What a week!

Earlier in the week we were runner up in the Sentinel Business awards in the Training Excellence category, but last night things got a lot better with The Up and under Group winning the ‘Mornflake Oats Award for Innovation’ at the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise.

Making it even sweeter the certificate was accompanied by a cheque that just about equaled our annual turnover in our first year of operation, 25 years ago, in 1987!


In other news Rob Hughes completed the Cheshire Cat Cyclosportive on Sunday (102 miles) and made it up Mow Cop killer mile.

No surrender! Rob rides up the Killer Mile

Tom Hutchinson representing Up and Under DH race team came 3rd in category in the 2011-2012 Winter series round 4 at Cannock Chase.
http://www.rootsandrain.com/race928/2012-mar-25-2011-12-the-winter-series-4-cannock-chase/

All in all a pretty good week

Training Award Runner Up

Yesterday we were announced as a runner up in the Sentinel Business Awards at the Kings Hall in Stoke. These awards recognise business success in Staffordshire and S Cheshire.

We were the runner up in the Training Excellence Award, recognising the effort and investment we make in training out team members.  We were obviously disappointed not to win, but we were beaten by a company 10 time our size who had built a £1million training centre for their staff in the past year so I guess if was a reasonable decision.

On the plus side you can be comforted that the staff working on your jobs get a range of essential safety training (eg all our team members get the opportunity to do first aid training every year - not every 3 as prescribed) plus a wide variety of technical education. 

In the past two years all of the Directors have undergone a thorough leadership programme with MMU, 5 of our team members have had one to one high level coaching, many of our technical team have completed NVQs from level 3 up to level 6 in relevant disciplines, our admin team are completing accountancy and personnel management qualifications, all of our directors have completed or are in the process of undertaking NEBOSH General Certificates and we are currently sponsoring two team members on degree programmes.

This is the edited highlights of the training commitment we have made to our 30 strong team, if you want to know more please contact either Simon or Andy via http://www.upandundergroup.com/

If you would like to have our team look at your training needs please contact our training company Entrainment for essential safety, management and technical training. 

Making the news - South Cheshire Chamber Newsletter

Here's the link:
http://sut5.co.uk/l/c.php?c=227&ct=116305

It is always fun to see the company's name in 'print'

Up and Under Downhill Race Team Latest

Supporting sporting teams has long been a part of what we do at Up and Under and in 2012 we will be supporting our very own downhill bike race team, the following is a report from their first outing:

Pearce Cycles Downhill Series 2012 – Round 1

The Up and Under downhill race team (Rob - Hughes, Director Up and Under Limited - , Tom and John) had an encouraging first race of the season – Pearce Cycles Downhill Series Round 1 at Bringewood near Ludlow.


After a fairly relaxed day of practice on Saturday with dry dusty conditions the mood was a bit tense come Sunday morning, as the ground was damp the sky was grey and the open section was a bit slick. However, at the end of practice the track was dry.

First Runs:
John sets off 5th in category and sets a solid time of 2:41.227

Tom roles down the hill 23rd off the line to provisionally take 1st in category with a 2:34.610, after pulling an ‘ET’ over the finish jump. Crowd loving it!

Rob follows him down as his 30second man to take 1st by just over half a second (Up and Under in positions 1 and 2).

A further 29 riders come down in category pushing the team to 12th, 13th and 31st but second runs remain!


Second Runs:

John makes it down knocking almost 2 seconds off his first run, maintaining 31st position.  Tom feeling the pressure collects two trees in the last section (no real harm done) but still crosses the line taking 0.23 seconds off his first run time, finishes 18th.  Rob has an impressive incident free run taking just over 3 seconds off his first run time, finishing in 9th (target of a top ten result achieved).

Full results at:
http://www.pearcecycles.co.uk/results_pcss12_round_1
and for the extra stats:
http://www.rootsandrain.com/race1217/2012-mar-18-pearce-cycles-1-bringewood/

Bring on round 2! (At Hopton Woods, Nr. Craven Arms on the 21st & 22nd April)
Free camping for anyone that wants to

Challenge 25

We now have a dedicated Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/Upandunderchallenge25

Andy trundling along

Up and Under Await Awards Result

The Up and Under Group have been shortlisted for an award for Training Excellence in the Sentinel Awards.  The winners will be announced on 27th March.

Link to news article:
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/task-small-specialist-team/story-15558588-detail/story.html

The award recognises The Up and Under Group as a great place to work and develop. We have training at the heart of everything we do, giving our customers the highest value service. 

Entrainment, which is the training division at Up and Under can help you create a culture where personal development is central to all of your company operations.

We are also a finalist in the Cheshire High Sheriff's Awards, this time for Innovation.  The award ceremony is on the 29th March, so it could be a busy week. 

1987 Quiz Answers

1. George
2. He is a Mountain Guide in Chamonix
3. Of course it is Jean.

Only one correct entry from Lorna Fewtrell - should we give her a prize? ;o)

1988 quiz to follow soon.

Olympic Torch Route Crewe

Here is the route as published on the official web site, looks like an early morning ;o)

Andy to Carry Olympic Torch

We are very happy to announce that Up and Under Group MD Andy Fewtrell has been selected to carry the Olympic Flame through part of his home town of Crewe on 31st May.

Andy has been selected in recognition of his years of providing employment and educational opportunities through the Up and Under Group and his work in helping youngsters achieve their potential through the charity he founded, and now helps run, the Up and Under Foundation.

They are giving this to Andy!

Andy was heard to say "I am chuffed to bits!" Translated that means he is very happy ;o)

We have no further details on times or routes, but we will post them here when we have.

25th Birthday in Pictures

Cake on our Birthday, Jean delivers again!

We had to have the Scalextric

Jean may have retired, but she hasn't hung up her dancing shoes

Now what?

Food galore

Great to see Phil Watkins

and Tim Jakeman

Simon is up to something ;o)

3 generations of the Fewtrell Clan

Thanks Sue for the balloons (and organising another successful party)

Andy made up (and speechless!)

Birthday group

Hang on, what is that in the back of the crowd?

It's a chicken!

Jean still dancing!

What the......?

There is nothing normal about this company

What chord next?  ;o)

Can youu havethis much fun doing anything else?

Adoring headbanging fans

Yeah!!!!

Identity revealed Matt Cooke - Star!

25 Today!!!!

Happy Birthday Up and Under

Established 9th March 1987

Thanks to everyone who has played their part in 25 successful and highly enjoyable years.

We'll be doing lots to celebrate in this anniversary year but here are a few pictures from 1987.

We will be running a competition on Facebook
www.facebook.com/upandundergroup

Up and Under Challenge 25

So next week we celebrate our 25th Birthday.  We will be doing lots during the year and we will keep you informed of the various activities.

The first event we are revealing is an opportunity for you all to join us, get active, have some fun and challenge yourself.  "Challenge 25" is your sporting roadmap to our action packed 25th birthday year.  There will be prizes galore, opportunities to get your picture on the web site and lots more.

Se the details below:

Click to enlarge!