Archives for September 2009

There's always something interesting going on in our buildings. Walking into White City reception this morning I had to do a double-take. Just by the turnstiles was a life sized model of fellow Irishman and radio host Terry Wogan. But, on closer inspection, it turned out to be a six foot Terry Wogan cake, made specially by Jane Asher for Children in Need.

Find out more via links below

The Press Office

Radio 2

What are some of the everyday challenges you face as a deaf person?

Deaf people have a lot to deal with: not being able to hear well means we have difficulties in following what people are saying, especially in group situations, listening to music is problematic, following announcements at airports and train stations... the list goes on! I will explain some things I have to face:

I rely on London's Underground to get to work every day and to meet friends; when there are announcements on speakers at the train station or at the airport about delays or a change of platform/terminal, I am usually on my own and since I cannot hear I have to try and ask someone, either a member of staff or a member of the general public. I may be slower than other people when it comes to realising that there has been a change, but I am never frightened; I just hope that I notice quickly. I find that whoever I ask for information is usually helpful.

Being a driver and not being able to hear, I rely much more on visual information. Deaf people are unable to hear when the emergency services are coming up behind us, so must be extra vigilant at all times. When other drivers or passengers are verbally abusive we may not catch what they are trying to say. So it may be that we ignore people who randomly speak to us because it could turn into an awkward situation. We might seem rude to other people if we do this, but it's usually a form of self-protection.

In the work environment, people underestimate the amount of interaction through informal chats at the coffee machine, photocopier or after meetings, in the corridor, hall or in the lifts. I believe this is how a great deal of information is passed on. People talking about their holidays (useful to know if people from the office are going to be away), people talking about leaving early, chatting about their moods and how they are. As I cannot access any of this information, I have had to develop my own coping strategies. For example, I get on with people naturally so I hope that in this way, I manage to get plenty of information and am not missing anything. At university, I felt I was not getting all the information I could get - for example when people came out of the lecture rooms and discussed things, perhaps about bits I missed in the lecture. So I developed coping strategies which I have carried over into the work environment.

I have to ensure people know I am here and make an effort to communicate visually: for example, saying hello in the morning to make sure they know I am here. I have to show open approaches, (even on mornings when I may not feel like it!).

Being deaf is difficult to explain as everyone has different experiences, but it could be compared to being like a foreigner in a strange land. You don't understand everything that is being said around you, and you might be reluctant to do things because of unknown risks. You might not want to say something for fear of seeming ignorant or having people not understand you. You might feel isolated if other people are laughing at a joke and you did not catch the punchline.

I also encounter the minor difficulty of not being able to hear people say "Excuse me," when in shops or such public places. When this happens, these people tap me on the shoulder and may seem annoyed, not understanding why I am not responding. My response is to explain calmly why I did not hear. Some people apologise, some people are embarrassed and respond awkwardly by giving me the cold shoulder. When I am with hearing people, they often have to tell me that I need to move, which I do so and apologise.

In my work role, I have obvious difficulties with companies or people that require me to call them when making enquiries. It is rare for me to make calls; if I have to, I use my interpreter or my family to make calls. People may find it strange or difficult liaising with me via an interpreter, but it is simply an alternative method of communication. There is Typetalk, where a third person intervenes, but I find this service very cumbersome. I prefer to use emails where possible.

It can be tiring when dealing with people who may not understand my speech; the amount of concentration required over a sustained amount of time is more exhausting than you might expect. I remember an incident at school where someone accidentally set off the fire alarm in the night. Everyone in the sixth form had to go outside and it took some time to assemble. Our head teacher was concerned because we spend all day having to concentrate so closely on our teachers, that we sleep more deeply than hearing people (in general), and that if it had been a real alarm, we could have been in real danger. The point of this story is that concentrating on people's speech is more tiring for deaf people than it is for hearing people; listening to people comes naturally to hearing people, but for deaf people, it is a different effort.

Speaking of fire alarms, when in public places, if the fire alarm goes off I am not always aware of it; I watch the people around me for their reactions. For example, if I see a crowd of people heading one way, I may wonder where they are going and follow them. This may apply in the workplace, airports, train stations, bus stations - anywhere an alarm can go off, alerting the passers by while I may be oblivious.

