Although 2020 may not be a year to look back at with nostalgia, it was certainly not all doom and gloom. The close-knit team at JB Associates prioritised positivity over the last 12 months and proved that remote working can still be collaborative. Here’s a round-up of some of our most memorable 2020 moments…
Built Environment Networking
The JBA team managed to get to a few face-to-face networking events while we could, most memorably Built Environment’s South Coast Development Conference in Brighton. While we could not predict how the year was going to turn out, it was interesting to hear panels from across a variety of industries discussing upcoming projects in the South.
Virtual Networking
The JBA Zoom networking events were our answer to keeping in contact with other professionals during lockdown. Over the course of 12 weekly catch-ups, we built up a close network of industry professionals and discussed the adversity of working through a pandemic. We also shared HR advice and even completed a session on how to deliver an excellent elevator pitch. We are hoping that we can do some more face-to-face networking in 2021!
1500k in May
We began the year pledging to do more for charity within the business. While running 1500k in lockdown was not how we had anticipated doing so, it was great to give something back to the NHS in such a difficult time. During the first national lockdown, our Managing Director set us the task of running, walking or cycling 1000k collective kilometres over the month of May. We quickly hit this target and extended it to 1500k, eventually reaching over 1700! Our WhatsApp group dedicated to posting distances and encouraging each other along the way meant the team could stay sociable during remote working.
Sport sponsorship
2020 has seen JBA sponsor a number of sports team, players and tournaments in the local area. We continue to support the Milford on Sea U13s team, who have been showing off their new JBA sponsored kit in their last few games. We are thrilled to also be sponsoring 2 new players for 2020: Alfie McDonald for Brockenhurst FC and Adam Wedd for Luton FC.
Finally, we were hugely excited when we found out that our local golf club, Brokenhurst Manor, was hosting the first event in the Rose Ladies Series. We jumped in to sponsor the live event, which was to be the return of golf after it was halted in lockdown, and spent the day trying to spot our JBA banner on TV!
Our manuals went mobile
In business-related news, we rebranded our JB eDocs and worked hard to make sure they became available on all mobiles, tablets and laptops. We have seen an incredible increase in orders for these digital, interactive facility management products since remote working has become the norm and we are thrilled they are getting the recognition they deserve within the industry. Check out the JB eDocs here…
We joined the NHS Procurement Partnership
Another exciting moment in 2020 was joining LLP’s Estates Professional Services Dynamic Purchasing System. Always thrilled to be working on public sector projects, especially within the NHS, joining this Dynamic Purchasing System means that JB Associates will be able to access various potential work in Project Management, Cost Advising and M&E Engineering.
We worked with BSRIA
A further partnership that made 2020 so unique was our collaboration with BSRIA. As we have a team of experts dedicated to creating and compiling O&M Manuals for our clients, we were thrilled to sponsor the BSRIA BG 79/2020 Guide to Handover Documentation. Our MD, Ashley Buckland, then joined their Webinar guest panel to discuss the importance of O&M Manuals and why he believes that digital is the way forward.
We made a brand video!
Finally, although some of the team were slightly reluctant to star in it, a big highlight for JB Associates this year was our new brand video. Working alongside Rubber Duckers and This Dog Bites, the JBA Marketing team worked hard to create a video that portrays our mission, our passion and our family in the office. If you are interested in learning a little bit more about us, it’s a great place to start!
