April 2019
IRENE HONOURED WITH TOP ACCOLADES
ALSO INSIDE: Retail Conference High Flyer events Christmas Party
Your news from your company
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W H A T ’ S I N S I D E
Christmas Party...................................... 4 Award News........................................... 12 High Flyer................................................ 16 Homeworking High Flyer................. 18 Panto.......................................................... 19 Switzerland Educational................. 20 Hays Travel Foundation & Local Community Partnership................... 22 Travel Team - My Story.................... 26
Staff Promotions................................. 29 Homeworker - Kirsty Mitchell....... 30 Retail Conference................................ 32 Local Community Partnership Report...................................................... 36 Caption Competition......................... 37 Guess The Baby................................... 38 New Retail Branches......................... 39
A Day In The Life - Mandy Sousa........................................ 40 Meet The Team - HTOL.................... 42 Santorini Travel Diary........................ 44 Time Hop................................................ 45 A Day In The Life - Nicola Armstrong............................... 46 Diary Dates............................................ 47
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WELCOME J O H N H A Y S
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Reading this Home and Away I am filled with pride for our amazing people and teams, and a small number of our great people and teams are showcased here.
External awards validate the strength of our culture of working together and having fun.
WOW!
Thank you everyone
We are:-
Enjoy the read.
• The only travel company to be recognised in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For list! • The Best Large Company Apprenticeship Training Provider in the whole country as recognised by Investors in People!
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E V E N T S CHRISTMAS 2018
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The 2018 Christmas Parties were the usual raucous success, with record numbers donning their glad rags for a night of festive fun with their colleagues. The south event took place on 5 December at the Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton, with over 200 attendees, while more than 600 of us descended on Wynyard Hall in County Durham for the north event on 13 December.
We enjoyed Christmas dinner and award presentations before hitting the dancefloor….
4 HOME AND AWAY MARCH 2019
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HOME AND AWAY APRIL 2019 6
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W I N N E R S SOUTH /////////////////
RETAIL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR AARON TANNER ROMSEY Aaron had an amazing first year, finishing on £52k, and has gone from strength to strength each month with his sales. He said: “When I started as a new apprentice straight from secondary school I was lacking in confidence and knowledge, but over the past year I have developed so much due to all the help and support I’ve received from both the team at Romsey and the training department. “The atmosphere on the night was exciting but tense as so many apprentices achieved outstanding results for the year, so a big well done to everyone! When I saw my name as the first to be nominated for this award I immediately felt like I had been recognised for all my hard work and determination, but to actually receive the award I felt so emotional and proud of what I had achieved.
RETAIL SALES CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR LIZ HOGBEN SIDMOUTH Liz is a consistent highflyer and has had another amazing year of sales, finishing the year on over £70k whilst working part time. She said: “My main feeling on the night was shock - I had not even got over seeing my photo come up as a nominee when I heard I had won! “It was so emotional for me and all my lovely colleagues. I felt like I was at the Oscars! It was a real boost to be recognised in this way. “This year I will continue to look after all my loyal customers and provide the same care and service to new customers to secure their bookings.”
BRANCH OF THE YEAR FAREHAM
Fareham finished the year 93% up on the previous year.
Emma Macaskill, assistant manager at Fareham, said: “It felt great to win an award at the Christmas party and know that our hard work throughout the year has been acknowledged within the company. It has given us the determination to succeed in 2019 and make sure we keep the award within the Sussex region!”
IT WAS SO EMOTIONAL FOR ME AND ALL MY LOVELY COLLEAGUES. I FELT LIKE I WAS AT THE OSCARS! IT WAS A REAL BOOST TO BE RECOGNISED IN THIS WAY. Liz Hogben, Sidmouth
“Hence this year my determination to succeed has not deteriorated!”
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W I N N E R S NORTH /////////////////
RETAIL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR JENNIFER LAWSON CHESTER-LE-STREET Feedback from Jennifer’s assessors is fantastic! She always strives to achieve her high flyer status and won’t accept anything less! She said: “Winning the Apprentice of the Year award at the Christmas party was a massive shock for me as everyone nominated is so fantastic! It was a great achievement for me to be recognised by head office and I still feel proud to this day. “It has encouraged me to strive to be the best I can be at my job and I would like to achieve great things again this year with the help of my team.”
HEAD OFFICE APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR EMILY BARNES PURCHASING Emily is part of our IIP group, is always keen to learn new roles and take on more responsibility, and is consistent with her apprenticeship work. She implements ideas within her department and her customer service is exceptional. Emily said: “I was very shocked to have won but delighted to accept the award on behalf of the team!” .
HIGHLY COMMENDED APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR ALEXANDRA TURNER-DAVIS JARROW Alexandra said: “I still can’t believe I won the Hays Travel Highly Commended Apprentice of the Year award! I feel honoured to have received this award - it means so much to me. And it just feels amazing to know I’ve been recognised by John Hays for the work that I’ve done whilst working with the company!”
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W I N N E R S NORTH /////////////////
RETAIL SALES CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR LEAH DALE NORTHALLERTON Leah is always consistent in delivering an amazing sales performance, achieving almost £120k last year in commission. Every year she strives to do more. She said: “I felt very honoured to receive the award. I had my best ever year and achieved the highest profit I have ever done since working for the company. It was a great feeling that my achievements had been recognised and rewarded. Fingers crossed I can continue and even do better in the years to come!”
