by the construction team. Peter said, “Jane has been a client-developer ‘extraordinaire’ and all who have had the pleasure of working with her have benefited from her insatiable appetite for getting to the root of a problem, seeking advice, and driving the matter forward. Her enthusiasm has been infectious.”
The Awards have grown to become one of the highlights of the business year, with over 500 people regularly turning out to witness the best of construction in our region. The 2009 Awards proved to be the most exciting yet, with a record number of entries having been received and a turnout to the Awards Dinner that surpassed all expectations.
Posted in The Work Place on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
The Work Place would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new Business Manager, Nigel Goodall, who was appointed at the end of March and brings over 24 years of business banking experience to help further promote the commercial activities of The Work Place across the region.
He said “We have superb facilities here at The Work Place offering modern, flexible space for all organisations and businesses and for every type of event. With our competitive rates and high levels of customer focus, I would expect to see good demand for our services. In addition to our learning and vocational goals, it is my aim to create a vibrant and inspiring work space for all of our clients”.
Posted in The Work Place on Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Are you a member of the North East Chamber of Commerce?
If so, The Work Place is hosting a networking lunch on Wednesday 27 May 2009. Come along for a spot of lunch and make the most of the opportunity to meet new customers, share business knowledge and enjoy the facilities The Work Place has to offer!
Posted in Conferencing & Events, The Work Place on Saturday, May 9th, 2009
After 15 years’ hard work on the part of Jane Ritchie, who used most of the £9m she inherited from a cousin to set up the centre offering work related learning opportunities to young people, The Work Place was officially opened on Friday 27 March 2009.
A number of key speakers in the education sector helped celebrate the creation of this unique centre including Margaret Fay, Chairman of One NorthEast and George Garlick, Chief Executive of Durham County Council, who unveiled The Work Place window.
A short ceremony followed by afternoon tea and an opportunity to tour the building gave the opportunity to show off the fabulous facilities and advertise the great opportunities that the centre can be used for.
The Work Place has been designed to be a hub for work-related learning for the North East and North Yorkshire.
Jane remarked “Now that The Work Place is up and running we are looking to develop a programme of learning with the help of volunteers from a broad range of sectors including paramedics, construction workers, engineers, scientists to help bring careers to life.
She added “The whole philosophy behind The Work Place is to encourage young people to think, and to inspire them to achieve their full potential by learning skills and attitudes needed for work.
Nearly 150 guests turned up for the event, made up of local employers, sponsors, students and teachers from County Durham & Darlington schools.
Posted in The Work Place on Saturday, May 9th, 2009