Although these are my everyday challenges, I have always had the determination to get through and I have been coping with these challenges for a long time. Every deaf person gets used to it and does not allow these matters to frustrate them.

Now that we're getting close to seeing the completed product at the BBC's new home in the North, I thought that this recent Building magazine article on Salford captures the essence of what we're trying to achieve.

It's also worth checking out the new MediaCityUK site which has recently been refreshed.

BBC staff and visitors to our White City building in West London may have noticed a new feature.

Giles Penny's bronze sculpture Rise & Shine has been placed in the courtyard garden outside of the restaurant.

Giles created the sculpture in 2007. It takes its inspiration from the world of dreams and flying. 

It replaces Giles's earlier sculpture Laughing Man. It seems an appropriate choice for the nation's favourite breakfast broadcaster - especially in the month that BBC Radio 2 has announced a change of breakfast show presenter.

British artist Penny says: "It's morning, it's waking, it's hopeful. It's a little bit of inspiration for the workplace."

I hope Rise & Shine will provide a bit of inspiration, fun and delight for all BBC staff and visitors.

The BBC Access Unit team provides me with an interpreter in the work place. This is paid for by a government scheme called Access to Work (ATW). Sign language interpreters make the workplace more accessible for deaf people, however I do I feel it would be useful if my team knew and understood basic sign language in order to communicate with me directly. For those of you who are interested , Learning to Sign Week is coming up - it's held annually in the first week of October. Do have a look at this Learn to Sign Week website and check out these British Sign Language quick video guides for a speedy way to equip yourself with the sign language alphabet.

It is important to remember that not every deaf person has the same needs; I can lip-read well as long as the speaker takes their time to speak slowly and clearly. Also, while I feel interpreters are great and very useful, I try not to rely on them totally and like to communicate with hearing people myself, especially as I come from a hearing family. With an interpreter it sometimes takes longer to relay information, but I am very glad they are available so I can have equal access to information.

I also use modern technology a great deal - I find that emails and instant messaging makes things easier and comes in handy when communicating with my colleagues!

The Department of Work & Pensions provides Access to Work funding as well as financing for interpreters or communication support workers for deaf people in the workplace.

Other Deaf colleagues in employment receive different forms of support through Access to Work, for example the provision of computers/ laptops, note takers, lip speakers. The important thing is that support is designed to meet the needs of the individual to allow them to do their job effectively.

Why do you need to use interpreters?

For many of the Deaf community, English (spoken or written) is not their first language. We experience the same language issues experienced by any foreign language speaker. For many, English is our second or third language.

Some deaf people experience difficulties in written communication e.g. time taken and grammar. British Sign Language (BSL) does not follow the same grammatical rules as spoken English; this makes writing difficult. BSL is predominately a topic 'comment' language, and could be likened to French. A deaf person would sign car, red. As you can see this is very different to from English! BSL does not use tense for example. You may find some deaf people find it hard to know which word endings to use, whether to use ...ing ...ed and when to add ...s's to the end of words. Also there are no conjunctions (joining words) like 'and, 'or', 'for'.

Deaf people have no inner voice. Hearing children learn to read by reading out loud, as this helps them think about how the sentences sound and whether they sound right. As deaf people don't have this, they have no way of checking if their written English is right or wrong. Therefore, they often lack confidence in their writing ability.

What is your relationship with interpreters?

Working for the Extend scheme is the first time I have experienced working with interpreters on a regular basis. I am happy to work with interpreters but it is our right to refuse to work with a specific interpreter. We also reserve the right to refuse to explain why we do not want to work with that particular interpreter. It is rather like match-making - some pairs work better than others. I may work with an interpreter who is right for me and another who does not mesh with me so well. It depends on attitude, personality, and how we connect. The better we get on, the better they understand me and how I wish to receive information.

What are some of the reactions that you've had since you arrived?

I am aware that for many people I am the first deaf person they have met, and therefore are not used to communicating with deaf people and are liable to make mistakes. I hope that eventually people realise what I am really like, and ultimately feel more comfortable communicating with me.

I also hope people realise that I do not bite! In any one day, I get a mixed range of reactions; from the understandable to the bizarre. Some people actually try to hide or avoid eye contact!