HOMEWORKER SALES AWARD KIRSTY MITCHELL PERSONAL TRAVEL CONSULTANT She said: “Well, what can I say? My friend was videoing while the nominations were being announced and the shock on my face says enough. When I heard I had won I actually burst into tears! “I worked so hard for it last year. It was my first full year as a homeworker and I achieved over £62k profit with a decent margin. I was also the PTC port of call for many of the new starters last year, helping them with systems and allowing anyone to take deals from my social media pages.
HEAD OFFICE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR NATASHA HESLOP TRAINING Natasha always has a smile on her face when she visits branches and is a constant support to every apprentice that she comes into contact with. Natasha said: “I was delighted to win the head office employee of the year award. Going forward this year I will continue to support, praise and motivate apprentices on programme to achieve the best results in both sales and on their apprenticeship. I look forward to working with everybody this year.”
“Most of my business comes from Facebook so this year I plan to continue
to grow this business further and hopefully hit High Flyer again.”
I WORKED SO HARD FOR IT LAST YEAR. IT WAS MY FIRST FULL YEAR AS A HOMEWORKER AND I ACHIEVED OVER £62K PROFIT WITH A DECENT MARGIN. Kirsty Mitchell - PTC
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W I N N E R S NORTH /////////////////
HEAD OFFICE TEAM OF THE YEAR SOCIAL MEDIA
BRANCH OF THE YEAR CHAPELTOWN
THE JOHN AWARD CAROLE HODGSON
Apprenticeship delivery manager, Carole, scooped The John Award for 2018.
Digital marketing manager, Natalie Buck, said: “I felt extremely proud of all of the team winning this award. I was so shocked on the night and it was great to see the reaction from the team as they were all so excited to have won! The team grew a lot in 2018 and we had a super busy year so it was nice to see the hard work pay off and get recognised. “To keep up the work in 2019 we will definitely be looking at new ideas and opportunities that we can put into place to help our sales agents, as well as grow our overall social media strategy. Our aim this year is to grow our strategy across more social media channels, try out new concepts and continue to learn from these. I am very excited to see what ideas we can implement in 2019!”
Chapeltown won the Retail Branch of the Year accolade for 2018.
She said: “I felt really proud to win The John Award. It was the icing on the cake after a really successful year. “In 2019 we will be continuing to listen to feedback and making enhancements to make our training programmes even better!”
Branch manager, Rebecca Holt, said: “It felt amazing to win Branch of the Year. I am so proud of all the team and how hard they have worked. “We were busier than we could have ever imagined last year and it often meant staying behind and working through lunches to put our customers first, but it was worth it, and I am so glad all the hard work paid off!
“We increased our business by 1.2 million so I couldn’t ask for anything more!”
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A W A R D N E W S
AWARD SUCCESS CONTINUES!
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In the last issue we reported on the huge success we’d had, as both a company and individuals, in various awards throughout the year.
At the time, we knew we were a finalist in the Investors in People Apprentice Employer of the Year category, but we were yet to find out that we had won this prestigious award! The Investors in People awards celebrate the best people management practices amongst IIP-accredited businesses and the 2018 winners were announced at a spectacular awards ceremony at The Roundhouse, Camden, on 28 November. The Apprentice Employer of the Year category celebrates organisations who provide fantastic opportunities for apprentices in their organisation to learn, develop and progress. They understand that the apprentices of today have the potential to be the business leaders of tomorrow. Jane Schumm, said: “We are extremely proud of our apprenticeship programme and the success it brings to both individuals and to our organisation as a whole. “Winning the IIP Apprentice Employer of the Year award 2018 was yet another highlight of a fantastic year at Hays Travel, which included being recognised in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list and achieving our £1 billion sales landmark.” Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “This year’s Investors in People Awards were an inspirational celebration of best practice across our international community. I commend Hays Travel for their dedication to improving the quality of work for their employees.”
Helen Liddle and Gemma Morrell at the IIP awards
night we also took the silver award for Best Large Independent Travel Agency at the British Travel Awards! The British Travel Awards is the largest and most influential poll of consumer opinion on the performance of enterprises operating in the leisure travel and visitor attractions sector. After all that, we also got news that two more Hays Travel apprentices had made it to the finals of regional awards ceremonies. Faye Robinson, from the Middlesbrough branch, had already been crowned Apprentice of the Year at the North East
And if that’s not enough, on the same
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Faye Robinson - Middlesbrough.
