“We’re one connected, supportive family.”
In the first of our team spotlights, we sit down with Sheila Bowdler to chat about her 12 years at Trust, taking pride in our work and the power of bringing people together.
Hi Sheila, what do you do at Trust?
I work in purchase ledger and payroll, so whatever we buy as a business, I look after the invoices and the paperwork. I’ve been at Trust nearly 12 years now, so I’m one of the longest-standing team members. They took me on originally because they’d won a big new contract and needed someone to handle the ledger and do some payroll support – we’re a small team so everyone works together to do what needs to be done.
What does a typical day look like for you?
It’s all about supporting the business to raise orders for things we need. One of my colleagues, Danielle, receives the orders, then I put the invoices on and balance the ledger. We’re often helping colleagues who need a hand, talking to suppliers or handling pricing enquiries, so if you call the office, you might well come through to me.
As a team, we’re there to control the company spend, whether we’re buying kerbs or tools or fuel. So from someone placing an order to the supplier getting paid, it all comes through us.
You have to have a good understanding of how the sector and the business work, including things like the CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) tax system and how that fits in with VAT. You also need a good knowledge of the kind of products we buy and how they fit into our purchasing system. Not everyone knows what a whacker is, or a planer, or some obscure part of a kerb!
What do you love about your job and working at Trust?
I like the variety, and the way that your understanding of the products grows over time, so you start to see how they fit into the bigger picture. It’s also nice to support other departments in the business as much as we can, so I tend to provide holiday cover for the stores. We help each other out, we talk to each other and it feels like one joined-up team.
It’s a very people-focused business and most of us have worked together for quite a while, so there’s definitely a family feel, celebrating birthdays and Christmas and things like that. And when we’ve had losses, we’ve come together to get through that too.
How do you feel about Trust’s future ambitions?
Liam took on the business a couple of years ago, and he’d been working here for a long while before that – although I still remember when he first started. I know he’s got big plans for Trust, and we need that sense of focus and direction to take us forward. As a business, you can’t stand still. You’ve got to keep on developing.
We’ve got all the skills and such a strong workforce – all the lads out there on site are really dedicated and committed to doing the work as the customer expects it. And it’s really nice to be able to take pride in that. I know Liam and the other directors put a lot of time in, winning new projects and doing all of the background work we don’t see in here.
It’s a tough market out there, but we’ve got a good reputation. I’ve been out to some of the new footpaths we’ve built around Nottingham and the quality’s amazing – I always tell the team I’ve been out checking their work!
“Last year we took on a bee hive, so now I’m a bee keeper”
When you’re not at work, how do you like to spend your time?
Last year we took on a bee hive, so now I’m a bee keeper – an apiarist – and that’s coming along nicely. I’ve also got an allotment, a camper and a narrow boat, so I love getting outside!
The team laughs at me because I’ve always had campers and motorhomes, so I love it when I can borrow one of the Trust vans. If they’d let me loose with the grabber, that’d be even better. Or the loading shovel! It’s lovely – Ted drives it and he retires in August, so I keep saying I’m going to go for his job!
You do a lot of volunteering and fundraising too don’t you?
Yes, mostly for motor neurone disease. They say it’s pretty rare, but unfortunately I know quite a few people who’ve lost loved ones to it. My husband’s brother had it, so that’s what got us involved, and I love doing what I can to help. I’ve raised money for Parkinson’s too, after losing my dad a couple of years ago.
We did the London bike ride for motor neurone disease. You start and finish on Tower Bridge, but it’s 60 miles, so you go right through Epping Forest. I was a bit daunted – I thought 60 miles would be hard, but it was all on tarmac and it was such a good event. Trust supported us wholeheartedly – they supplied the van to get us down there and all the suppliers sponsored us.
We also did a big charity coffee morning at work. I think things like that are so important. Some of the lads out on site, you don’t see them on a day-to-day basis. We’re usually in the office by 7.30 or 8am but they’re already long gone, up and out before the rush hour, so it would be easy not to interact. But we’re good at getting together for fundraisers, and when that happens, you realise these conditions have affected them too. Talking about it and sharing our experiences just makes it feel like we’re one connected, supportive family.
If you’ve been inspired by Sheila’s story. You can find out how you can join us here.