At the BBC everyone seems very friendly, maybe a few avoid eye contact but otherwise, they don't seem to see me differently.

There are clashes between deaf and hearing people. As a deaf person, I am used to people tapping me on the shoulder or throwing light objects at me to get my attention! I realise that it can take a while for hearing colleagues to feel comfortable enough to tap me to get my attention so, it can often mean a long wait for them before I realise that they want to talk to me!

Several months ago David Holt and Paul Smith from BBC Workplace were discussing the property aspects of the Top Gear production at DunsfoldAerodrome in Surrey and a throwaway comment was made by David, that he would love to go around the Top Gear track. This wish was recently realised when Paul managed to secure a place at a Lotus 7club handling day held at the venue and convinced David that a decent contribution to Children in Need could secure some passenger laps around the Top Gear track in Paul's rare Caterham 21 sports car.

So, early one Saturday morning, David and Paul carried out a property inspection with a difference. Not only did David get some passenger laps with Paul, he also got a ride in a Lotus 7, which was acting as the pace car for the day. The laps were not timed but speeds over 100mph and some difficult corners can definitely be described as "interesting", as Paul and David found out at chicago on the second lap, when there was a brief, unplanned inspection of the grass.

In an act of faith, Paul's son, Jason was also driving, and he treated David to some neck testing multiple donuts at the end of the runway. The marshalls were heard to say "it's so much easier when it's not your car" as the smoke was pouring off the rear tyres.

So how did it all end up? Thankfully all people and car in one piece, David donating £100 to CiN and probably one of the fastest property inspections ever.

You may have heard about our BBC Workplace Children in Need sandwich competition. Click below to see Ainsley's message and find out more about how to take part and submit your idea for a great sandwich that will be sold in all BBC catering outlets to help raise money for Children in Need. Ready, Steady, Create!

Read Meera's last post here

What's your employment background? How did you get to this point?

After graduating, I took various jobs from indoors post-person with the Royal Mail to Macromedia Flash developer where I spent a week creating a flash website which was used to exhibit students' work. After several months searching for a suitable job, I filled a vacancy at Dering Employment Services as an Employment Advisor supporting deaf and hard of hearing people. My role was to break down barriers and help them get jobs by providing an interpreter for their interviews and in their workplace, ensuring they have fair access and equal treatment to non-deaf members of society. Within three months working for Dering (which mainly employs the deaf), I decided I needed more of a challenge. The job as a W1 Project Assistant came up at the BBC on the Extend scheme. I did not hesitate in applying for the job despite the obstacles of communicating with hearing people.

I have had prospective employers hang up on me once they realise that I am deaf. That's why I feel the Extend scheme is so important. It provides people like me with an opportunity to prove themselves and build their confidence and employment chances for the future.

I think it's positive that some employers provide deaf people with interpreters but I think there needs to be a shift in culture in the office. What I mean is by that is that communication skills often need highlighting. For example, people still need to learn basic deaf awareness (such as eye contact). Providing an interpreter isn't the answer to all problems. I think it is very positive that the BBC provides deaf awareness I hope they remain aware of the need to update deaf awareness training to compensate for staff turnover so, that new staff also learn how to fit in with our deaf aware culture.

Well, after thousands of tonnes of concrete, lots of steel and a lot of hard work the West One Broadcasting House construction project reached a key milestone recently - it was topped out.

This is a curious tradition in the building industry which originates from Scandanavia and has been adopted across the UK,Western Europe and the USA - it has been around for some time and prompted me to look back at the last time the BBC did a topping out at Portland Place back in 1932 when the original Broadcasting House was built.

For our project today we're right on target to deliver this amazing building for technical fit-out at the end of 2010 - it's a very big job and I could bore you with lots and lots of statistics but here are a few as a taster:

• some of the concrete beams used in the structure are so big you could drive a minibus along them
• you could fit 70 London buses into the central area of the new building
• all of the floorspace equates to ten football pitches

There is also the very cool animation of the building developing to see below - with thanks to Bovis for granting permission to use. 

