PLANT PLANET
CIRCULAR ECONOMY ROUND-UP
INDUSTRY CORNER
OCTOBER 2024 – KH PLANT TRAINING Rebecca joined Lana for an open day made to inspire. She asked Kieron Honeyman, the Managing Director, what inspired him to help veterans and women get a taste of the industry? “Well, obviously I’m an ex-squaddie, so the open days really started with veterans. I was having a drink one night, and for some reason my mind drifted to my time in the army. I gained so much from my time there, and if I hadn’t been there, l’d have been in really big trouble. And it made me want to give back to veterans, especially as I’m in a position to be able to do something that would actually benefit. So, that’s when we did Veterans Day, where vets could come along free of charge and learn to drive machines and perhaps kick-start a new career for them and help them to get qualifications. “After we’d done one or two of them, I was talking to one of the girls who worked in the office. She mentioned there was a company that had done some sort of women in construction
day that she’d attended, which she really enjoyed but it was all simulators. Now, l’ve worked with quite a few women in the industry, and l’ve got a lot of female friends, and I couldn’t help but think, these days are a great idea, but simply showing a vague outline won’t help. They deserve the opportunity to try it out in a completely structured and safe environment with qualified instructors. Hands-on experience, you know? It turns it into a bit of a fun day, but obviously, at the same time it raises awareness and takes a little bit of that stigma away. Anyone can find these machines intimidating, but I feel it’s even harder for women because they feel cast out from the construction culture.” Along with Women in Construction Day and Veterans Day at KH Plant Training, In 2023, they also undertook the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds to help homeless veterans and the MCVC charity in Rotherham. After 10 hours of battling tough weather and pushing our limits, they successfully raised over £6,000, which was evenly distributed between the two charities.
APRIL // MaY 2025
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