It’s Day 6 of #12DaysOfHCE, which means we’re halfway through our 12 days of giving!

The Island is a well-established charity committed to supporting some of York’s most disadvantaged, vulnerable, and isolated children and young people.

In addition to offering mentoring programmes, wellbeing groups and mental health support, The Island also assists those struggling to make ends meet with donations of food, toiletries, and household items.

Howard Civil Engineering has recognised the fantastic work this charity does across York and is proud to support their festive fundraising campaign with a donation of £400!

Nigel Poulton MBE, CEO at The Island, said: “At this time many of our families are finding daily life really difficult with energy and food prices going up and unable to pay for their bills. Thanks to the generous donation from Howard Civil Engineering some of our families will receive a slow cooker, recipe book and oven gloves, together with a Christmas food hamper. This donation shall make a real difference for which we are truly grateful. Thank you to everyone at Howard Civil Engineering!”

In 2023, The Island is looking forward to building a state-of-the-art youth centre which will offer support to every young person in the City of York, starting with early intervention and including “support through transitions to adulthood and into a meaningful future life”.

“Working with employers and education providers, we will enable young people to complete their education and enter employment, giving them the skills and confidence to realise their potential,” said Nigel.

We are honoured to be helping this fantastic charity improve the lives of children and young people, and we can’t wait to see how the new facility will open up doors for the youth of York!


Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.

50 families in Barnsley won’t have to worry about their next meal over the Christmas holidays thanks to Howard Civil Engineering!

As part of our #12DaysOfHCE charity campaign, we have donated £500 towards HOPE in Community’s Healthy Holidays initiative which supports 50 families (approximately 150 children) over the Christmas break.

This donation will help to fund meals for families who are struggling to make ends meet this Christmas, a selection box for each child and a food hamper worth £20-£30.

HOPE in Community is a charitable organisation dedicated to bringing members of the Barnsley community together with the aim of advancing education, recreation, and leisure time, and ultimately improving the quality of life for Barnsley residents.

Founded in 2017, the organisation regularly hosts cooking workshops, toddler groups, listening services and gardening groups to positively engage and support members of their local community. They are also looking forward to opening a charity support hub on 7th January at 12 Peel Square, Barnsley, S70 1YA.

Founder and chairperson Peter Robertshaw said: “This donation will make a really difference to the families we support to make sure they have a meal on Christmas day, as well as attending our Healthy Holidays groups which will provide them with a range of fun festive activities. Thank you to all the team at Howard Civil Engineering for choosing HOPE in Community to be one of the charities you bless this Christmas!”


Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.

Last year we helped LS14 Trust fund their festive celebrations, including selection boxes, food hampers and entertainment for their Christmas party – and we’re pleased to continue our support in 2022 with a donation of £400!

The LS14 Trust is a community organisation dedicated to bringing about positive social change in Seacroft, Swarcliffe and Whinmoor.

Based in The Seacroft Pantry, a stone’s throw from Howard Civil Engineering’s head office in Leeds, they serve over 1,000 local members who share the same drive to develop activities and opportunities local community.

The pantry hosts a welcoming cafe, a digital lounge, a training room, hot desks, an art room, and a roof garden for people of all ages to meet, collaborate, and learn new skills.

The charity also hosts a variety of events, clubs and workshops including football matches, a youth café, and toddler groups.

Community development manager Joanne Curtis said: “We really appreciate the support from Howard Civil Engineering. Your donation will go towards our family Christmas Party and our two-day Christmas Special Community Pantry. We are all about local connections and working together to help our communities thrive. Thank you so much for your kind donation!”


Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.

It’s Day 3 of #12DaysOfHCE and today we’re supporting a cause a stone’s throw away from our head office in Seacroft!

The Old Fire Station is a decommission fire station in Gipton, Leeds, which has been repurposed into a thriving self-sustaining community and enterprise hub. It is home to six non-profit organisations and hosts community events such as breakfast clubs, English-speaking classes, wellbeing groups and craft workshops.

The centre is also opening its doors to those facing high energy costs this winter with its Warm Welcome service, where people can simply visit the centre and keep warm without an obligation to purchase anything.

Howard Civil Engineering is proudly donating £500 to The Old Fire Station this Christmas which will fund the Christmas dinner it is hosting for volunteers and community members on 15th December!

Centre development manager Fran Etherington said: “The Old Fire Station is thrilled to be working with Howard Civil Engineering to support the local community – the support of local business means so much to us and enables us to continue providing activities, support and events to local people, especially at this time of heightened need.”

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas dinner!


Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.

This year, we are continuing to support Mind in Bradford as demand for their services peaks around the festive period.

Having already raised £2,100 for Mind in Bradford by braving the Tough Mudder 5k last summer, we also sponsored a bauble on their Christmas tree in 2021.

This year we have donated £150 to the charity, which could help Mind in Bradford’s Safe Spaces service help five people in mental distress, whether they are adults, young people, or children.

“As a company we are very conscious of the rising rates of suicide within the construction industry, so I am very pleased that Howard Civil Engineering has chosen to donate to Mind in Bradford this Christmas,” said sustainability manager Sophie Henderson.

“According to recent statistics, one in four construction workers have considered taking their own life and the suicide rate for construction industry workers has risen from 483 in 2020 to 507 in 2021. This is a cause that is very topical to our industry, and we are supporting Mind in Bradford and help ensure that no one in Bradford is left alone while struggling with poor mental health.”

If you would like to sponsor a bauble on Mind in Bradford’s virtual Christmas tree, you can do so here.


Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.

Operatives on three of our sites across the north of England have had their risk of developing hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) significantly reduced after Howard Civil Engineering introduced HAVS monitor watches!

Launched in August 2022, the third-generation R-Link by Reactec is a wearable wrist device that helps manage hand arm vibration exposure and provides real-time alerts to notify workers of unsafe situations.

Reactec’s analytical platform provides cloud-based reporting which allows dynamic risk assessment and exposure reduction. For example, our team will be able to identify is a piece of equipment is faulty if it emits more or fewer vibrations than the manufacturer states, enhancing our operatives’ safety while ensuring a quality product for our clients.

Operatives on site in Sunderland were the first to receive their new watches last month, followed by our teams at Scarborough Hospital and The New Prison, Full Sutton.

Operatives on our Sunderland site having a toolbox talk about how to use the new HAVS monitoring watches. 

SHEQ manager Andy Rafton commented: “Although legislation states we don’t need to continually monitor our operatives’ hand arm vibration, Howard Civil Engineering recognises it has a duty of care to our employees. We have initially introduced these watches across three of our largest sites, but we are hoping to use these across every site in the near future.

“Not only will these watches significantly reduce the risk of our operatives developing HAVS, the cloud-based software means the entire system is completely paperless – meaning it is in accordance with our long-term goal of becoming a paperless company.”

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), which is also known as Vibration White Finger, is one of the most common industrial diseases in the UK. The condition is usually caused by the prolonged use of power hand tools, whose vibrations can damage the blood vessels, nerves, muscles and joints of the hand, wrist, and arm. 300,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition, for which there is no known cure, only prevention.

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