RSPCA animals kept warm by Pickfords’ recyling and reuse service

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Pickfords Business Solutions’ launched an environmental service at the end of 2010 to provide recycling and reuse services to help companies across the UK dispose of unwanted assets.  The service aims to help companies meet their environmental targets when faced with the disposal of redundant furniture and IT equipment and provides a cost effective alternative to landfill.

The service includes asset tagging, collection and delivery to a Pickfords storage facility.   Items that can be reused are placed locally with not- for-profit organisations, community groups or furniture resellers.  Other items are stripped of their components and metal, wood and plastic and recycled.  The entire process is tracked and certification provided so clients can demonstrate their environmental credentials.

Nicki Brotherston,  Head of Environmental Reuse said,  “one of the great things about being in the recycling and waste management business is being able to identify useful items and then send them to deserving causes.   The RSPCA is a key member of our Partner Network and we will continue to work closely with them.”

If you are a charity that could benefit from office furniture or other office assets,  don’t hesitate to call Pickfords Business Solutions on 0121 326 1785

Pickfords to keep London moving during the Olympics

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Pickfords reveals plan to keep London moving home
 during the Olympic Games 

Pickfords, the UK’s largest removals and storage company,  has unveiled its plans to keep London moving during London 2012. 

The Olympic Games will affect both home movers and businesses between 27th July and 9th September as the transport system in London will be impacted by the Olympic event.   Road systems will change, priority ‘Olympic’ lanes will be added, some roads will close and, with an influx of visitors to London, parking spaces will be in short supply. 

Pickfords has set up a team to investigate the possible impacts and to create a plan to overcome the problems created in the London transport system.  The plan will include a range of tactics including:  identifying the hot spots and affected postcodes early in the process, daily syndication of traffic reports between Pickfords branches,   liaising with street party organisers, working in the evening and during the night and using a shuttle service to transport its customers’ goods. 

Operations Director Mark Taylor said, “Our highest priority is to ensure our customers’ moves go smoothly in London this summer, so we will be liaising closely with Transport for London, the London Organising Committee for the Games and the London Boroughs to ensure we take every action necessary to overcome the challenges.” 

“If our customers are planning to move during the Olympic weeks, particularly the gap between the Games, we urge them to contact us as soon as possible so we can make the necessary checks and arrangements.’

Call your local branch on 0800 019 8557

You can see more detail on the plans in the Olympic corner of the Pickfords website on www.pickfords.co.uk/olympics

Pickfords moves Dorchester dinosaur!

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Pickfords, the UK’s largest removal and storage company stopped the traffic in Dorchester to help move a life sized dinosaur model this month. 

The dinosaur, named ‘Tricky’ the triceratops is a long term resident of the Dinosaur Museum in Icen Way, Dorchester.  Owners Mike and Jackie Ridley decided that Tricky was showing signs of age and needed a makeover.   The work could not be carried out on site, so Tricky had to be moved to a workshop where the model could be cleaned and repainted.

Pickfords was called in to move Tricky from the museum, via crane onto a flat bed vehicle, ready to be driven to the workshop.   It took four men to move the model and one to watch the fragile tail as the life-sized dinosaur inched past telephone wires and metal railings.      The road had to be closed and crowds gathered to watch Tricky ‘hang’ in the air briefly,  prior to resting safely on the vehicle. 

The whole removal was filmed as part of Channel 5’s new series of ‘The Removal Men’, a fly on the wall documentary about Pickfords and its customers.  

Curator Tim Batty said, ‘Pickfords was keen to help and thought that the move would be ideal for the TV programme.  Tricky will be returning after a few weeks with a new finish to take pride of place in the Dinosaur Museum’s outside area.    The triceratops will be away from the museum for as short a time as possible, as he is a firm favourite with visitors to the Dinosaur Museum and local families who pass by on a regular basis’.  

Tricky the Dinosaur

Pickfords Removals’ Christmas Card Competition

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View the winner and the runner ups

Pickfords’ Christmas card was the result of a competition held at St Georges School in Amersham.   The winner was six year old Robin Lawrence, who took the prize for his colourful and inventive card.  Robin managed to capture lots of themes including selling a house, moving and Christmas.  His design featured a Pickfords removals vehicle.

