Author: Judith Jones

Anyone for Cricket

Wakemans assist Travelodge to deliver Travelodge London Oval

The latest hotel opening for Travelodge is the London Oval, situated opposite to the Kia Oval Cricket Ground, ideal for avid Cricket Fans and tourists alike with its close links to Central London and the underground tube network.  The hotel represents Travelodge’s 600th hotel in its extensive portfolio.

Hotel - The Oval, London

Wakemans feel proud to have been retained by the hotelier on this project in the role of Tenant’s Agent.  The hotel has 95 rooms on offer and includes the latest Bar 85 option offering an attractive food and beverage venue for its guests along with the hoteliers SuperRooms offering it is bound to be popular.  Notably the hotel has been developed and is situated on land owned by Surrey County Cricket Club also plays host to a cricket themed display of memorabilia.

Bar Café 85
Travelodge – Bar 85

London’s Northern Underground extension line runs underneath the new building and a vibration specialist was retained to ensure that the structural foundations of the building are suitable for the hotel’s situation.

Hotel can be found at Travelodge, and Travelodge Property Development Site

Business Fives

Wakemans has signed up for its second year participating in the Birmingham ‘Business Fives’ football event due to take place on: – Tuesday 19th March 2024 at the Powerleague, Birmingham. Business Fives is a fantastic opportunity for the football community to bond partaking in their favourite sport, competing against local business’s and raising funds and awareness for a chosen charity. This year we will be supporting the charity ‘Prostate Cancer UK’.

Last year we had a great tournament and finished in the Europa league, just missing out for promotion to the Champions league (due to injury and not lack of talent), so this year we are training with a view to going all the way.

The event Is led by Matt McWalter, Andy O’Connor and Steve Allen who are currently busy selecting the final squad from our keen participants and getting them in training for the big event.

Read more about Birmingham Event – Business Fives here.

Go to our Just Giving fundraising page.

 

March the Month

Alongside ‘Business Fives’ several of us, namely those with little football talent are getting involved with the ‘March the Month’ event organised by Prostate Cancer UK. The aim is to do at least 11,000 steps a day during March. 11,000 represents more than 11,000 dads, brothers, grandads, partners and mates who succumb to prostate cancer every year.

We cannot guarantee that everyone will reach the 11,000 steps a day, but it is the taking part that matters and most importantly supporting the charity.

Good Luck to everyone taking up the challenge. We will keep you posted.

Go to our Just Giving fundraising page.

We are delighted to announce that Steven Allen has been promoted (January 2024) to the role of Project Manager within our dedicated team of Project Management professionals.

Steven joined Wakemans in May 2022 as a Graduate Project Manager and has worked diligently to gain his promotion.  Originally, Steven came from a background in topographical surveying and project coordination in the utilities and infrastructure industry. Whilst with us Steven has honed his skills and is currently working on a wide range of construction projects with a number of our developer partners.

Matt McWalter Head of our Project Management Division comments: “Steven has demonstrated a high-level of versatility easily fitting in with the team and progressing within his job to achieve this promotion, I am really happy to see him develop within his role”.

Matt McWalter congratulates Steven Allen
Matt McWalter, Head of Project Management congratulates Steven Allen on his promotion to Project Manager.

Steven adds “I am pleased with my promotion. I am looking forward to the year ahead having established my role with Wakemans and gaining a broad range of experience thus far”.

Congratulations to Steve from Wakemans and the team!  

The team at Wakemans would like to offer huge congratulations to Emma and Jordan entering into 2024 in their new roles following promotion within the company.

Emma Bridgewood re-joined Wakemans in 2022 as a Senior Quantity Surveyor / Project Manager, she has been promoted to Associate Director and works within the Industrial and Logistics sector team. Dean Watson, Chief Executive comments “Emma is of considerable value to Wakemans, she is a highly effective communicator at all levels and highly respected across the company, we were delighted when she returned to us and equally delighted to have rewarded her hard work and dedication with this well-deserved promotion”.

