16 Oct Employee Ownership Day: Celebrating another successful year
In early October, the whole team travelled to London for our annual employee ownership day. The location gave us an opportunity to explore one of the areas we have been working in recently and to use a venue, which as a social enterprise, aligns with our own values.
The day started with presentations reflecting on another successful year as a 100% employee-owned company, what this means for us as a company and for our employees and how we as a business are equipped to respond to changes in the ecological sector. This was followed by an insightful presentation from living roof expert Dusty Gedge, who discussed how the industry and the approach to designing and implementing living roofs has evolved and how this may change in the future.
After lunch, the whole team split into two groups for a guided tour of the Tower of London, one of several Historic Royal Palaces sites we have been working on, which gave everyone an insight into the rich history of the area. This was followed by reception drinks, dinner and a quiz at the hotel and a chance for everyone to socialise together in the evening.
One of the main highlights of the day was simply the opportunity to meet up with colleagues and chat face-to-face in a relaxed positive atmosphere. Thank you to all who made the day such a success, particularly to Dusty Gedge and the other presenters for their preparation and effort and to Kim Jones for the organisation.
“I always enjoy Practice Day, but this year was particularly enjoyable as coming back from maternity leave, it felt like an important opportunity to reconnect with all my colleagues from other offices. Meeting in London was a lovely experience, touring the Tower of London and hearing about the work that some of my Oxford colleagues have done there this year was really interesting. Going out in the evening and enjoying food and drinks with everyone after a long season is just the icing on the cake!” Rosie Sparks, Senior Ecologist
“Getting the whole team together provides a great opportunity to celebrate success, reflect on our values as an EOT and reinforce our vision. It is also hugely valuable in promoting team building, providing relatively new starters an opportunity to form relationships with colleagues from different offices, and helping everyone to re-energise in a relaxed, friendly environment. This year additional inspiration was added to an enjoyable day through a thought-provoking talk by guest speaker and green roof guru Dusty Gedge, which together with the afternoon activity, meal, quiz and a few drinks made for another great get together.” Owain Gabb, Director