Robin Lawrence Winner of Pickfords' competition

Today we are celebrating the work of the runners up.  Of one hundred and forty pupils, four cards were selected and are featured below.

The runners up are: Haris Bajwa aged 4. Haris’s design featured a fantastic Pickfords removals vehicle.

Pickfords christmas card runner up

Tolu Adeleye aged 6. Tolu included a Pickfords vehicle, christmas tree and baubles, snowman and Santa.

Tolu-Adeleye Runner up

David Holister age 4. David’s card shows Santa driving a Pickfords removals vehicle carrying a Christmas tree.

Pickfords removals christmas card

Congratulations to all the children that took part.

Six year old Robin designs Pickfords’ corporate Christmas card

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This year’s Pickfords corporate Christmas card was the result of an idea to raise money for the NSPCC.   Pickfords employees Richard Summers and Mike Weatherburn came up with the idea to create a ‘Design our Christmas card Competition’. As a governor of St Georges School in Amersham, Mike took the idea to the Head teacher Toby Long who made the arrangements to create a fun competition for all the pupils, aged between three and seven years old.

One hundred and forty pupils took part and a winner and three runner ups were chosen.   The winner was six year old Robin Lawrence.

Robin Lawrence Winner of Pickfords' competition

Pickfords spokesperson Lyndsey Daykin said, “The competition standard was high and it was very difficult to choose a winner.  In the end, we felt Robin’s design captured so many elements of Christmas and ultimately made us all smile.  Congratulations to Robin and all the pupils that took part”

Robin’s design will be turned into a digital Christmas card to be sent to Pickfords customers and clients this Christmas.  Pickfords will make a donation to the NSPCC for every card sent, as part of its fund raising activities for its principal charity.

Gerry Lightfoot and Gareth Norval from Pickfords Removals Milton Keynes win customer service award!

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Pickfords celebrates excellent customer service by recognizing and rewarding its removals teams and move co-ordinators in the monthly Pickfords ‘Moving with Quality’ awards. 

Milton Keynes removal men Gerry Lightfoot and Gareth Norval took the move team standard ‘being flexible’ to the very limit when they undertook a backload from Tyneside in October  The customer was an 87 year old lady who was moving down to Gloucestershire to live near her daughter. 

Everything didn’t go to plan, and there were problems with the house sale at the property she was moving into. Alarm bells started ringing at 3pm when the crew and the customer were waiting at the delivery address with no keys.   

The news arrived that there was a problem with the paperwork at the solicitors.  Back at Milton Keynes branch, the operational team anticipated the worst and began to create a contingency plan by arranging for the goods to come into store.  

Meanwhile Gerry and Gareth were comforting the customer, who was very stressed by the events as they were unfolding. 

They stressed to their operator that they did not want to leave her as she was getting very upset. At about 5.30pm the final papers were signed with the solicitors so the customer could collect the keys. 

The move therefore took much later than anticipated and despite an 86 mile journey back to base later that evening,  they both had no qualms about staying and delivering the items to ensure that customer was settled that night.

The comments from the customer were: “Your removals crew were magnificent in the face of stress and solicitor induced near disaster.  Without their co-operation and good humour this would have been a disaster. Three cheers and well done!”

 Congratulates to Gerry Lightfoot and Gareth Norval who demonstrated that they are great examples of Moving with Quality standards

Order a letter from Santa for your children

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Pickfords has been supporting the NSPCC for the last year and has so far raised £62,000 to help put an end to child cruetly.  This is a great idea for Christmas. You can order a beautifully designed, personal letter from Santa for your Children. The letter will arrive, addressed to them with good wishes from Santa Claus himself. The letter costs just £5, which will be your donation to the UK’s leading children’s charity the NSPCC. This is a great way to raise money for children. Create some magic this Christmas with a letter from Santa.    www.pickfords.co.uk/nspcc