Jane Schumm & Helen Liddle celebrating 100 Best Companies to Work For.
one of the top five high street agencies in their specific region, as part of a power-list of the nation’s best agents put together by TTG. More than 500 travel agencies and branches put themselves forward for consideration for TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies 2019, from which a shortlist of 100 finalists across 20 categories has been devised. On April 25 the 50 agencies that have ultimately earned a place in the Top 50 list for 2019 will be announced at a glittering ceremony at The Vox Centre in Birmingham. In February, we were once again recognised as one of the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK! The prestigious list is put together by Best Companies, the employee engagement specialists, who survey an organisation’s workforce to examine the ins-and-outs of company life. The survey reveals how employees really perceive their work environment. Helen Liddle, Head of HR, said: “I am so proud that we have yet again made it into the Best Companies to Work For list. At Hays, making sure that our staff feel rewarded, engaged and motivated is a priority and we work really hard to achieve this for everyone, whether they be first year apprentices or senior managers. To receive external recognition highlighting our employee
Employee of the Year awards earlier in 2018, but was also recognised as a finalist in the Rising Star category of the North East Business Woman of the Year awards. Faye has surpassed her high flyer targets since starting at the company and is a Hays Travel Apprentice Ambassador. Well done, Faye! In the south, Laura Jackman of the Sidmouth branch was shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year at the South West Business and Community Awards Laura beat off competition from over 300 applicants to make it into the final three and attended a special gala awards ceremony on 24 January at The Double Tree by Hilton in Swindon. Hays Travel’s apprenticeship delivery manager, Carole Hodgson, said: “We were absolutely delighted to hear that Laura had made the final three apprentices at the South West Business Awards. What an achievement! We have so many wonderful apprentices at Hays Travel and to see individuals recognised in this way makes us very proud.”
satisfaction levels as some of the highest in the country is a real achievement.” Jonathan Austin, CEO & Founder of Best Companies, said: “Organisations like Hays Travel have continued to focus on their employees and have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us that this is a best company to work for.”
Into 2019 and the success hasn’t stopped…
January saw four Hays Travel branches shortlisted among the best travel agencies in the British Isles.
Our Northallerton, Mold, Weymouth and Ringwood branches were all selected as
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This very special award was introduced in 2010 to commemorate the life of Penny Akam, who organised the Globe Travel Awards for many years and who lost her battle with cancer in 2008. The Penny Akam Unsung Hero Award recognises unsung heroes in the travel industry, and is presented to an individual who characterises the special qualities that Penny embodied. The award was presented at a swanky ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House on Thursday, 17 January. Alex has faced her own battle with cancer, being diagnosed with progressive throat cancer in 2014 aged 14, when she was given three months to live. Alex beat the odds and in January 2015, after receiving an adult dose of chemo-radiation five days a week over six weeks, she was given the all-clear. Alex raised more than £50,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust during her treatment and went on to set up her own charity foundation, Alex’s Angels, to help families of children with the disease. Alex is a Hays Travel Apprentice Ambassador and one of the company’s top performing apprentices. Last year, she was a finalist in the Best Apprentice category of the North East Employee of the Year awards as well as scooping the North East Advanced Apprentice of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards. Alex also picked up the Highly Commended Apprentice of the Year award at the Christmas Party. Alex said: “Receiving the Unsung Hero Award at the Globe Travel Awards 2019 was an honour and I was not expecting to be nominated, never mind win it! I feel so grateful to have won this and so thankful to the people who put me forward for it! It has been a massive achievement for me, not just in my work life but also in my personal life; to be recognised for the hard work I put in to my charity, Alex’s Angels Foundation, means so much!”
Carole Hodgson at the North East Business Awards 2019.
Alexandra Turner-Davis picking up her Unsung Hero Award in January.
In March we were recognised as a top apprenticeship employer at the North East Business Awards 2019. Carole Hodgson picked up the award at a glitzy black-tie event held at Ramside Hall Hotel. The event was the second of three regional heats ahead of a grand final in May. Hays Travel won the top apprenticeship award for the Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside region and we will find out whether we are crowned top in the North East at the May finals.
Carole said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have picked up yet another apprenticeship award. I’m so proud of our incredible training teams and all our amazing apprentices!” The North East Business Awards grand final takes place on Thursday, 16 May at Hardwick Hall Hotel in County Durham. UNSUNG HERO Hays Travel apprentice at the Jarrow branch, Alexandra Turner-Davis, received The Penny Akam Unsung Hero Award at the Travel Weekly Globe awards in January.
Hays homeworker, Lisa Read, was honoured with the same award in 2018.
IRENE HONOURED WITH TOP ACCOLADES Within the space of a week in November last year, Irene Hays received two extraordinary accolades; a Lifetime Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration.
First came the Lifetime Achievement Award, which Irene received on 8
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Irene and her Lifetime Achievement Award.
Irene collecting her HonoraryDoctorate in Business Administration.
November at the North East Business Executive of the Year awards 2018. The glitzy black-tie bash took place at Newcastle’s Civic Centre to honour the region’s most inspiring business leaders. Irene received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award because of her tremendous work as Chief Executive of both South Tyneside and Sunderland City Councils in which she built strong links with the region’s business community. Irene also chairs the Group Board of Hays Travel. She said: “It was so unexpected because it was a business awards ceremony. At first I thought it was going to be John and then somebody else.
“It was an amazing night and I felt very emotional.”
The next week Irene received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Sunderland! Irene has had a wide and varied career spanning 42 years in local and national government and the private sector. She has worked within and on behalf of different councils including being Chief Executive Officer of both South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council. Irene has also held the post of Director General for Local Government and Regeneration with the Department of Communities and Local Government. She was awarded a CBE for services to Local Government in 2008.
Well done Irene, we’re all very proud!
Ps in case you didn’t know, John also holds an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Sunderland, awarded in 2010, which is why he gets to don hat and gown in this pic too!
