Restoring and beautifying London's most prestigious homes with love for almost 100 years.




Monday 27 January 2014

Family Business of the Year- cast your vote!

We are thrilled to share the news that Bastows have once again been shortlisted for the London & South East Family Business of the Year 2014.

15 great family firms have been shortlisted for the award in our region and as well as being nominated for the regional title, we have also been entered to the People’s Choice Award which is determined by the public vote.

To add to that, we have been shortlisted for the Property & Construction Family Business of the Year Award too.

Online voting is now open here and we would love your support. Please vote and encourage everyone you know to support us too! 

Thursday 23 January 2014

Aiming High- will you be a part of it?

WE'RE HIRING.

Bastows have a great year ahead and will grow our business considerably in 2014. Our plan this year is to 'Aim High' and that means recruiting the best people for key roles.

BUILDING SURVEYOR

We are seeking a qualified, can-do Building Surveyor to help with the increasing number of tenders we are sent by clients hoping to work with us, and help manage the works once underway.

Our projects are largely external repair and redecoration projects ranging from £50,000 to £1m in value, and lasting anything from 8 weeks to a year in duration.

We work with prestigious clients and the residents of some of London's landmark homes.

We are looking for someone with a relevant degree in Building Surveying for this role which attracts a good salary commensurate with skills and experience. There are numerous other benefits including the knowledge that you're working with (we don't mind saying) an AWESOME team in an award winning family business.

Professionalism, organisation and the ability to build great relationships are essential.

The role is based in SW1 with projects located around Central London. 

The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years' experience in a similar role, show enthusiasm and passion for their profession, be aligned with our values and purpose, and be willing to learn.

OFFICE LEGEND

We thought about 'Office Assistant' and 'Office Adminstrator', but the person we want is so much more than that. We need a LEGEND.

Not only someone who can help with day-to-day admin tasks such as arranging licences for scaffolds or ordering stationery, but someone with a really positive outlook and drive to develop the role to support our Contracts Director and Managing Director (and become indispensible to them) and pick up tasks using initiative and observation. 

The perfect person will need a great standard of spoken and written English, excellent IT skills including Word, Excel and email, a great sense of humour, a 'can-do' approach, the ability to prioritise and a sense of doing the right thing. The plan is for them to become a trusted 'gatekeeper', ensuring the Directors are focused on their jobs- and not answering emails.

The ideal candidate will also be developing the role to support our Cultural Director, developing an even stronger strategy for our resident care programme, learning the skills needed for an HR Administrator, and supporting residents when they contact us with questions or concerns.

The role is based in SW1, and comes with a competitive salary, good benefits and the satisfaction of working for London's most employee-friendly construction company!

Interested? Call Niki on 020 7259 9513 or email your CV to niki@bastows.co.uk. 

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Bastows aims high with a commitment to fair pay

Bastows has today become one of the first organisations in the region to become an accredited Living Wage Employer.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, based on the cost living in the UK. The Living Wage campaign has been running for ten years and has lifted over 45,000 people out of poverty.

An independent study of the business benefits of implementing a Living Wage policy in London found that more than 80% of employers believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by approximately 25%. 66% of employers reported a significant impact on recruitment and retention within their organisation. 70% of employers felt that the Living Wage had increased consumer awareness of their organisation’s commitment to be an ethical employer.

Elvis and Andrew celebrate the news
Niki Rosenbaum, Cultural Director, says “Paying the Living Wage is a proven way to grow staff loyalty, productivity and happiness. Most importantly, it shows that a business is prepared to do the right thing by its people. We believe that every member of staff deserves a Living Wage, and hope other local businesses join us in showing a clear commitment to fair pay and respect for their employees.”

Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation said “The benefits the Living Wage brings to staff and business are clear. I welcome the leadership shown by Bastows on this important issue.”

Bastows have been accredited by the Living Wage Foundation for paying all employees a minimum of the London Living Wage rate of £8.80 per hour.

You can find out more about the Living Wage by visiting www.livingwage.org.uk

The Living Wage is backed by the Government, Her Majesty’s Opposition, the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly.

PRESS CONTACTS
Contact Niki Rosenbaum for further information at niki@bastows.co.uk, via Twitter @BastowsFamily or by phone on 020 7259 9513