Meet our grounds maintenance operative, Craig

Ever wondered who keeps the outdoor spaces around your home looking tidy and clean? This month, we caught up with one of our grounds maintenance operatives, Craig, from Pinnacle, for a behind-the-scenes look at his working day, his responsibilities, and what makes his work rewarding.  

Tell us about a typical day in your role – when does your day start, and what kinds of tasks do you usually tackle? 

A typical workday for me begins at 7:30am, after loading my van with the tools I need for the day.  

Depending on the site I’m working at, I begin with mowing the lawns or grassy areas. For unreachable areas, I’ll use a petrol strimmer to take care of it, as well as any weeds that may have grown since my last visit. After grass maintenance, I’ll clear away leaves and treat any areas that need herbicide; only operatives who have passed their Lantra Awards qualification for the safe application of herbicides and pesticides can do this.  

What we do throughout the year also changes. For example, during the summer months, we’ll trim and prune hedges and bushes, but as the winter months approach, we focus on leaf clearing and hedge maintenance.  

What areas or types of outdoor spaces do you look after, and how often do they need attention? 

We look after a lot of different outdoor spaces, such as roadside verges and garage/car park areas, and visit retirement schemes with communal areas. All our sites will have a fortnightly visit from March until October, then once per month throughout the winter months.  

What are some common misconceptions tenants might have about what your team do? 

Sometimes, tenants will ask us to complete certain tasks that fall outside of grounds maintenance. For example, I was asked to repair a dislodged drain cover near a tenant’s front door, which isn’t looked after by my team. I also get asked about tree cutting a lot, but the only tree maintenance we do is cutting low-hanging branches to an acceptable height. 

Another common misconception is that grounds maintenance operatives are responsible for clearing fly-tipping. I always find, it helps tenants if I take the time to explain that we don’t look after such tasks, and that I’ll feedback to the depot and someone from Midland Heart will get in touch to help.  

What do you find most rewarding about your job? 

The most rewarding part of my work as a grounds maintenance operative is the active nature of the job; it keeps me somewhat fit and healthy! Being outdoors for the most part is okay, too, although it can be tough when the weather isn’t great.  

Tell us about a positive tenant experience that has stuck with you? 

There have been so many positive experiences, it’s difficult to choose one! Be it simply moving a heavy plant pot or clearing branches to let more light into a tenant’s lounge, it’s no problem. I’ll always try to help where I can, even when it doesn't involve grounds maintenance. 

Find out everything you need to know about where your service charge goes, and our communal services, by visiting our dedicated webpage. 

If you would like to feedback on any of our grounds maintenance services, please speak to your Estates Officer, or let our Hub team know.