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H I G H F L Y E R HAYS HIGH FLYERS AND LOYAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES
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High Flyer swanky events took place earlier this year in both the north and the south. The northern event took place at Ramside Hall on 7 February with almost 200 people getting together to celebrate achieving high flyer targets and loyal service, while 80 people attended the southern event at the Bournemouth Hilton on 12 February. Attendees enjoyed a black-tie event including a three-course dinner, award presentation and disco.
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This year the following people marked milestones with the company.
20 YEARS LOYAL SERVICE
Amanda Gardner
Dianne Collier
Lisa Dowding
Ruth Todner
Jeanette White
Martin Cure
30 YEARS LOYAL SERVICE
Lenore Mason
Carole Hodgson
Other loyal service employees were recognised this year but couldn’t make the event. Congratulations to Ann Kent from Andover, Helen Rostron from Shanklin and Kay Scott from balance collections, who are all celebrating 20 years with Hays, while Julie Fenwick and Rachel East, both from Stanley, and Melanie Hart from retail head office, celebrate their 30 year anniversary!
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LONDON Meanwhile, the homeworking high flyers have also been celebrating with a trip to London which included an overnight stay, a meal, a West End show, and a river cruise. ///////////////// H O M E W O R K I N G H I G H F L Y E R
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H A Y S F O U N D A T I O N LOCAL CHILDREN ENJOY A TRIP TO THE PANTO
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As always, we booked out the Customs House theatre ahead of Christmas so that staff and their families could enjoy the festive pantomime, which for the 2018 Christmas season was Beauty and the Beast.
panto watching Beauty and the Beast, there were lots of happy smiling faces from the children and parents and carers alike. This is the second year Hays Travel have invited our support group for children with special needs and disabilities along and this year we had 70 of our members attending and joining in the fun. “We would like to thank Hays Travel and all who organised this event for allowing our charity to be part of it, it is fantastic that our Kayak kids got to experience such a well organised and special event bringing groups, charities and other organisations together in one place to have a wonderful time. Thank you once again from all at The Kayaks.” Hays Travel’s consumer events manager, Mandy Sousa, said: “What an amazing day! It was a huge pleasure for me to represent the Hays Travel Foundation
It’s safe to say that the show was a barrel of laughs for big and small kids alike! But this year, for the second year running, we also booked the theatre out for another special performance of the panto after Christmas, so that children from local organisations could enjoy the show too. The Hays Travel Foundation booked 403 seats at the South Shields theatre and tickets were donated to a variety of local children’s charities and organisations. One of the organisations to receive tickets was South Tyneside’s The Kayaks charity, a support group for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Kimberley Elliott, fundraiser and events coordinator for The Kayaks, said: “The Kayaks could not have enjoyed themselves more at the Customs House
for a second year at the Customs House pantomime. To see the children joining in with the exceptional cast is always a great sight to see, especially as some of these children have never been to a pantomime. “It filled my heart with joy to see all the smiling faces, as well as the booing, cheering and singing along!”
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E D U C A T I O N A L S SWITZERLAND
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Milly Hart from our Sidmouth branch travelled to Switzerland in October with Switzerland Travel Centre. Here’s her blog.
DAY 1 We landed into Zurich around 11am and caught the train (which was a double decker – very exciting), on which we had a section of a 1st class carriage reserved especially for us to take us to Arth- Goldau. On route we enjoyed a yummy picnic lunch of cheese, red wine, crisps, and sandwiches. We then hopped on a little train which took us up Mount Rigi to 1800 metres. The views the whole way up the mountain were beautiful and we even got given Lindor chocolate which just topped off the experience! Once we reached the highest peak of the mountain, Rigi Kulm, breathing in the cool, fresh, mountainous air was incredible. The views of the snowy peaks coming out of the clouds beneath us and the bright blue sky was really a special moment. After some time admiring the view we walked down the mountain to our first hotel, Rigi
Kaltbad, which is in a stunning position overlooking the surrounding peaks and forest sitting at 1400 metres high. The hotel has an amazing spa (with a view!) and a heated outdoor swimming pool which we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy for a couple of hours as the sun set over the mountains. They also served us up a delicious meal in the evening accompanied with a load of wine! DAY 2 I woke up this morning to the most stunning view of the mountains from my bedroom window with the snow-topped peaks poking out the top of the fluffy clouds, and the only sound I could hear when opening the window was birds tweeting. Fabulous! We had breakfast before going on a horse and carriage ride for an hour through the mountains. It was really quite magical going through the trees listening to the horses hooves go clippidy-clop and the tinkling of the horse’s bells as we went. Next we got
the train back down the mountain, which was an experience, going down through the clouds not being able to see a thing at times! When we reached the bottom of the mountain we got a gorgeous old paddle boat across Lake Lucerne which took a couple of hours to Fluelen, where we met a train which took us to the beautiful town of Bellinzona which sits on the Italian border just an hour and a half away from Milan. Our second hotel, Hotel Internazionale, was located opposite the train station and in a lovely spot just a few minute’s stroll from the gorgeous piazza. There were a wide selection of shops right outside the hotel and the ancient Castelgrande which was built back in the 1500s was just a few minute’s stroll away. In the evening we enjoyed a walking tour of the town and learnt all about its history.
