Video Transcript

Welcome to Co-op Academy Failsworth, we’re part of the Co-op Academies Trust Multi Academy. We’re an 11-16, 1,500 student establishment in Manchester. My role here is the Senior Director of Business and HR. I’ve been here over ten years.

We’ve been talking for quite some time about providing the students with a bespoke covered area in the external courtyards and we’ve managed to bring that project through to fruition this year by deploying these two external canopies which are sat behind me.

These provide a dry space for students to eat, to socialise and to gather at break times and lunchtimes.

We actually found our communication with A&S Landscape to be exemplary to be honest, very professional right from the very initial stages of discussion through to post tender and procurement.

The prices compared with a number of other companies that bid through the tender framework, although I have to say we actually took on board price but also references and previous local projects which A&S have undertaken in the area.

We went with A&S simply because they were the successful bidder at tender and we were delighted that they actually bid.

In terms of the design stage, A&S helped me as project manager specifically a great deal. In terms of the size, the design, the colours, the branding. Quite a lot of information contained in that particular part of the project so we found communication throughout the whole project to be absolutely superb.

The conduct of the staff on site was great.

The changes that it’s made, I’d have to say that the canopies today, it’s not raining today but today it’s provided another dry, covered area for the students to congregate and to have their lunch which is fantastic. Before they were very exposed to the elements.

We would certainly recommend or use A&S Landscape again for any external projects. So we’ve been delighted with the project and we think the proof is in the pudding, the students have absolutely embraced what we’ve done here.