Last month we spoke with colleagues from our Housekeeping, Cleaning and General Services team to learn more about the different ways they support our buildings across campus.

This month we find out more from General Services Assistant (GSA) Edward Newcomb. Edward has been at the University for nearly four years and works to provide a positive experience to visitors at our Bill Bryson Library by ensuring the building runs as smoothly as possible.

Tell us about a regular day for you…

The first thing in the morning is to empty the bins in the outside social area and using a leaf blower to collect any litter. When this is complete, I focus on inspecting and changing the inside recycling bins.

The focus in then on dealing with any minor maintenance jobs that the morning cleaners have highlighted, such as blocked toilets, loose handles or broken soap dispensers. Any issues I can’t resolve that need to be picked up by colleagues, I log on our PlanOn reporting system for other members of the team to be allocated to the job.

When the morning jobs are completed, I do a walk around the building to check all is well. I work closely with the building manager to identify any new faults and make sure jobs I can’t do are logged on our reporting system. We also work together forming a long-term plan for future projects.

Kayleigh Richardson and Edward Newcombe

Can you tell us more about the kind of projects you might work on?

The kind of thing we do is so diverse. Recently I was given a job to move around 70 chairs from The School of Education to the Bill Bryson Library. The school is undergoing renovation, so a lot of the furniture is surplus to requirement and need to be repurposed.

I reported this information back to the building manager and together we formed a plan to use desks and chairs to improve and increase the number of study spaces available in the Library.

What else are you responsible for as a GSA?

In addition to basic maintenance and minor DIY, I also get involved with conference porterage, snow and litter clearing, ad-hoc security and waste removal. As well as this, I’m responsible for a number of statutory checks, including fire precautions, legionella monitoring, emergency pull-cord testing, shower head and door vent cleaning. I carry out all these essential checks on a regular basis and log them on our in-house systems.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

I’m given a lot of freedom and encouraged to make suggestions to improve our building for all its users. I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with a great team of people in the Bill Bryson Library.In the past I have highlighted problems with recycling within the University and also made suggestions for how it can be improved.

Edward in the gym

Earlier this year I received an Inspiring the Extraordinary award for my efforts which was presented by our Vice-Chancellor. I’m very proud of my award and the fact I am allowed a voice and people do listen.

I’ve chosen to stay at my present GSA level, but the University offers tremendous opportunities for development, so if you’re not quite ready or a little unsure about career development, the help and training available is second to none.  

I enjoy my work tremendously and would not swap it for any other career.

Tell us a bit more about you - what led you to become a GSA?

I left school at 16 and found employment as a heavy goods vehicle fitter. Later I went on to work in open cast mining and road construction as a heavy plant machinery operator. I did this until I was 22 years old when I went into business with my brother. Eventually we built up a successful recycling company which we then sold.

We later launched a business selling wood burning stoves and cast-iron garden furniture, which we sold during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was at this point my brother decided to retire.

I wasn’t ready to retire so started to look at places I’d like to work and jobs I’d like to do. I live close to the University and was interested in it as an environment I had never worked in before. After being offered a position in the cleaning team, I accepted but quickly reapplied to be a GSA. Within three months I began to work in our Teaching and Learning Centre.

What’s life like outside of work?

I’m married to my wife Lisa, who partly because of my positive experiences within the University, left her job in banking to join the University and now works in the HR team.

I like to keep fit and spend a lot of my spare time in the gym or running. Recently an opportunity arose to represent Saint Cuthberts Hospice in the Durham 10k run. I accepted this challenge, began fundraising and colleagues kindly helped by sponsoring me!

Through the Accommodation and Commercial Services Community Champions initiative, bake sales have taken place which resulted in hundreds of pounds being raised for the hospice.