I hope those of you who went along to the Operations Group event at Showstoppers had an enjoyable time. It was great to see such a diverse range of information and activity on all the different stalls. Our Workplace stalls provided lots of visual information about our big projects and our services. Many people, including Caroline Thomson and me, turned their hand to cake decorating to represent a Workplace service. I'm pleased to tell you that we raised £69.73 towards our Children in Need fundraising from the cake decorating, donations for packets of seeds as well as the "soft" launch of our Design a Sandwich for Children In Need which will be officially launched across the BBC in September.

Pictured: Some of the Workplace Comms team: Nikki, Lauren, Issy and Gareth

Pat on the Back for Volunteers
Sunny Dimitriadou from Outreach has sent her thanks to everyone from Workplace who took part in the volunteer effort on the Thames riverbanks at Hammersmith and the Isle of Dogs and at the mock interviews day at Fulham Cross School.

"The Cleaning the Thames events truly make a difference and are thankfully recognised by the local communities and by our charity partner in this venture Thames 21. BBC Connect and Create also deserves a big thank you for setting up such partnerships enabling more BBC staff to participate in volunteering and mentoring schemes across the UK."

Another partnership BBC Outreach has developed is with Hammersmith and Fulham Education Business Partnership (EBP). Lucy White, Employer Engagement Manager at the EBP, says: "I was at the school on the 15th to meet all the BBC staff and help coordinate the day and the feedback that we had from both school, students and volunteers was really positive. The students got a huge amount out of the day and really enjoyed working with the BBC staff.'"
If you are interested in volunteering opportunities have a look at these websites:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/outreach//
https://www.thames21.org.uk/

Fundraising
Dave Lang, Operations Manager National Operations, and Charles Neale, Engineering Manager, are taking part in this year's charity fund-raiser 'Beat the Moon', representing BBC Workplace. Beat the Moon is a unique challenge that takes place from18th - 20th September in the Lake District and involves cycling, trekking and canoeing in one day. Dave and Charles have already raised £220 so far. If you would like to sponsor them for this event then please contact: [email protected] or [email protected].

Balfour Beatty's Building Better Futures trust, in partnership with Building Better Futures and Action for Children, is funding a wide range of community improvement projects in 2009. The programme, which is called Building Better Futures, has its own charitable status and is, in the UK, designed and managed by a partnership between Balfour Beatty plc, The Prince's Trust and Action for Children (formerly NCH or the National Children's Home), who have been BBW's corporate charity partners for the last two years.

NEWS FROM THE PORTFOLIOS
NORTH
Alison Johnson, Services Manager for the English Regions, and the catering team at BBC Manchester laid on a prestigious dinner at an important event for BBC Future Media and Technology (FM&T) at the end of July. It included Peter Salmon, Director of the North, Erik Huggers, Controller for Future Media and Technology, and Andy Davy, Controller of Portfolio Management for FM&T, along with 34 other guests.
The team worked hard to deliver a beautifully presented room, superb food and impeccable service and ensure the dinner was a great success. 

Andy Davy, Future Media & Technology wrote to Alison Johnson: "Can I pass on my sincere thanks to you and your team for an excellent dinner last night. It was important for BBC Future Media & Technology and BBC North that the event went well and the service from your team fully justified our decision to host the event in New Broadcasting House."
Employee of the Month
Rus Marsden, a Multi Tech Engineer based in the Midlands and East region, has won this month's employee of the month. Over recent months there have been several changes in the region with the introduction of new technology and Risk Based Maintenance and he has faced this challenge head on and made them work for his sites.

Glasgow River Festival
A huge amount of work by BBC Scotland and BBC Workplace staff went into organising the Glasgow River Festival event to ensure it was a success. The two day Festival, held on 25 & 26 July, combines water and land activities and entertainment in and around BBC Pacific Quay and other nearby locations.
Maureen Murphy, Customer Services Manager received the following e-mail from the MC&A Team: "Just to say a huge thank you from us all, for the huge efforts you and your staff put into the weekend to make it the success that it was. There are so many elements with an event of this magnitude but you and your team were completely in tune with needs and requirements and made the whole process seamless. The cleaner, particularly on Saturday when reception was bursting, never stopped! He was a star and we were all very grateful for his dedication to duty." 