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“I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO THE MOST STUNNING VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS FROM MY BEDROOM WINDOWWITH THE SNOW-TOPPED PEAKS POKING OUT THE TOP OF THE FLUFFY CLOUDS, AND THE ONLY SOUND I COULD HEAR WHEN OPENING THE WINDOWWAS BIRDS TWEETING, FABULOUS.”
DAY 3 After some delicious pastries for
breakfast we strolled down the cobbled street to the piazza where there was a Saturday market selling meats, cheeses, clothes, and gifts, which was lovely as we were surrounded by the local people going about their weekend chores. After this we got a train to Lugano where we picked up the Bernina Coach to Tirano, an Italian town right on the Swiss border. During the journey we passed Lake Como which looked beautiful with the sun shimmering on the water as we passed, and on arrival into Tirano we had a delicious lunch of handmade pasta. After lunch we climbed aboard the Bernina Express, one of the most beautiful rail journeys in Switzerland. The scenery during the four-hour journey to Chur was just incredible; passing snow topped mountains, vast forests, shimmering lakes, quaint little towns, beautiful bridges, twists and turns, and amazing views back down the mountains. On arrival in Chur we checked into our final hotel of the trip, Romantik Hotel Stern, which is a gorgeous hotel in the
The Bernina Express
centre of the town, full of character and just a few minute’s stroll from the old town. The bed here was one of the comfiest I’ve ever slept in! DAY 4 I felt sad waking up to our final day in stunning Switzerland after the best few days. After (yet another) yummy breakfast we had a two-hour walking tour of Chur old town which is, like Bellinzona, just so cute and a lovely
place to have a stroll around. During our tour we saw Chur’s cathedral which looked quite ordinary from the outside but jaw-droppingly beautiful on the inside. We also had the chance to go into a lovely little traditional and family-run bakery and chocolate shop which just smelt delightful! After stocking up on plenty of Swiss chocolate we headed back to the airport to travel home.
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H A Y S T R A V E L F O U N D A T I O N A N D L O C A L C O M M U N I T Y P A R T N E R S H I P NEWS ROUNDUP
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The Hays Travel Foundation team is very happy to say that 2018 was one of our best years yet! Our branches have been working really hard, doing their best not only to provide the most amazing services to our customers but also to become community champions.
SUCCESS4ALL an educational charity established in 2006 that fights educational inequality by giving access to tutoring, learning resources, clubs and summer schools to those in less affluent areas. The funding helped the charity with the costs of creating a mobile learning hub.
FUNDED £ 5,050
We have seen many great initiatives from skydiving, abseiling, sky walks, fancy dress sponsored walks, and obstacle courses to good old fashioned cake sales and coach trips. In 2018 alone, our branches contributed more than £60,000 to various charitable causes close to their hearts.
to achieve and the trustees have been delighted to see many match funding requests that met our criteria. In 2018, the Foundation match funded 72 proposals from our branches to a total of £38,000, resulting in double the money for many charities that our staff support.
charities working to improve the lives of young people. Our trustees have approved over £260,000 for various projects across the UK that will benefit the communities in which we operate.
Our teams have really got on board with what the Foundation is aiming
We have also continued to support many amazing applications from
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ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL
a world-renowned vocational centre of excellence based in Birmingham, which trains and educates secondary school students with potential in readiness for a professional ballet career. The funding has helped two North East girls continue their ballet education.
FUNDED £ 5 , 000
HOPE 4 KIDZ which supports the well- being of youngsters who require various degrees of extra care, whether they are suffering from a physical or mental disability, are living with a serious or prolonged illness, or need respite from poverty or abuse. The funding helped support the costs of organising the annual Christmas Party for North East children. Its aim is to help social cohesion between able and disabled children, no matter the background, religious belief, or ethnicity. FUNDED £ 5 , 000
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R E C E N T L O C A L C O M M U N I T Y P A R T N E R S H I P E V E N T S
HAYS TRAVEL AYLSHAM BOOGIE BOUNCE The Aylsham team were bouncing with
positivity at their fundraising activity! To show support for the Coronary Care Unit at Norwich Hospital, the team arranged a Boogie Bounce event and held a raffle in branch. And they really gave it their everything for this event because of the exceptional care staff at the hospital have given to the partner of one of the team. Support from family and friends was incredible and they also were fortunate to have local businesses and tour operators donating wonderful prizes for the raffle. RAISED £ 3,000
HAYS TRAVEL BIRTLEY COACH TRIP
Our Birtley team organised a coach trip to the Edinburgh Christmas Market in order to raise money for Heel & Toe, a charity which provides conductive education therapy to children all over the North East who have Cerebral Palsy and other physical disabilities. The charity is not government-funded and our team felt very strongly about supporting such a great cause. On the coaches the team held a raffle with three prizes on each. Guests also took part in a ‘best Christmas jumper’ competition and played bingo, which always goes down a treat! The children got selection boxes and Christmas music was playing, making for a very festive and enjoyable trip. The team raised £1,051 in total to help out Heel & Toe and we are sure they will benefit from this hugely. RAISED £ 1,051
