“Our people are at the heart of everything we do.”
That message came to life during Chief People Officer Justine Vaughan’s week-long tour of our southern sites. Since April, around 700 new colleagues have joined the organisation across BOB, Frimley, and Sussex, and Justine set out with a clear goal – to personally welcome and hear from as many teams as possible.
Accompanied by colleagues Michele Jackson and Jenna Tarry-Mitchell, Justine visited five key locations, spending valuable time with both frontline and operational teams.
Highlights from the tour included:
- Burgess Hill: A heartfelt thank you to Charlotte Lockhart, Marina Sigward, Mark Wall, Stephanie Nunn and especially Yasir for the warm welcome.
- Hailsham: Justine observed compassionate call-handling by Vanessa, Lisa and the wider control team, facilitated by Imogen Cripps and Operations Manager Mitzy.
- Reading: Four hours in the crew room engaging with teams between shifts – a rich opportunity to listen and learn, supported by Team Leader Andrew Farmer.
- Abingdon: A thoughtful visit with Team Leader Lee-John, offering honest and valuable insight.
- Banbury: A deep and rewarding two-day stop, including time with the Ops and Control teams and a memorable morning on the road with ACA Sandra Butler.
“I had a really heart-warming, impressive and rewarding week,” said Justine. “The feedback I received was invaluable, and I came away with pages of notes and actions to take forward. I couldn’t be more proud of the people I met.”
These visits are a core part of our commitment to listening to our people and co-creating positive, sustainable improvements in our culture and systems.
Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to share their stories, ideas and reflections.
