FOUR DECADES IN COMMUNITY CONSTRUCTION

First job costed out at £36.10s.0d. in 1961. The transport was a Ford 500E van, in the same red that has remained the corporate colour of Higgins Construction to this day. Bill Pardey was our first employee that year - a painter & decorator aged sixty-seven!

Our first public sector contract came in 1962, for drainage work at Wanstead County High School. This was also the year that our first contract was won for housing work, when repairs were required to 24 flats for Ilford Borough Council.

Our first General Foreman Ron Hatch started in 1964, when we carried out our first housing contract for Essex County Council. Ron remained with the company until early retirement in 1990.





Work began on the firm's first major contract for a new-build school in 1970, the Cornelius Vermuyden Comprehensive School on Canvey Island for Essex County Council.

Richard Higgins joined the firm as a junior surveyor in 1974 on a day-release study scheme. Richard is now Chairman.

When the new Health & Safety at Work Act was introduced in 1975, Higgins immediately invested in new audio-visual equipment to present safety films.

First one million pounds contract was won in 1976, for the construction of a hostel and flats in Golders Green for the B'Nai Brith Housing Association.

In the Silver Jubilee year of 1977, HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother laid the foundation stone of the new St Saviour's Priory in Dalston, rebuilt by Higgins.





Stephen and Martin Higgins joined the firm in 1981. Current Managing Director Benny King also joined the firm as a contracts manager in that year.

When the firm celebrated its 21st anniversary in 1982, the workforce had grown to 300, with 26 apprentices working on contracts. The following year, our apprentices swept the board at the National Federation of Building Trades Employers annual awards for the London region, winning 14 prizes.

Hawke House was officially topped out as the new company and Group headquarters for 220 full-time staff in 1987.




Higgins began the decade with a new Business Director, Bryan Sabin, to head up the Business Development Team. We also began our first project to regenerate the Angell Town estate in the London Borough of Lambeth in 1990 - a project that would develop to bring no less than 14 industry awards. This was also a pioneering project for local labour training and employment.

Our first design & build contracts began in 1991, for the construction of 22 new houses for the East London Housing Association and the refurbishment of 36 flats for the London Borough of Hackney.

1991 was also the year we began our first contract for the construction of new churches, which included the Cathall Methodist Church in East London and Emmanuel Church in Billericay.

Our first project-dedicated Resident Liaison Officer was appointed in 1993 - Theresa Twaio-Gormley.

Work commenced on our first partnering project in 1998, for the regeneration of the Bentham Court housing estate in Islington with Circle 33 Housing Group and the London Borough of Islington.

Community Development Manager Jeff Joseph was appointed in 1999. Jeff now manages a team of project-dedicated resident liaison officers, whose work was rewarded in the Building Homes Quality Awards of 2002, in recognition of their achievements for residents' choices.

The £42 million regeneration of the Pollards Hill housing estate in the London Borough of Merton was our first to be used as a Housing Forum Demonstration Project in 1999. This was the largest social housing project to be procured through partnering. It is two years ahead of schedule with £4 million shaved off the original budget through partnering.





Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales officially opened the Leysfield Road site of our client Notting Hill Housing Trust in 2000.

The Higgins Academy opened its doors to its first 11 trainees at Epping Forest College in 2000, providing NVQ-based multi-skill courses to employees of all ages. The Higgins Academy now also provides courses at the South Bank University in London.

Derek Higgins was awarded the OBE in recognition of his services to the community, especially for young people, in the New Years Honours List of 2001. He was also elected as Founder Patron to CSV.

Minister of State for Local Government & the Regions, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP was our special guest celebrating success in 2001 for the £46 million regeneration of 10 estates in partnership with Charlton Triangle Homes in the London Borough of Greenwich.

By 2002, five of our regeneration projects had achieved Housing Forum Demonstration Scheme status.

Our first project to include long-term planned maintenance responsibility began in 2001, for a portfolio of three developments in Southend-on-Sea carried out in partnership with London & Quadrant Housing Trust.