HAYS TRAVEL TOTTON SPONSORED WALK
The Totton team were excited to fundraise for Honeypot Children’s Charity after hearing about all the good work they do. Honeypot has been working to enhance the lives of young carers and vulnerable children aged 5-12 by providing respite breaks and on-going outreach support since 1996. The Totton team agreed to do a 10k charity walk from their branch to Lyndhurst to raise money for the charity. However, the team didn’t stop there, they also decided to dress up as bumble bees to promote Honeypot even further! On the morning, our bees were ready to start buzzing as they gathered at the branch and prepared for their walk. To cover the distance it took the team three hours underneath the scorching sun all dressed up. RAISED £ 550
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HAYS TRAVEL HOUGHTON-LE- SPRING CHARITY BIKE RIDE The Houghton team organised a sponsored bike ride from Seaham to South Shields in order to raise money for The Cheesy Waffles Project. This charity delivers clubs and activities to young people in the area. All of the activities are subsidised by grants, donations and their own fundraising efforts to ensure that local youngsters can have fun together. This was a very challenging activity but they were really happy to help such a great local project, especially since on the day members of the charity where waiting at the finish line to cheer them on. RAISED £ 902
HAYS TRAVEL HEAD OFFICE
Dawn Parr, balance collection and admin manager, said: “The balance collection and admin team at head office try to do our bit for the communities and local charities throughout the year. One of the ways we do this is every payday Friday we arrange a number card draw for the staff, charging £1 per number with winners receiving £30 and £20 into our charity pot which we then build up. We also fundraise throughout the year for various causes, including Macmillan Cancer Support and local foodbanks. Then at Christmas time we organise a Christmas raffle with each of the team donating an item and then we use some funds from the number draw to buy prizes. “2018’s raffle was for Ambers Law, a local charity campaigning to change the current cervical smear test law from the current age of 25 down to 18, which will give young women a better chance of detection and survival. We decided on this charity as our friend and
colleague, Catherine Baker, is currently bravely fighting against this and she is determined to raise awareness to women of how important a regular check-up is. Catherine is an absolute inspiration and is fighting her way through with such positivity and determination we felt we had to help raise awareness with her. 2018’s Christmas raffle raised £570 towards Amber’s Law awareness. “It’s a real team effort and I am so proud of what the team have achieved and are grateful for all the support from the Hays staff who are the ones who buy the tickets after all!” Also inspirational is the training department’s Gemma Morrell, who turned 40 in February and to celebrate completed a run every day of January (covering 90 miles) to raise money for Washington Mind. The charity’s Red January is an initiative that encourages people to support their mental health by doing something active every single day. Congratulations Gemma!
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T R A V E L T E A M MY STORY
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As well as being fab at our jobs, many of the Hays Travel team have talents outside of work. In this issue we hear from a poet, actor and musician.
HAVE YOU BEEN PUBLISHED AND WHERE? Yes, I have published poems in five anthologies now, also a few poetry magazines. Most of my book work has been published by Forward Poetry. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE A POEM? It can vary, it’s mood dependent I think, if I’m in the correct mood for writing I can write a first draft pretty quickly. I do have a habit of going back and re-writing/editing about a zillion times before I’m happy.
HERE’S ONE OF HELEN’S POEMS
Winters Child Those born into the blizzards They shall never miss the sun Play happily amongst snow drifts Cornbeef limbs and digits numb I, who born a child of winter Salt North breezes kiss my skin Never yearn for heat of summer Lead the cold life of my kin Snow falls down on we like angles Blanket covering the dirt Of the lost and broken classes Pure and white to cleanse the hurt We shall warm aside coal hearthside’s We shall share our crusts of bread We shall sip our brothers water On our families, rest our head In our safes there won’t be rubies But a photograph or two Loves small trinkets and its tokens And those treasured notes from you Faraway there may be sunshine Gold will warm the clear blue skies But the children of the summer Shan’t feel warmth like you and I
HELEN ROGERS Helen is offline marketing manager. She enjoys writing poetry and tending to her allotment in her spare time
AGE: 38.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB: Getting to work with so many great suppliers and departments. WORST THING ABOUT MY JOB: Fending off cold calls from people who want us to advertise with them. WHEN DID YOU START WRITING? I’ve always written bits and pieces really; poems in birthday cards, little rhyming books for my son etc. But I guess I first started trying to write proper poetry in about 2012 when I joined an online poetry group. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY? Poetry wise, I have a few, but the first time I was asked to speak about poetry and read some of my own poetry for BBC Radio on National Poetry Day was a pretty good memory, my family were listening in and they were all pretty proud.
JOB TITLE: Offline Marketing Manager.
BASED AT: Head Office.
HOW LONG IN JOB: 8 months.
HOW LONG IN TRAVEL: 8 months.
PREVIOUS JOB: SPI Manager Radio.
HOBBIES: Reading, writing, art, music, beach, festivals, pub and my allotment!