Emma comments “Thank you to everyone who welcomed me back in 2022 and I am pleased to be back with the team, some of whom I have known for many years. I am delighted to have received this promotion and recognition. Working within the Industrial and Logistics sector throws up its own set of unique challenges and I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues to achieve successful project outcomes and forge strong working relationships”.

Jordan Hughes came to Wakemans in 2017 as a Graduate Project Surveyor and it was his first job working full time as a Quantity Surveyor. Jordan works within the Industrial and Logistics team and has gained a significant amount of experience whilst working with us in this sector.

Jordan was promoted to the role of Senior Surveyor in December 2023. Divisional Director Andrew Hancock says, “We have seen Jordan progress his career whilst working for us, and we are pleased to see him achieve this senior role. May I extend my congratulations to Jordan – a well-deserved promotion”. Jordan is seeking to pass his RICS APC next year and become a Chartered member of the RICS. Jordan comments “I would like to thank Wakemans for the opportunity to develop my professional career with them, their support has assisted me to grow in confidence to effectively manage projects and teams as a part of my responsibilities, I look forward to continuing to grow in my current role”.

 

Photo: Jordan and Emma recent promotions Wakemans.
Jordan Hughes and Emma Bridgewood pictured here after being recently promoted.

Wakemans say farewell to Dawn Archer

At the end of September, we waved farewell to our colleague Dawn Archer, who decided to retire after serving 21 years.  Beginning her long tenure working part-time in our reception before joining the accounts team, Dawn was a much-loved member of staff.  We will certainly miss her smiling face and happy demeanour around the office.  We wish her all the best in her future adventures touring Europe with partner Tony.

Dean Watson, Dawn Archer, John Woodhall and Michelle Woodhall
Pictured here (left to right): Dean Watson Chief Executive and Joint Managing Director raises a glass to wish Dawn well alongside our now retiring Executive Chairman John Woodhall and Finance Director, Michelle Woodhall.

Wakemans laid on an informal retirement party for all of Dawn’s colleagues and friends at our offices in Birmingham.

Bon Voyage Dawn!

 

Wakemans welcome Yanique Beckford

We welcomed Yanique Beckford to the Accounts Team in October. Yanique has previously worked in a range of Client-facing roles and is an enthusiastic addition to Wakemans.

Yanique has always loved mathematics and having completed accountancy training she exclaims that she has always wanted to work with figures. Yanique is fitting in well with her colleagues and having landed her ideal job she is looking forward to progressing her career with Wakemans.

Yanique says ‘I am so pleased to have finally achieved my dream of working in an accounts role and everyone at Wakemans has been so welcoming.’

Welcome, to the Accounts Department Yanique!

 

Read more about recent our news on LinkedIn.

Current vaccancies can be found here ….

 

The Wakemans team had a fantastic time at a recent get-together at Roxy Ball Room.

Harry Bayliss was the principal events planner for the evening.  The event was a chance for our staff to get involved and take part in some fun games.  A little competition was shared by all playing pool, bowling, basketball, shuffleboard and ping pong, there was something to suit everyone.

All of us agreed what a great night out .  Providing an welcome opportunity for the team to relax and enjoy themselves away from the office.  What a great team-building event it turned out to be.

Thank you to Harry and to everyone who came along, great to see you all.

The Wakemans team enjoy a social event at Roxy's

  1. Kayleigh Davenport sharp eye on the target.
  2. Luke Burns and the pre-strike.
  3. Ping Pong and the overhead shot from Jordan Hughes.
  4. Dan Dafforn demonstrates the art of shuffleboard to Ben Pugh.
  5. Andrew Hancock potting the red.
  6. Will Taylor (foreground) and Sean Bennett shooting some hoops.

Wakemans Strengthen its Building Surveying Team

We are delighted to welcome new colleagues to Wakemans, as Assistant Building Surveyors Kate Tatchell and Naomi Pulfer join our Building Surveying Division.

Since graduating with a degree in Property Development and Planning Naomi had gained around 2 years of experience in the property and construction industry before spending a year out travelling in Central America. On her return to the UK Naomi secured a position with Wakemans with the aim of continuing to gain experience in her chosen profession and to attain Chartership with the RICS.

