the definition of a people person
People-first office manager Liz Jones talks about her incredible community efforts
Office manager Liz Jones has dedicated her life to helping people, and it’s her maternal instinct and caring nature that shines through in all the roles she takes on. Her lengthy career at Holcim highlights this commitment, but it is her work in the community that truly embodies what it means to be a ‘people person’.
Liz has worked at Holcim for an impressive 20 years, in which time she has progressed from administrator in Elite Minimix to office manager in the Readymix operations admin team. Her small team is diverse in age and personality, but what brings them together is every member’s passion to work under Liz’s leadership and care.
Throughout her two-decade-long stint at Holcim, Liz has significantly contributed to team development and performance improvement. And despite missing colleagues who leave her Readymix nest, she proudly watches them fly in their careers elsewhere within the organisation.
It may come as no surprise, then, that Liz’s passion for people cannot be contained within her role at Holcim.
court is in order
For the past year, Liz has served as the mayor of Carnforth, a market town and civil parish in Lancaster District. Prior to this, she had sat on the town council for 11 years, specifically on the finance and governance committee.
Her role as mayor has come with various challenges, such as managing a team of volunteers and addressing public concerns effectively. But she has taken it all in her stride, applying both her business acumen and people skills to the task.
Liz said: “Trying to have an organised committee has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my role as mayor. It can be hard to make sure everyone is working towards the same goals in an effective way, which is why I drew on the skills picked up during my time at Holcim and decided to tackle my mayoral duties just like business.
“I set up one-to-ones with the councillors to try to understand their goals and what they’re trying to achieve. This has gone down really well as people feel listened to and supported in whatever it is they want to achieve for the community. It may have also been received well because we eat a lot of cake and drink a lot of coffee at the local supermarket café where we have our catch-ups!”
Though the tenure for mayor is short, Liz has had plenty of highlights to look back on.
“I’ve met so many people and been privileged to be invited to a whole host of events,” Liz said. “I’ve worked closely with the High Sheriff of Lancashire on many events, and I also recently took part in a historical event where we broke the record for the number of mayors in one room at Lancaster Castle! Did you know that a group of mayors is called a chain gang?! I learned that quite recently too!”
Liz added: “I’ve been to three choirs and fairs (where I spend a lot of my own money on raffle tickets!) and the personal allowance I do get as mayor I have donated to charities such as the community choir and Prop Up Project, a group for young people who might be experiencing isolation due to mental health, wellbeing and other life challenges.
“One of my biggest highlights has to be the Remembrance weekend event I took part in as we are signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant. The event marked 100 years since Lord Cavendish unveiled our local war memorial, so we invited the current Lord Cavendish to the event. I was extremely nervous but he took me under his wing and was very supportive.
“We walked from the local school through Carnforth in a huge procession with armed forces and youth representatives. It was fantastic to see the whole community out together remembering such a special occasion. I mean, that’s why I became a councillor in the first place: to bring people together.”
the heart of the community - in more ways than one
As well as mayor of Carnforth and town councillor, Liz has been a volunteer for The Salvation Army for the past 35 years.
In this time, she has as always, focused on making sure other people are looked after and cared for.
Liz said: “People often think The Salvation Army only deals with homelessness. While that is a big part of what we do, we also help in many other ways. For example, we have a charity shop in Carnforth where we provide those who might require fresh clothing or bedding with the items they need, and we also get involved with the food bank. As a councillor, I can refer people to the services we offer at The Salvation Army and Integrated Care agencies, which has been really useful.
“I used to run a baby bank, so when my daughter and her network of mums had baby clothes that their children had outgrown, they’d give them to me and I could then give them to people in need that were seeking help through the charity. During the Covid lockdown, I’d leave parcels on the doors of people who needed baby clothing or people who had just arrived in the country and needed extra clothing for their children.”
With her various commitments, Liz doesn’t have much free time on her hands outside of her work with the community. So, will she be taking it easy when her time as mayor shortly comes to an end?
Liz said: “With my new-found free time, I’m looking forward to getting back to helping with the town’s annual carnival and continuing to support our twinning partnership. I do like to keep busy!”
It’s safe to say people are at the forefront of Liz’s mind, no matter which hat (or chain) she’s wearing. It’s why her team at Holcim is thriving in her department and why she continues to play a pivotal role in helping shape the lives of those in her local community. It’s also why, for the past two decades, Holcim’s support for local people and projects and Liz’s caring nature have seamlessly gone hand in hand.
