Latest News

Job Opportunities

We currently have a number of vacancies, including the following.  For more details of these jobs, please contact info@silvanus-services.co.uk

Landscape Manager - Cornwall / Devon

Countryside Chargehand / Team Leader - Bridgewater

Countryside Chargehand / Team Leader - Exeter

Grounds Maintenance Chargehand Gardener - Tavistock & Exeter (2 posts)

Seasonal Gardeners - various locations

We often have opportunites that are not advertised and are pleased to recieve CVs in speculative application.

North Devon Grounds Maintenance contract win

We are delighted ot have been awarded the 5+5 year Grounds Miantanance contract for North Devon.  This contract, worth approximatly £600,000 per year, was won at competative tender.  The Glendale/Silvanus bid focussed on our existing presence in the region and the added value that the Silvanus tree surgery & landscaping, and EcoSci composting operations could bring for the client.  The contract starts in early April, and new kit and machinary has already been ordered.

Dave Atkinson joins as Operations Manager

Dave Atkinson has joined Silvanus in a new senior role as Operations Manager, responsible for the Silvanus Exeter, Bridgwater & Bristol offices.  Dave, who is from a farming background and grew up in South Devon, has worked in agriculture, Environmental Contracting, and has held several roles with Fountain Forestry.  Dave comments “I am delighted to be back in the South West after 10 years working elsewhere.  I’m impressed with the Silvanus set up of professional and experienced managers, supporting well-equipped teams who are based locally.  I am looking forward to meeting more clients in the South West over the next few weeks.”

David Adam, Silvanus Director, said “We are very pleased to welcome Dave.  He comes with good experience of our industry and a strong track record."

Silvanus wins arboriculture contracts for Somer Housing & North Somerset Council

Silvanus ' Bristol office have been awarded two term arborociulture contracts recently.  The Somer Housing contract is a 4 year contract which involves surveying & consultancy work as well as practical tree surgery.  The North Somerset Council contract is the continuation of a contract held by Silvanus for the last 4 years, for practical arboriculture work on North Somerset's tree stock.  Both contracts were won at competative tender.

Silvanus & Landscapes Southwest to become part of Glendale

Glendale Managed Services Ltd, the national green services provider, announces that it has acquired Silvanus Services Ltd and its sister company Landscapes Southwest Ltd.

Silvanus will continue to undertake the same work it always has, with the additional benefit of Glendale’s national backup. It will become a part of Glendale Countryside, and will retain its own “Silvanus” branding. Landscapes Southwest Ltd (LSW), the sister company of Silvanus, is also included in the sale and will now become a part of Glendale Grounds Management.

As a company active in the same market, the acquisition reinforces Glendale’s position as the UK’s number one green service provider. The move is set to strengthen Glendale’s position in the South West and within the Arboriculture & Countryside sectors.

Glendale also owns Exeter-based EcoSci, the green waste recycling company, and is in the process of developing a brand new Green Waste Recycling facility at Hill Barton near Exeter.

Silvanus owner-directors, David Adam and Peter Solly will both remain within the business. David has been appointed to the position of Glendale’s Regional Director for the South West and Peter Solly will take on a wider Business Development role within Glendale.

David Adam said “This is a really exciting development for the staff and customers of Silvanus and LSW and with the proposed new structure we can bring the best of our local presence and Glendale’s scale, for the benefit of all parties”.

Peter Solly said “There are significant opportunities in countryside & arboriculture work, and becoming part of Glendale will enable us to take advantage of those opportunities both in the south west and beyond. Glendale is a well-regarded employer, and we believe that the deal offers excellent opportunities for our staff, as well as allowing more investment in kit and business development.”

Glendale’s Managing Director Nick Temple-Heald commented, “Silvanus and Landscapes Southwest together make a perfect strategic match for Glendale. These businesses operate in the same market as Glendale but have a strong presence in the South West of England where traditionally Glendale has not grown as quickly as in other regions.

“Glendale has been successful by providing local services to local people. In order to thrive in the South West, Glendale believes that it is necessary to have local people managing the business and delivering our green services.”