Pictured: some of the BBC Workplace team who helped make the event such a success. Back Row: Chris, David, Joyce & Liz
Front Row: Maureen, Lynne, Kerry, Christine, Margaret & Robert.

WEST & W12

Congratulations to bright spark, Laurence Brown, an apprentice at BBC Bristol, who has completed his NVQ level 2 in Electrical Maintenance. Laurence has already enrolled for his NVQ level 3 in Electrical Installation.

Andy Hill, White City 1 FM, arranged for a music ensemble from the BBC Proms to play in the reception area as part of their Out & About Campaign.

New information wall displays are now in place across White City 1 in nine different hubs. If you want to promote something which is BBC-related then please contact [email protected].

Newly designed comment cards and display "towers" have been put in all meeting rooms across the Media Village.

The BBC security contingency headed up by G. Nanos, Site Security Manager (BBC World Service) and Team Captain Bruce O`Shea, Deputy Security Manager (White City), led a team from all BBC Clusters through the Wilson James EHS competition in a series of challenging events. They were in first place in the security division and overall came 4th out of seven. JCI seconded Robert Kennedy and Andy Pollard to the event to assist with judging the competition. The event was a great success and paved the way for a JCI team to compete in 2010.

W1
Cycle tagging has been rolled out across Central London with the potential to expand it across West London and Scotland.

Ken Phillips, from Radio 2, is taking up an attachment working with Caroline Elliot from Audio & Music, on W1 project issues, from early September for six months. His work will include the anticipated exit of Henry Wood House, Audio & Music's work with the W1 project team and HOK, the designers appointed to do the space planning; working with the News and World Service on common issues; working on any W1 communication issues for the division; looking at the technology needed to support the flexible working which will be required for those staying in W1 and working with the A & M support areas to ensure that they can all work effectively in the future.

Customer Feedback
Oliver Thompson, Production Executive in Factual to Nick Sawczuk, Projects about their office move: "Huge thanks to you and the team. It's going to be a fantastic creative space for Factual in stark contrast to the rooms we currently have littered around the White City building."

Feedback on Alex Warren from Tony Wood, Operations Manager at Radio 1: "Over the past few months Alec's willingness and determination to offer a face-to-face service with my colleagues and I at Yalding has proven both welcome and invaluable. Knowing Alex as a person for a few years I wholly trust what he tells me and have the utmost faith in his desire to deliver the best service possible. He delivers to the fullest of his ability time and again in a pleasant manner whilst clearly having a thorough understanding of a live broadcast environment and the needs of Yalding House. I think Alex is a credit to JCI in his personality, temperament and professionalism and he is someone who makes a real difference."

From Roberto Battista, Assistant Content Producer, Audio & Music: "On behalf of my colleagues I just wanted to say that since our meeting after my letter to Ariel our office has become a lot more pleasant, everyone is happy with the temperature and we only found the lights on one morning, altogether a major improvement."

From Louise Katz, Creative Futures to the Bush House FM team: "I wanted to thank you so much for great co-operation and support that you gave us with Global Live to produce such a great experience. Without your support that would not have happened. The feedback so far has been very positive. You have all been fantastic people to work with; an example of superb partnership and collaborations all round. We just couldn't have done it without you helping us make it so fantastic. The can-do attitude and energy to get this done well was superb and more than I could have expected. I can't thank you all enough for believing and supporting myself and my team."

To Zina Craker, White City receptionist from Naomi Selwyn, BBC Proms: "I just wanted to say a huge thank you for letting ensembles from the BBC Symphony Orchestra into your venues yesterday and for all your hard work ensuring that the performances went smoothly. I thought the day was a huge success overall and hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did. It would be great to work together again."

Comments relate to Isabel Vaz and Zsuzsanna Sarpatki, of TV Centre Spur FM: "Thank you so much for all your help with the Elections, we really appreciate it. The Elections programme went very well and had high viewing figures so we are all pleased and thank you for your contribution to making it a success."

Jason Casey, Media Village Permit Office, says: "I have recently asked Elsa Da Costa to translate some H&S information for me in Portuguese, which she has kindly done. She also asked Maria Luz Barambio to do the same in Spanish. These will be of great help to me
should I need to induct contractors that do not have English as their first language. This follows from my earlier request for H&S instructions in Polish, which has proved of benefit already."