Naomi is settling well into her new role and states, “I am looking forward to developing my career with Wakemans, I am already busy with a variety of projects across a range of sectors, and I enjoy the variety of work with every day being slightly different”. Naomi is based at our Birmingham Headquarters.

Kate has approached her career from a completely different angle, as she started out working as a Personal Trainer – Strength and Conditioning Coach. Kate took a graduate diploma to convert her degree in Interior Architecture and move into the Building Surveying profession where she has worked within the residential sector for the past four and a half years.

Like Naomi, Kate is also looking towards gaining chartership via her APC with the RICS. “Wakemans have a history of successfully seeing people through the APC process and I liked the idea of working within a larger team of Building Surveyors, on a varied portfolio of work”. Kate is based in our Bristol office and strengthens the team working in the Southwest region.

Peter Wadley MRICS, Head of the Building Surveying Division would like to extend a warm welcome into the team, and we wish them every success with their careers.

Role

Employer’s Agent, Project Manager, Construction Cost Consultant

Description

Travelodge Hoteles España is the Spanish arm of Travelodge with six hotels offering a total of 699 rooms located in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

Wakemans is supporting the hotelier to expand its portfolio of hotels across the country providing our professional multi-disciplinary services.

Travelodge Madrid-Alcala and Barcelona
Travelodge Madrid-Alcala and Barcelona

We have been engaged to work on a diverse range of projects providing Pre and Post Contract services on three of the existing portfolio new build hotels: Madrid Alcala, Barcelona Poblenou and Valencia.

Together with involvement on new properties we have also undertaken services in connection with refurbishment and air conditioning works at Travelodge Barcelona Fira.

The latest hotel acquired by the hotelier is the 78-room Villa de Coslada which will be the third Travelodge situated in Madrid and be traded as Travelodge Madrid Coslada Aerepuerto. We assisted Travelodge with this acquisition and are providing services in connection with a £1m refurbishment which is currently underway (June 2023) and will incorporate the latest Budget Luxe specifications.

Travelodge Madrid Coslada Aeropuento
Travelodge Madrid Coslada Aeropuento

 

Bar Café 24 Spain

Dragon Boat Race, Llanberis

in support of St Davids Hospice, North West Wales (Hospis Dewi Sant)

Well done to our colleagues and associates that took part in ‘The Dragon Boat Race’ Padarn Lake, Llanberis on the 24th June 2023.

St David's Hospice / Hosbis Dewi Sant

The team consisted of a 15 strong crew of Architects, Building Surveyors, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Structural and Civil Engineers from local companies including Dewis Architecture, Veridian and Vale.

The team succeeded in reaching the semi-finals over three heat races and were beaten by the team that went on to win the tournament.

The event proved to be fantastic fun day out in support of St Davids Hospice, North West Wales (Hospis Dewi Sant).  Wakemans were pleased to sponsor our colleagues Dylan Morris (Regional Director) and Tom Hastings (Associate Director) with a contribution of £250 towards the charity, a cumulative contribution of £1000 was given on behalf of the team who took part and proudly represented professional services companies in the locality.

St David’s Hospice is a local charity providing hospice care to adult patients across Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey.  The Hospice delivers free, high-quality, specialist palliative care to patients with life limiting illnesses, their family and carers.  It currently costs over £5 million to run St David’s Hospice every year.

 

St Modwen Park, Broomhall

Role:

Employer’s Agent, Project Manager, Construction Cost Consultant, Principal Designer and CDM Advisor

Description:

St Modwen Park Broomhall is a multi-phased industrial and logistics development.  Wakemans have assisted the development team to successfully complete the first two phases of the scheme with a further third phase which has received planning consent (June 2023).

The development is ideally located on the outskirts of Worcester, less than 1 mile from Junction 7 of the M5 Motorway.  The initial phase of the development included S278 works linking the park to the road network via the A4440.

Phase 1 of the development involved the construction of two units totalling 70,000 sq. ft. with a value of £5m.

Phase 2 expanded the development with the construction of a further 3 units ranging in size from 15,000 sq. ft. to 50,000 sq. ft. This phase completed in November 2022 with a contract value of circa. £6m.

Industrial Park, Broomhall, Worcester