Following on from Glendale entering the Scottish market earlier in the year by acquiring Landscape Construction (Scotland) Limited, this further purchase means that Glendale is now a truly national organisation.

Claire Jordan joins as Exeter countryside manager

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Jordan as new Exeter-based manager for our woodland & countryside teams. Claire, who joins from the National Trust where she was a Warden, has 10 years countryside experience in a variety of roles. Claire will work to develop Silvanus’ countryside contracting teams which work throughout Devon and undertake tree planting, fencing, habitat management works.

Her Majesty's Court Service

We have been awarded a 3 year contract by HMCS to undertake Grounds Maintenance at all of their sites in Devon & Cornwall. Won at competitive tender, this contract involves grass cutting, hedge cutting & shrub bed maintenance.

ParkForce

Torridge & West Devon sign up to the ParkForce Pledge.

The Government Departments, CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environments), in association with Horticulture Week and the Local Government Association has created the Parkforce Awards to celebrate the wonderful work already done by park staff across Britain in keeping our parks and public spaces safe, clean and beautiful places for people to enjoy.

As a member of the Parkforce, staff pledge to;
• Help make their park a safe, clean and beautiful place.
• Contribute to the health and well being of local people.
• Contribute to the quality of the natural environment.
• Make visitors feel welcome and help them to learn more about their park.
• Work as part of a team to make their park a place to be proud of.

Our Torridge and West Devon grounds maintenance staff have signed up to Parkforce.

Appointment of Terry Doyle as Regional Manager

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Terry Doyle as Regional Manager for our Launceston-based operations. This is a new role, providing operational support & local leadership to our technical managers. Terry has an extremely strong industry background, having just relocated from the South East where he was Assistant Regional Director for Glendale.

This new appointment is the first of four planned Regional Director roles, one from each main office, over the next 12-18 months.

4 year maintenance contract won in Hertfordshire

We have been awarded a 4 year grounds maintenance contract in Hertfordshire, maintaining part of the public rights of way network. The work involves mowing, strimming & hedge cutting paths and bridleways in part of the county. Work started almost immediately following the award, and we have recently taken delivery of a new flail mower which will be dedicated to this contract.

Anthony Roberts joins as Landscape Manager in Nottingham

We are delighted to welcome Anthony to the team, as Landscape Contracts Manager in Nottingham. Anthony joins us from running his own successful landscape business, and will work to develop our landscape contracting in the Midlands. Supported by estimator Mike Dennys and working out of the established Nottingham office and yard, Anthony will cover the whole of the Midlands. This is part of the plan to develop the team in Nottingham, where we now employ 9 staff.

Envision Environmental Audit

"Environmental improvement", in the broadest sense, is one of the central focuses of the company. We believe that the work we do has, overall, a significantly beneficial effect on the environment.
However in order to ensure we are doing all that we can, and to have independent verification of this, we have commissioned an audit from Envision. Envision are a not-for-profit organisation, and will spend 5 days with us over the next few months identifying the areas of our operations that impact on the environment, and working with us to reduce the impact.

Silvanus Services Ltd 20 years old this year

This year Silvanus Services Ltd will be 20 years old. Originally established as the trading subsidiary of the charity The Silvanus Trust, it had 2 members of staff initially. Since then it has grown significantly, both in size and the range of the work it does, and now employs 100 people throughout the South West and Midlands. "Restoring neglected woodlands" was the original reason for the company being set up. The company still undertakes woodland management and tree planting, but has also broadened into grounds maintenance, landscaping, tree surgery and countryside management.

West Devon Grounds Maintenance contract - won for 4 years

We are delighted to be able to report that the Landscapes Southwest business has won a grounds maintenance contract with West Devon Borough Council. The contract is for 4 years with a 2 year extension, and was won at competitive tender. Landscapes Southwest held the contract previously so we are delighted to have retained the work, which involves grass cutting, shrub bed maintenance and some tree work throughout West Devon. The existing 4-man team will continue to work on the contract. Over the next few weeks we will be purchasing new vans, trailers, mowers & kit as part of "gearing up" for the new contract. Paul Johnson has been promoted, and is now Contract Manager for this contract as well as our work for Teign Housing.