HOME AND AWAY APRIL 2019 26
STEVEN STOBBS Steven is one of our selling system support clerks but also a successful actor
AGE: 34.
some ‘am dram’ societies and went to the National Youth Theatre in London when I was 18. Then I got my big break in 2005 when I performed in ‘Fine Fine Fine’ at the Gala Theatre in Durham, a musical written by TV’s Agony Aunt, the late Denise Robertson. I’ve worked professionally since then performing in plays, comedy, pantomime and musicals, all around the North East, the UK and even Italy with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, Cinderella. I’ve done a small amount of TV (Wire in the Blood and Inspector George Gently) and film (Interview with a Hitman and The Liability). HOW DID YOU GET INTO TV ADS? I got the adverts through the agent I had at the time. I did the Jackpot 247 advert back in 2012 and two weeks later the LIDL advert for the Pride of Britain Awards. DO YOU ENJOY IT? Yeah I do, it’s a huge passion of mine and always will be. It’s been one of the true constants in my life. I am very thankful that over the four years I’ve been with Hays Travel, they’ve been really supportive and giving me time off or working around me so that I can still follow that passion. There have been times when I haven’t been performing
and I start doing silly voices and accents in work, just to keep myself sane.
JOB TITLE: Selling Systems Support Clerk.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN RECOGNISED? Yes I have been recognised, a couple of times. When I was at Hays part time, I also worked at Alnwick Castle as a Broomstick Professor doing the Broomstick training, which is some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I was later recognised as one of the ‘professors’ whilst in town! I’ve also been recognised as an ‘elf’ after being part of The Naughty Elf Christmas children’s shows at the Customs House in South Shields. And if ever I pop up in something random on TV I get my friends on Facebook tagging me in screenshots of their TV! WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY? I’ve had a lot of fun memories, so to select just one would be very hard. Over the years I’ve worked with some amazing people, rubbed shoulders with celebrities and shared some brilliant experiences. But some of the most fun I had was touring Italy, not only was it fun to do the shows, but the theatres we performed in (one of which was 400 years old), the sites we saw, and of course the food we ate, was unreal. A very unforgettable experience.
BASED AT: Head Office.
HOW LONG IN JOB: 4 years.
HOW LONG IN TRAVEL: 4 years.
PREVIOUS JOB: As a jobbing actor I’ve had more jobs than I care to remember. My last ‘normal job before I worked at Hays Travel was selling advert spaces for a local paper that never took off. HOBBIES: Going to the theatre, the cinema, and out for food and drinks with my mates. And cooking – I think my family, friends and colleagues would all agree I’m a dab hand in the kitchen. WHEN DID YOU START ACTING? I was bitten by the acting bug when I was eight years old. I started performing in school plays and continued until I was in college at Shiney Row. I joined
YOUR NEWS FROM YOUR COMPANY 27
rock/country styles. I have performed with members of Bad Company, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, and also done lots of tribute bands including David Bowie, Meatloaf, The Blues Brothers, Queen, and Rocky Horror. My current band is called The Southern Companion and we have just released our third album which went straight in at Number 1 in the British country music charts. We have also won three British Country Music Awards over the last couple of years. We are out on tour this year to promote the album.
www.youtu.be/7VvmmztTUhY
www.thesoutherncompanion.com/ about
WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR MUSICAL CAREER? The biggest highlight was supporting Bon Jovi at the O2 Arena with my old band, The Velvet Hearts (we are on Spotify). We also recorded our album in Detroit which was an amazing experience. Also getting my name in the credits of the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, for teaching the actor who plays Roger Taylor how to play. Last year I was also lucky enough to be playing a private party where Roger Taylor was a guest so I got to meet one of my heroes.
TELL US YOUR MOST ROCK N ROLL STORY.
Being flown out to the USA by British Airways for a one-hour show for their staff. They flew the band business class and put us up in a hotel for four days and we racked up a $4000 dollar bar bill between ten of us, which they thankfully paid.
OLLY RICHMOND-JONES Olly works in our facilities department in Ferndown, Dorset, but has travelled the world as a successful drummer in a number of different bands
AGE: 40.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB: Every day is different.
JOB TITLE: Facilities Operative in the south region.
WORST THING ABOUT MY JOB: Traffic!
BASED AT: Ferndown.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN INTO MUSIC? I was always interested in music from a young age. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING THE DRUMS? I was 11yrs old when I first sat behind a kit. WHAT DIFFERENT BANDS HAVE YOU PLAYED IN AND WHAT STYLES OF MUSIC? Over the years I have played with lots of different bands, mainly in the blues/
HOW LONG IN JOB: With Hays since the Bath Travel takeover in 2013.
HOW LONG IN TRAVEL: 20 years.
PREVIOUS JOB: I ran a music bar.
HOBBIES: Cars.
HOME AND AWAY APRIL 2019 28
H A Y S T R A V E L STAFF PROMOTIONS ///////////////// Here are details of some of the latest promotions available to staff. Further info can be found in the Commercial Concessions folder on The Hub.
TRAVEL FOR FREE WITH BALKAN Balkan Holidays are offerin g the chance to travel for FREE with your travelling companion payin g £99 basic price. Visit the links below for de tails. www.balkanholidays.co.uk/ agents/ summer-2016-agent-conces sions www.balkanholidays.co.uk/ agents/ winter-1516-agent-concessi ons.html
UP TO 50% OFF INTREPID Get up to 50% off small group adventures with Intrepid Group and 25% off short break and independent adventures. 20% off for one companion travelling with an agent.
YOUR NEWS FROM YOUR COMPANY 29
H O M E W O R K E R KIRSTY MITCHELL
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2018 was Kirsty Mitchell’s first full year as a homeworker, and what a year it was! Kirsty pulled in more than £62k in profit and won the Homeworker Sales award at the Christmas Party.
