Brackmills Hero: Meet Kevin O’Brien
Kevin O'Brien has been a quiet force for community on Brackmills for many years. Yet ask him about his nomination as a Brackmills Hero and he'll deflect with characteristic humility…
After 18 years leading health and safety at CButt Kevin O’Brien has become a quiet force for community on Brackmills. Yet ask him about his nomination as a Brackmills Hero and he’ll deflect with characteristic humility, insisting others are more deserving. It’s precisely this understated approach to making a difference that earned Kevin the recognition in the first place.
His journey on the estate stretches back further than most realise. Before joining CButt in 2007 as National Health and Safety Manager, Kevin spent years at Tesco Distribution, where he worked across multiple roles culminating as Technical Support Manager at the Caswell Road site. When he arrived at CButt, he was already well-versed in the complexities of large-scale logistics operations. What he brought, though, was something less tangible: a genuine investment in people.
“The best thing about my job is the people at all levels that I stumble into every day,” Kevin explains. “The differences, the issues, their lives, all impacting into mine. No day is ever the same and every day is a school day. Some days I’m the teacher. Most days I’m the pupil.”
That philosophy has shaped his involvement with Brackmills. Kevin first connected with the BID team through the Lodge Farm Industrial Estate group that Charlotte Patrick helped establish. After the estate acquired BID status, he found himself drawn into the community that Sara Homer and Charlotte cultivated across the estate. What struck him most wasn’t the infrastructure improvements — though the potholes, lighting and occasional floods certainly needed addressing — but the human element.
“The BID and the different groups all encourage support and information from outside our own internal companies,” Kevin reflects. “Friendships through trust are formed and there’s a cosy comfort in that, particularly in the world of health and safety where the first image others may have is of a world of hard hats, hi viz, safety footwear and clipboards. It doesn’t need to be like that.”
Despite his modest assessment of his own involvement, Kevin’s presence has mattered. His willingness to share expertise, to attend meetings despite the challenges of managing a multi-site role, and to champion the value of the BID community to others has quietly strengthened the estate. When asked what he enjoys about supporting the BID team, Kevin pauses. “I’m not sure I’ve really had the opportunity to be as supportive as I would have liked to be honest,” he admits. “But the BID has given me more than I can pay back.”
His nomination came as a genuine surprise. “I was quite taken aback to be honest. I don’t deserve anything really,” Kevin says. “I’m not really an awards type of person, more a first past the post – that’s the ex-sportsman in me. But having said that, if the award was nominated by two people I respect a lot, then it’s of value to me.”
As Kevin moves into his new role as Safety Manager at Lodge Farm for Menzies Distribution Services following the acquisition of CButt, his message to others on the estate remains consistent: get involved.
“There’s always someone on the estate that needs your advice or support, be that a litter-pick or help with an ISO standard,” he says. “The estate has so much experience and experiences to tap into. If you’re not a member of the BID, or even if you are and don’t engage, you’re missing out.
Attend a few group meetings that suit your role, tap into the speakers and expertise on offer, and see where it leads. Thank you once again for the surprising nomination, Kevin says, I’m humbled.”
