Social value at the heart of contract award

National green services company, Glendale, has been awarded a two-year contract to provide tree surgery services for one of the UK’s top ten housing and care organisations.

The £50,000 programme of work with Midland Heart will see Glendale manage and maintain trees at 3,000 of their homes across Birmingham, the Black Country, Herefordshire and Staffordshire.

Additionally, in line with the social housing provider’s commitment to transforming lives and communities, Glendale is offering social value initiatives with an aim to create local employment and training opportunities.

Members of Glendale’s senior management team will also visit local schools and colleges to deliver arboriculture workshops and raise awareness of employment opportunities in the industry.

Andy Ansell, regional director for the Midlands, at Glendale said: “Midland Heart is passionate about its people and we’re looking forward to delivering improvements, both to the treescape and from a social value point of view through training and employment. We’re also relishing the opportunity to visit schools and colleges as we strongly believe in the importance of attracting and retaining new talent in the arboriculture industry. This resonates with Midland Heart’s commitment to creating opportunities within its communities.

“Glendale already has a strong arboriculture presence across the Midlands, particularly through our contracts with Western Power Distribution and local authorities including Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Sandwell Council. The contract with Midland Heart will build on this presence and grow our reputation for high quality, value for money services.”  

The work will be delivered out of Glendale’s local depots in Sandwell, Solihull and Newcastle-under-Lyme and will include tree felling, pruning, dead wooding, crown thinning, lifting and reduction, pollarding, and tree preservation.

Sara Beamand, care and support director at Midland Heart said: “We’re really pleased to have Glendale as part of the team. The natural environment is a vital part of our schemes providing shade, colour and a haven for wildlife, all of which are greatly valued by customers. The workshops with local schools are a real bonus, affording pupils help, guidance and advice from professionals.  It demonstrates our commitment, not just to quality housing, but also in delivering positive benefits to the many local communities in which we work.”