18 members of SWH Contracting’s Surfacing Team are currently training hard for Devon Air Ambulance’s annual Dragon Boat Race on Sunday 22nd September 2019.  The race will take place on Exeter Quay, where the team will race against other local businesses and clubs to the finish line – let’s hope all their muscles from surfacing pay off!  

The race is to raise money to keep Devon’s two air ambulances flying.  Last year it cost £7.5 million to keep the air ambulances operational, helping 1109 patients, of which 11% were children.  The ambulances are funded by the generosity of the community,...

SWH are amongst the many looking forward to the official unveiling of Theatre Royal’s new sculpture, Messenger, this evening.    

Messenger, an impactful 7-metre-high sculpture of a woman, was designed by a local artist to stand outside the theatre’s entrance, reflecting the creativity of this renowned artistic institution.  She was inspired by a pose struck by an actor during a rehearsal for the Theatre’s production of Othello, and is the UK’s largest cast bronze sculpture.  

The arrival of Messenger to Plymouth this week was a particularly momentous occasion for SWH as the contractor appointed to prepare the ground outside the Theatre to...

SWH Group Highways Apprentices recently gave up their time to build a driveway for a paralysed mum of four in Ottery St Mary.

Lucy Lowe was injured in a freak accident and complications following surgery to remove her coccyx left her confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Lucy was in hospital for 21 months as the family tried to raise funds to pay for alterations to their home. Lucy was able to return home in March this year but couldn’t leave the house on her own due to the property’s steep drive.

In April, SWH Group Apprentices and...

In May 2012 the Highways Agency, now called Highways England, allowed its first ever daytime closure for routine maintenance on a national trunk road – an innovative idea piloted by SWH Group. SWH operates the A30/A35 in joint venture with Balfour Beatty and is responsible for maintenance activities.

We suggested closing 8.5 miles of the A35 for a full 36 hour period to complete all necessary work in one go, negating the need for several partial closures staggered over the year.  We put the proposition to the HA for the following reasons:

• This way of working creates a much safer environment for...

At SWH we take great pride in being a key part of the communities we live and work in. We have a significant programme of charity events which serve to raise funds for worthy causes throughout the region and many of our staff spend their time supporting a range of fantastic organisations across the South West.

So, when we hit a significant milestone in our business, 20 successful years during which time the company has grown and gone from strength to strength, it seemed natural that we would celebrate this by spending a day serving those within our communities. Every member...

SWH were pleased to donate £250 to Southbrook School in Exeter in a bid to support their part in a local Go Kart Challenge.

Andrew Plumber, Business Manager at SWH, visited the school alongside Project Skills Coordinator, Anna Cooper to present the cheque and to be given a guided tour of the school’s facilities by Assistant Head, Alan Tilley.

Lee Hutchinson from SWH workshops also attended the visit to assist the pupils with the building and assembling of the kart.

Southbrook is a successful secondary special school for pupils, aged between 11 and 16, with varied complex needs and abilities including moderate or...

As part of our ongoing commitment to the environment and running a sustainable and profitable business, SWH Group has developed an innovative biological wetland treatment system, designed to treat waste water from roadside gullies, vehicle wash water and site run-off.

Once treated, the water can be recycled for washing gritter lorries and re-filling gully tankers.

Constructed at our headquarters in Rockbeare, the reed bed was officially opened on 23 July 2014 by students of Southbrook School, Exeter.
 

The system is a series of six cells each planted with reeds which have been specially cultivated to break down waste and contaminants...

SWH’s Richard Trump, Works Manager, was recently tasked with putting together ten of SWH’s finest football players in support of Prostate Cancer UK.

A few of the team members hadn’t played football for quite some time, so it was all about dusting off old football boots, proving you’re never too old (or unfit!) to grace the turf and getting stuck in for a fantastic cause.

Once the players were chosen they set out to take part in a 6- A- Side Football Tournament at St James Park, Home of Exeter City on Sunday 27th April. The team, named South West Highways Ltd, were...

SWH has proudly supported the DAAT since 2008, having raised nearly £3,000 for the cause during that time. In 2011 staff voted DAAT to be SWH’s charity of choice which it has remained since. SWH and its work force of over 600 have since raised money for the local charity through fundraising days and in-house competitions.

The Trust provides emergency medical services through the provision of two helicopter air ambulances  covering the county of Devon . The helicopters are run by the Devon Air Ambulance...