This year, the staff at Merlin have embraced our Employee Owner spirit, enjoying several team building activities as part of our EO and 25th anniversary celebrations.
On 1st July, Merlin celebrated 7 years of Employee Ownership.
To mark the anniversary, and in true EO fashion, Merlin employees spent the day at Newberry House tidying the patio area at the side of the building. The aim was to create a nice communal gathering area for lunches and coffee breaks that can be used and enjoyed by all.
You can see the transformation the area took in just one day from the photo montage. As always, the Merlin team pulled together tackling the overgrown space, clearing the way for new plants and making the area useable again. As part of our ongoing sustainability efforts, we have invested in a compost bin and are now actively composting the green and kitchen waste we produce. During the clean-up, we even found evidence of the old petrol station that used to be on the site many years before Merlin!
Overall, the day was a success, with lots of hard work interspersed with obligatory tea and biscuit breaks, sandwiches and, of course, celebratory cake.
Since the day we have purchased flowers and plants to improve the area, for us and the local wildlife, along with tables and chairs so we can sit together on our breaks. Hopefully, the British summer will play ball and the sunshine will return soon so we can make use of the space we collectively helped to improve for the benefit of all.
2023 also marked 25 years of geoscience consultancy for Merlin. To mark the anniversary, earlier this year, we enjoyed a team building day at CUP ceramics in Hereford. The day involved learning basic hand building techniques and how to throw pots on the wheel, and culminated in a team challenge. For most Merlin staff it was our first time working with clay, so it was a steep learning curve, but we all surpassed our expectations and produced some wonderful items to keep. A lot of thanks must go to the fabulous team at CUP who were very friendly and great instructors.
As always, the Merlin team were encouraging and supportive of each other in true EO style. Creating such a positive, caring and creative atmosphere not only helps the team feel comfortable working together, but helps develop a strong bond, trustworthiness and respect amongst staff. This translates across into the work we do on a day to day basis.
Overall, both days were a huge success, showing the broad range of skills the Merlin team have! Our staff are committed, encouraging and supportive of each other, all key qualities that help us work well together and improve the quality of the work we provide to our clients.
We are already looking forward to the next challenge.