Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s most senior officers got a unique, behind-the-scenes glimpse yesterday (Tuesday 7 November) into how people from the town are helping to deliver the nation’s energy supply.
Gas network company Cadent opened the doors of its Brick Kiln Street offices to Council Chief Executive Bill Cullen, Director of Community Services Sharon Stacey, Director of Environment and Planning Rob Parkinson, and Planning Manager (Major Projects) Stephen Meynell.
Some 1500 employees work at the site, helping to deliver gas to 11 million homes and businesses, from the Thames to the Lake District, 24 hours a day.
The visitors witnessed, first hand, the work of the staff operating the National Gas Emergency number. Trained operators calmly and professionally handle 1.5 million calls every year from people concerned about potentially dangerous gas escapes and carbon monoxide leaks.
And as one of Hinckley’s biggest employers, Cadent outlined its apprenticeships and training programmes. These included the EmployAbility internship scheme, which has seen 12 students from two local special schools gain invaluable work skills, with nine of them going on to land permanent jobs.
The visitors also learned how the homes of the future may be heated as energy experts at Hinckley
explore greener, low carbon alternatives to natural gas, such as hydrogen and bio-methane – gas made from food waste, crops, household waste and even sewage.
Cadent Director of Operations Ed Syson said: “We were delighted to open our doors to Bill Cullen and his team from the Borough Council and show the critical role local people play in keeping the nation’s homes warm and safe and the wheels of industry turning.
“As a major employer in Hinckley, we are keen to look at how the local community can benefit from our presence here.”
Bill Cullen, Chief Executive of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, said: “It was great that Cadent, a key local employer in the town, opened its doors to me and my senior team on Tuesday.
“We had a fascinating and extremely informative insight into the significant work that Ed, the Operations Director, and his team do to provide gas power to homes and businesses across half of the country. We discussed opportunities for future engagement in promoting employment and skills in the area and look forward to future Partnership working with Cadent going forward.”
Pictured left to right: Director of Environment and Planning Rob Parkinson; Chief Executive Bill Cullen; Planning Manager (Major Projects) Stephen Meynell; Director of Community Services Sharon Stacey; and Sophie Woolham, Cadent’s EmployAbility Strategy Manager