From Tony Wood, Ops Manager, Radio 1 about Jim Newman, Duty FM at Broadcasting House, following JLS's visit to the station: "I simply must take my hat off to the Newman fella for what he did this morning, and a standard set for future such operations. Jim called me at 0715hrs to confirm the state of play at Yalding and that the guests had made it in safely. He'd even chatted to the 2 paps that give us the most hassle to ensure they behaved themselves, and took a couple of pics. All in all, delighted with the bloke's approach, and I told him so."

From Kit Kitson, Head of Investigation Services, relating to the fox incident in White City 1: "This was a good example of team work and cooperation to secure the first floor location; determine what had actually happened; and ultimately bring the event to a satisfactory conclusion. Fortunately there was a little bit of good luck on the way and I was pleased that there was a happy outcome. I would certainly like to take this opportunity to thank you and all the staff involved in this unusual case. Please pass on my appreciation of everyone's efforts and part played."

What Happens to Our Waste?
Ok, so what would be your ideal works day out - a trip to the coast or a country pub? A spot of paint balling perhaps? Or a trip to your local recycling plant? A difficult choice but after much consideration a small group from JCI, their Service Partners Baxter Storey, Rentokil Initial & Nordic their Waste Management partners, decided to see exactly what happens to all our dry waste once it leaves the BBC in Scotland!
Nine people met up at the Head Office of William Tracey, Nordic's contractors. Jim Brown, William Tracey Account Manager, explained we would be taken around the 25 acre centre in three jeeps, whilst being given a broad overview of what William Tracey do, the processes used for recycling and what their plans are for the next few years.
We visited the "Dirty" end where the non-segregated material is taken and sorted - not a pleasant job and certainly the smelliest section of the site too! Fortunately we do segregate our waste at the BBC as seeing what these guys have to do certainly brings home the importance of segregation at source. Once separated, the paper, cardboard and cans go through another process and are then baled up for export to either England, Europe or Asia - whoever is willing to offer the best price to reuse these materials.
Wood goes through a grabber, a crusher and then a screener to bring it down to the required woodchip size for MDF & kitchen units for example - and sent to depots in Stirling and Cumnock. A surprising number of wooden pallets are brought for recycling but rather than breaking them down completely they are mended on site and 20,000 are sold per month.
There is a construction area on site where all stones, bricks etc are crushed and recycled for use as upfill; another area for green waste - grass & trees which are taken to a company in Ayrshire for composting which is then sold. Tyres go to Dunbar and PVC windows and doors go to Wales. All handles and fittings are recycled too, ensuring no "waste" is wasted!
Before the end of next year William Tracey will have an Anaerobic Digestion plant for left over food waste. The plant will produce Biogas - a mixture of methane & carbon dioxide which is burnt to generate renewable electricity to go directly into the National Grid.
By the end of 2011 they will have a Biomass Plant on site. Biomass is a renewable, low carbon fuel that is already widely used, and often economically available throughout the UK. It is a sustainable fuel that can deliver a significant reduction in carbon emissions when compared with fossil fuels.
In 2013 there will be a waste-gas powered plant on site. A Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant running off gas from waste - which will provide energy directly into the Grid too.
Each of the above processes will reduce the need for landfill sites - which is just as well as the country is rapidly running out of suitable areas.
At Pacific Quay, BBC Workplace & their Service Partners are striving to achieve their recycling targets. Figures show that during July 2008 to June 2009 21% of our waste went to landfill & 79% for recycling.

