The first of this month saw the ten year anniversary of Shirley Parsons Associates – a recruitment company set up to help health and safety professionals reach their career aspirations.
To celebrate, an event was organised at 240 Blackfriars Bridge on the Southbank, with incredible views stretching from St Paul’s to Big Ben.
An evening of drinks, networking, catching up with old friends and colleagues was interspersed with presentations from a number of speakers explaining the four core values of Shirley Parsons Associates.
Gerard Hand, past president of IOSH and director of GPH Safety, was the master of ceremonies. He began by introducing Shirley as one of the most well-respected people in the industry and her success in the business was down to her passion for people.
Beginning with the first value, Shirley herself took to the stage to explain ‘teamwork’ and how it fits in to the company.
She explained that the organisation had a ‘people matter’ philosophy, with teamwork building the company from 2 people to 50 in 3 different locations over the ten years it has existed.
Since 2005, Shirley explained, in the company there have been 8 engagements, 9 weddings, 17 babies and 2 more on the way. She pledged to keep her feet on the ground, remember her roots and toasted to the next ten years.
The second value – expert – was introduced by Karl Simons, Head of Health and Safety at Thames Water. He explained how he relies on Shirley Parsons Associates for all the resources he requires, and that the company goes the extra mile to understand what the client really needs.
Shirley Parsons being presented with flowers by Gerry Pearson
Jay Vekaria, head of central operations at Arcus Solutions, introduced the third value ‘excellence’ and explained how he met Shirley Parsons at a previous Safety & Health Expo where she offered trust and guidance helping to pave the future for him and others. He explained that through excellence success will follow – drawing on his own experience starting off as a graduate to winning awards.
Heather Beach, director of the occupational safety and health and facilities portfolios at UBM, spoke about the final value: integrity. She explained that integrity was an essential part of doing business with Shirley Parsons Associates, and the reason it came through so well in the business was that Shirley herself exemplified this quality.
Following on from the explanations of the four values of Shirley Parsons Associates, Gerry Pearson, MD of both the UK and US arms of the business displayed his evident enjoyment at being such an integral part of the company. He explained that the mission statement of building long-term sustainable relationships really shone through the company and finished by saying that good business happens when both parties enjoy the experience.
A vote of thanks was given by Peter Fisher, Health, Safety and Environmental director for Costain. He thanked Shirley personally for 18 years of friendship, and the help she had given in growing the business from 30 health, safety and environment advisors in 2003 to over 150 in 2015.
To finish off the speeches, Martin McElhatton, chief executive of Wheelpower and the events chosen charity introduced the silent auction. He spoke of how his life had changed, when aged 18 he was hit on his way to work by a reversing lorry and became paralysed from the waist down. He described how wheelchair sports had changed his life, allowing him to meet new people, make friends and compete at an Olympic level.
The silent auction, which incorporated a signed England cricket bat, a Florida holiday home worth £1,500, an autobiography of Sir Ranulph Feinnes, donated by the man himself, and much more, was hugely successful, raising over £2,800 for Wheelpower.
The evening highlighted what an impact Shirley Parsons and her team has had over the last ten years and anticipated great things for the next decade to come.
