Building strong relationships with colleagues is vital, and making friends at work can really boost how a team performs. That’s why The Abbey Day 2025 was such an important event for us.

Taking place last Tuesday, the Abbey Day brought every staff member from every corner of the UK together so everyone could get to know each other across the department. Everyone learned how Abbey grew from its 1984 beginnings to the business we know today.

 

Planning the Abbey Day

Abbey teamed up with Dave Clarkson and Sue Howarth from The Family Business Community to plan the day. They helped the leadership team think ahead about where the company is headed and what we want Abbey to be in the future.

We booked Bury Golf Club to host the event, and the team there made everyone feel welcome. Bacon butties and pastries were ready as people arrived, giving the day a relaxed and friendly start.

Having Dave, Sue and a great venue meant the leadership team could focus on the activities, talks and awards without any stress. The planning set everything up to run smoothly and made sure everyone left with a clear idea of Abbey’s values and what the company stands for.

 

The Abbey History

To kick things off, our managing director, Paul Saunders talked everyone through the history of Abbey. He explained how his father, Vincent, began a career in forklift sales and quickly built a strong reputation in the industry. By the mid 1970s, Vincent had set up his own forklift company, invested in a new fleet, and was building new premises. Everything seemed to be going well.

But in 1980, an economic recession hit. Paul recalled his father saying it felt like someone had unplugged the phone. With sales gone, the business collapsed. The family lost their home, and bailiffs came to take the furniture, the TV, and even Vincent’s piano. It was a tough time, but it didn’t break them.

Vincent battled on, finding the family somewhere new to live and returning to forklift sales. His determination laid the groundwork for something new. In 1984, he started Abbey, specialising in forklift attachments. The business grew steadily, building a reputation for expertise, reliability, and practical solutions for material handling.

Sharing this history at the Abbey Day highlighted the challenges that shaped the company from the very start. It shows how persistence and determination have been part of Abbey from day one and how those qualities continue to influence the business today.

 

The Abbey Values

Paul then discussed the importance of evolution in the business. He explained how recent changes, including a refreshed logo, a new ERP system, an updated HR platform and a redesigned website, reflect Abbey’s commitment to improving how the company works while maintaining the principles that have guided it for decades.

Most notably, Paul introduced the new 11 Abbey Values. These are: Community, Partnership, Supportive, Humility, Loyalty, Passion, Innovation, Friendly, Ambition, Fairness and Family. He emphasised that these values are designed to shape how you interact with colleagues, work with customers, and, for the first time, contribute to the wider community.

Jacob Saunders, Richard Kynaston, Scott Darbyshire and Angela Owen then shared their perspectives on the values. None of them had previously stood up and given a speech in this way, but they had all worked hard on their presentations and delivered them confidently.

They discussed how these principles influence teamwork, decision-making and customer relationships, providing clear examples of how the values are already part of everyday operations.

 

The Group Tasks

To get people thinking about the Abbey values, the leadership team set up a couple of simple group activities. Each table worked as its own team, giving everyone a chance to talk and share ideas.

The first activity was straightforward. Each table received a big A1 sheet of flipchart paper, a marker and one assigned value. Everyone added a word or short phrase that described what that value meant to them. It quickly got people talking and showed how one value can mean different things to different people.

Next came a matching game. All the tables were given two sets of eleven cards. One set had the values, the other set had the definitions. The task was to pair each value with the right description. Groups compared notes, discussed their reasoning and worked together until they were happy with the results.

These tasks helped everyone look beyond the list of values and think about how they fit into everyday work. People swapped examples from their own roles and heard viewpoints they might not normally come across.

 

Awards and Recognition 

After the group tasks finished, everyone enjoyed a 15-minute break. Colleagues from different departments used the time to chat, share ideas and get to know one another a little better. The relaxed conversations set a friendly tone for the next part of the day.

Paul Kelly and Chris Barnes then took the stage to thank everyone for their hard work over the past year. They began with the Kudos Award, which recognises the person who received the most Kudos on our HR app Breathe. This year the award went to Piotr Konarzycki, who was presented with a certificate and a £250 voucher.

Next, the 100% Attendance Club was announced. This recognised the nineteen team members who had been at work every day of the year. Each received a certificate and a £100 voucher, with Paul K and Chris shaking hands with each winner as they collected their awards.

The ceremony also brought people closer together. Applause and cheers filled the room as colleagues celebrated each winner. It was a reminder that everyone’s contribution matters and that success is built on the efforts of the whole team.

 

Good Grub

After Dave and Sue wrapped up with a powerful speech, it was time for dinner. Bury Golf Club had prepared a hearty spread, giving everyone the choice of a meat pie or a cheese and onion pie, served with mash and chips. The food went down well, and it wasn’t long before many people were heading back for seconds.

Of course, no Abbey Day would be complete without a few drinks. There were no shots of tequila, but pints were poured and everyone was in good spirits. Colleagues chatted, laughed and caught up across departments, making the room feel lively and relaxed.

Good food and good company made the evening feel easy-going and enjoyable. After a day full of activities, speeches and awards, it was the perfect way to wind down and end The Abbey Day 2025 on a high.

 

Final Thoughts

The Abbey Day 2025 was a fantastic opportunity for the team to come together, celebrate our values, and reflect on how far Abbey has come. The day highlighted the progress we’ve made, the benefits our values bring to the business, and gave everyone a clear view of where we’re heading next.

A huge thank you to Dave Clarkson and Sue Howorth from The Family Business Community for their guidance in helping us build our new identity. We’re also very grateful to Bury Golf Club for hosting us so warmly. While you’re here, feel free to learn more about Abbey and don’t forget to check out our posts on our Bury Hospice partnership and the Memory Walk 2025.