STAFF NEWS

From Mark Wright, Operations Director: "It is with deep regret that I announce that Geoff Johnson, Shift Engineer in Central London, died unexpectedly in a traffic accident on 1st August whilst in South Africa for his father's funeral. Geoff joined the BBC in 2007 and was a well known and respected member of our team. Danny Payne, Cluster Services Director commented: "Geoff was a likeable and popular individual and we are all deeply saddened by his untimely death." Geoff will be buried in South Africa on Friday 7th August. Our deepest condolences go to Geoff's family at this very sad time."
New Starters
• Johan Bolling has joined the Operations team. He is a catering professional and will be working with Anne Branigan for the next few months to help us achieve our continuous improvement target of zero catering subsidy by next year, whilst also addressing some of the catering issues in specific outlets.
• Welcome to Alex Thurston who has joined Workplace as Finance Analyst on an attachment from News.
• Simon Barker joined the team and Johnson Controls on July 13 as Commercial Director. Simon previously worked at the BBC as part of the Technology Framework Contract with Siemens. Simon will work closely with Andy Osborn who continues to support the account as CBG Finance Director.
• Gareth Daniell, Business Placement, is covering the car park management during Heather Murdoch's maternity leave and supporting the Customer Service & Communications team.
• Mark Rollings, Intern, will be working with the Broadcast and Business Continuity Team.

Moves & Changes
• Mark Wright Broadcast & Business Continuity Director has moved into the role of Operations Director. In his role of Broadcast & Business Continuity Director, Mark was responsible for our risk management programme and achieving and maintaining ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 accreditations. Mark replaces Nik Smith (see Leavers below).
• Nick Roberts. After successfully leading the projects team for the last 9 months, Nick has been promoted to Projects Director. This promotion reflects the enormity and value of the BBC account to Johnson Controls.
• Andy Pollard, EHS Manager, has been promoted to the role of Broadcast & Business Continuity Director. Andy will maintain responsibility for EHS until a successor is recruited.
• Danny Payne, Central London Cluster Service Director has moved into the role of Engineering Support Director. This is a key role that will focus on driving standardisation, quality assurance and continuous improvement across our BES Operations in London and Scotland.
• Diane Conway has been appointed Senior Change Manager. Diane will be responsible for driving operational improvement programmes across all areas of the account.
• Tommaso Moretto, Soft Services Assistant has been moved into the role of ID Unit Assistant for TVC.

Leavers
• Gary Pyle, the Cluster Services Director for Television Centre, has decided to pursue a career outside of Johnson Controls. Mark Wright, Operations Director, says: "Gary's contribution to the BBC Account has been extremely valuable and he will be sorely missed by colleagues and customers alike. I am confident that the excellent team Gary has developed during his time on the account will continue to provide exceptional customer support to the BBC. Rebecca Carruthers will take overall responsibility for the W12 Cluster (Media Village and TVC) from August 15. This will align our organisation model with the BBC Workplace Portfolio Directors. I am sure you will join me in wishing Gary every success in his future career and offering Rebecca your full support."
• Nik Smith left the account on August 7 to pursue a new European opportunity in Johnson Controls. Grant Walford, Account Director, says: "I would like to thank Nik for his contribution over the last two years."
• Emma Palmer: Sue Spree, Principle Facilities Manager, writes: "After almost two years on the BBC account, most recently as the Facilities Manager for the Media Centre, Lighthouse and Garden House, Emma Palmer has decided to embark on a new and exciting role for Johnson Controls in Dubai. She will be Operations Manager for United Arab Emirates, managing the day to day operations for clients such as Emirates Real Estate, Ericsson and Cisco. Emma's last day will be October 2. Emma has been a valuable member of our team and I would like to thank her for her contribution to the business and wish her every success in her future career."
• Andy Osborn, Commercial Director will move into the role of Media Comms CBG Commercial Director
• Sean Graham, PQ Mailroom

Long Service Awards
• Marie Kelly, Elstree Facilities Manager
• Ashok Davda, BES Day Engineer
• Dawn Steele, BES Administrator
• Jean Boyce, Learning & Development Manager
• Tina Spencer, Executive Assistant

Earlier this week we completed the sale of the Woodlands site to Imperial College London. For an education and research institution of the quality of Imperial College London to expand within W12 is a great boost for our 'Creative London' vision and is a clear demonstration that, even in the most difficult of property markets, good sites - as part of a wider well thought through proposition - will attract investment from the top players. 

We are delighted to have achieved a sale in this marketplace which offers good value for our licence fee payers. The new occupier shares the BBC's values, reinforces the innovative and creative culture of the area and offers potential partnerships for the future.

Thanks to Gavin Lewis, Peter Copley, Peter Farrell and a host of others for their contribution to this deal.

More details from the BBC Press Office website