NAME: Kirsty Mitchell.
AGE: 31.
JOB TITLE AND WHERE YOU’RE BASED: Personal Travel Consultant, based in the north west, covering Skelmersdale, Lancashire, Wigan and surrounding areas.
HOW LONG IN THE JOB: Two years as a PTC.
HOW LONG IN TRAVEL: 6 year s.
Kirsty winning a seven night James Villas holiday.
PREVIOUS JOBS: Entertainments and sales.
their partners and ready to commit to the booking!
Here, Kirsty tells us about her life in homeworking…
“Some days I might go to a customer’s house, like yesterday I spent two hours at a customer’s house booking a Vegas trip for her big 60th birthday coming up. We had a cuppa and a laugh talking about all things travel, and then I went to another customer’s house to drop off her tickets. She invited me in to talk about the charity event that I’m involved in alongside her, so we spoke about plans for that, then I had to shoot off as I had to be in Liverpool at 6pm for the Balkan trade training event, which was a fantastic night. “Last week I also attended the Tipto roadshows in Liverpool and Southport and was lucky enough to win a seven- night James Villas holiday courtesy of James Villas and Hoeseasons!
“I wake up at 7am every day and get my daughter, Layla, ready for school. When I get back from the school run I make a cuppa and get on my laptop. The morning is usually filled with sourcing and posting lots of deals onto my Facebook page to start generating interest. After lunch I start answering inbox messages on Facebook. At 3pm I leave to pick Layla up from school and then spend four hours with her; we’ll walk the dog, Joey, sometimes pop in to see my mum, go to the park to play football or basketball, read books and have tea. I get her to bed around 7pm before the busiest time of my day starts! Between 7 and 11 is when I do most of my bookings as people have seen my deals in the daytime and they are now sat down with
HOBBIES: Football.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB: The flexibility and earnings; it has totally blown my expectations.
WORST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB:
The stresses of just generally being really busy and not being able to keep up with the sheer number of inboxes!
HOME AND AWAY APRIL 2019 30
Homeworker Sales Award 2018.
“I absolutely love this job! Working from home gives me the flexibility to work around my daughter, travel a lot, and earn as much as I put the effort in to earn. I was a High Flyer last year and also won the award at the Christmas Party, two achievements I am mega proud of, especially to say that it was my first full financial year in travel. “Since becoming a homeworker the opportunities have been endless. I have been on fam trips to Ibiza and Mexico and won a Travel Bulletin competition to take my family back to the amazing hotel I was lucky enough to have visited on my fam trip. I’ve been given a trip to Ibiza’s Ushuaia VIP opening party from Palladium - a reward from them for great sales on return from the fam, I’m going on a cruise fam next month with Fred Olsen, we have the most amazing conferences overseas… “It really is a great job. It comes with its stresses but it’s very worth it when you see happy customers and the earning potential from this job. “In my spare time I love to travel, I like to take my daughter to new places so she can experience different cultures. I also teach her Spanish and when we visit Spain I encourage her to use it. She’s almost six now and she’s my inspiration for all of this.
Kirsty’s daughter, Layla.
“IT REALLY IS A GREAT JOB. IT COMES WITH ITS STRESSES BUT IT’S VERY WORTH IT WHEN YOU SEE HAPPY CUSTOMERS AND THE EARNING POTENTIAL FROM THIS JOB.”
entertainer so very often have children’s parties at the weekends. When I worked in retail this really didn’t fit in well and caused problems so this was one of the main reasons I took the leap to becoming a PTC. I love the flexibility of being able to work when it suits me. I feel so lucky to have found this!”
year during the last financial year. She is very helpful and supportive to new and existing PTCs in the Facebook chat group, and is a real team contributor. We’re so lucky to have her in the team and her success is well and truly deserved.”
“I like how I can work this around my other business as well. I am a children’s
PTC general manager, Stephenie-Anne Cope, said: “Kirsty has had an amazing
YOUR NEWS FROM YOUR COMPANY 31
R E T A I L CONFERENCE
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Our retail managers jetted away from a dreary UK November last year to descend on the sunshine-filled Tivoli Carvoeiro Resort in Portugal for three days of business sessions, presentations and good times.
year’s theme was ‘uniforms’, and we got everything from cheerleaders and jockeys to police and brownies! As always, the Gala Dinner was the highlight, with everyone donning their best frocks for the glitzy event, which is an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all our managers for their hard work throughout the year. Suppliers presented their awards and our managers got the chance to walk, run, dance or glide down the red carpet to collect their High Flyer invites! Head of Retail, Paula Barrett, said: “2018 brought yet another fantastic conference in a beautiful hotel and fantastic location. It was such a treat to wake up to breathtaking views of the Algarve every morning.
2018’s conference was bigger and better than ever, with a record number of attendees, including retail branch managers, senior and key head office members, and suppliers. Many attendees were at the conference for the first time; read on for the lowdown from first timers, Mihai Catea and Claire Rosslee. Conference sessions were made up of key supplier presentations, business sessions – which included celebrating our success and agreeing actions for the coming year, and supplier matching making – which were really fun interactive sessions including everything from mini presentations to Q&As and games.
Evenings were hotel-based, including the infamous fancy dress night. This
HOME AND AWAY APRIL 2019 32
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