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October 2008
Matform’s Man On Top Form In Great South Run
Pouring rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of Matform’s Sales Director, Paul Down who raised £500 for the Wessex Heartbeat charity in the 2008 BUPA Great South Run.
The 56-year-old even managed to quicken his pace in the premier 10-miler to finish in a time of 1 hr 42 min – three minutes faster than his time in last year’s event.
"I was pleased with the time considering how slow it was at the start,” said Paul. “I was in with the Green Wave of competitors – there were lots of fun-runners and some great idle banter."
Paul celebrated his achievement on the soggy streets of Portsmouth & Southsea with a beer, a glass of wine and a curry at his Bognor Regis home.
"I’d not had any alcohol for a month as I’d been on a strict training regime. I'd been trying to do things properly and this year it seemed to work," he added.
Paul, a keen middle-distance runner who endeavours to put in between 15-20 miles training a week plus associated gym work, has competed in the Great South Run about a dozen times.
Over the years he estimated that he has raised more than £3,500 for charity in sponsorship from friends and work colleagues.
Matform Signs Up With Battle of Britain Memorial Woodland
Matform has been actively involved with putting the finishing touches to a new memorial woodland in honour of those who served at RAF Air Station Tangmere during World War II’s Battle of Britain Campaign.
The company was initially approached to manufacture anodised commemorative plaques to inform visitors about the transformation of about 2,000 square metres of scrubland near Chichester.
Matform was so taken by the community project that it decided to do the work at cost price. In addition the management donated the mahogany plinths, weatherproof Perspex covers, and even fitted them free of charge.
John Kelly demonstrated that he’s a hands-on Managing Director by mucking in to get the outdoor task done in double-quick time alongside Graham Mullan, Matform’s Metal Workshop Manager.
The Tangmere Battle of Britain Memorial Woodland is the brainchild of local resident Paul Neary.
The semi-retired accountant wanted to provide a perpetual woodland which would salute the memory of those who served at RAF Tangmere in the summer of 1940, and in addition offer a natural habitat for wildlife and insects.
The worst enemy raid on the air station came on August 16, 1940 when 100 Junkers Stuka dive bombers and fighters crossed the coast and the majority headed for Tangmere.
Fourteen service personnel and six civilian were killed and there was extensive damage to buildings and aircraft on the ground. In an amazing show of fortitude the air station carried on and did not close even for a single hour.
Mr Neary was successful in securing funding from organisations which included the Big Lottery Fund, Sita Trust, BBC’s Breathing Places, Woodland Trust, Chichester District Council and Tangmere Parish Council.
Along with a small band of conservation volunteers, he was also largely responsible for clearing the scrubland, which is owned by Tangmere Parish Council and borders the allotments. This involved removing waste concrete, which was a throwback to the days when it was an active airfield, reclaiming the soil and making good the topsoil.
Over the course of the project he estimates that he has engaged the services of about 400 students from Chichester University and Chichester College to assist in tree planting and fencing.
The site has been planted with native hedgerows including hawthorn, blackthorn and buckthorn, and about 200 trees which are largely English native, but also include liquid amber, honey locus and maple trees to honour the Commonwealth personnel.
The Memorial Woodland, which has now been handed over to the parish council for continued management, required the addition of informative, weatherproof signs.
Project Leader, Mr Neary estimated he contacted about 20 companies via their websites.
“These included large companies who made signs for boats and aircraft, and firms who did pub signs"
“The only company which seemed to understand what it was that I was talking about was Matform. I spoke to Sales Director, Paul Down, and he assured me that Matform could undertake the work proficiently."
“Now I can see the signs in place I had to say that Matform has made a cracking job of them” he commented.
John Kelly added that Matform felt privileged to be involved with such a worthwhile community project which had been funded by such high-calibre sponsorship, and executed by hard work and determination.
September 2008
Paul Prepares To Put His Heart Into Great South Run
Matform’s Sales Director, Paul Down is in training for next month’s 2008 BUPA Great South Run.
He is gearing up to pound the streets of Portsmouth and Southsea on October 26, in what has become known as Europe’s premier 10 mile road-running event.
Paul, who battled last year’s atrocious weather conditions and finished in a respectable time of 1hr 45 min, is running in aid of Wessex Heartbeat, the regional cardiac charity.
The charity, which was set up in 1992 to support the work of the Wessex Cardiac Centre in Southampton, has raised more than £11 million to provide the latest specialist equipment and major facilities for patients, their relatives and staff, to ensure the highest quality of care for 20,000 adults and 1,000 babies and children treated each year.
Paul, a keen middle-distance runner who endeavours to put in between 15-20 miles training a week plus associated gym work, has competed in the Great South Run more than 10 times.
Over the years he estimated that he has raised about £3,000 in sponsorship from friends and work colleagues for charity.
August 2008
Gateway to Success For Matform
Products manufactured by Matform could be gracing the gates of the Sandringham Estate and the Royal Studs in the future.
The company has secured contracts to supply one of the most prominent names in the UK’s pressure treated timber sector.
Its workforce has been engaged in making 10,000 anodised nameplates to be fixed on to wooden gates manufactured by Calders & Grandidge, who hold the Royal Warrant for the established supply of entrance and field gates to the Royal Studs.
Matform’s Sales Director, Paul Down said: “ Our state-of-the-art technology and precision metal engraving ensure that the nameplates have the ability to withstand even harsh outdoor environments.
“It is a pleasure to be working in association with such a respected company,” he added.
Ian Chalmers, Business Manager of Lincolnshire-based, Calders & Grandidge, said: “ When we were selecting nameplates we were looking for something upmarket to reflect the quality of the gates we were sending out.”
July 2008
Finance Director, Eleanor Billingham has been appointed a parent-governor of Portfield Community Primary School in Chichester.
Her son James is already a pupil at the St James Road school and is due to move into Year 1 in September 2008.
Eleanor, who first joined Matform as a receptionist in 1994, said: “Portfield is a lovely school with good facilities and I am looking forward to supporting the school in a range of activities.
“Matform is a company which is always keen to encourage its staff to pursue outside interests which benefit the local community,” she added.
December 2007
Employees Celebrate Silver Anniversaries
Two senior members of staff who originally joined Matform on day-release from the same school have etched their credentials into the company’s history.
Managing Director John Kelly, and Patricia Mant, who is in overall charge of Inspection and Packing, have demonstrated their staying power by notching up 50 years between them.
Back in the early 1980s they were pupils of Westergate Community School, West Sussex, and were introduced to Matform through a students’ day-release scheme.
They have witnessed the company grow in size and strength, expanding from a workforce of six to 26.
“When I first joined Matform it was almost like a cottage industry – now it has more structure and a growing client-base of between 300-400,” said John, who started as a trainee printer and tea-boy at the company’s former premises in Ford on June 1, 1982.
He worked his way up through the ranks, initially deputising for the screen printer, also taking on the role of print shop foreman before being appointed Managing Director about four years ago.
“Although the business has diversified and made substantial investment in state-of-the-art machinery, it is also gratifying to have retained some of our customers from 25 years ago,” commented John.
October 2007
In the face of atrocious weather Matform’s Sales Director, Paul Down, completed the 2007 BUPA Great South Run and raised nearly £500 for charity.
Paul, a keen middle-distance runner who endeavours to put in between 15-20 miles training a week, has competed in the Great South Run more than 10 times.
Over the years Paul has raised about £3,000 in sponsorship from friends and work colleagues for his chosen charity, Dreams Come True, the Midhurst-based national children’s charity. Through this fundraising he is helping to support the work of making dreams come true for terminally and seriously ill youngsters.
