Northumbria University in Newcastle has chosen to retain Sodexo for its soft and hard FM services and residential living management contract for a further ten years in a new contract with the addition of a new food offer for the University’s largest Trinity Square student accommodation. Sodexo has been managing
Facilities management provider OCS plans to offer apprenticeship pathways across each of its service lines to nurture future talent and support career progression. The company has committed to increasing its number of apprenticeship placements in the UK and Ireland to over 1,000 within the next 12 months. This initiative aligns
Equans will continue to provide FM services across Manchester City Council’s public buildings estate. The three-year contract extension will see the energy and facilities management specialist providing responsive repairs and planned preventative maintenance to industry-standard specifications across the Council’s portfolio of 258 buildings. As part of the contract, which originally
Independent commercial property management and building consultancy firm, Workman LLP, has made 49 promotions across the business, including six new partners. Charting an upward trajectory, it currently manages more than 4,000 properties, with a capital value of approximately £20 billion and rising. The latest promotions extend across the firm’s 11-strong
You will have to excuse the flowery copy on this one, but we’re buzzing to announce that the ACC Liverpool Group marked this year’s annual World Bee Day by welcoming some new and very exciting VIPs…that’s ‘Very Important Pollinators’, to its waterfront site with support from Hard FM partner, Kimpton.
The Royal College of Art (RCA) has awarded Derwent Facilities Management (FM) an integrated facilities management (IFM) contract to manage its estate for the next five years, subject to contract. The contract encompasses responsibility for all hard and soft services, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning, mechanical and electrical maintenance,
Colliers EMEA has bolstered its Facilities Management Advisory service to Occupiers by appointing Denise Hoogendoorn as Director of Strategic Consulting. Hoogendoorn joins the EMEA Enterprise FM Advisory team from her previous role leading Colliers’ Occupier Consultancy Service in the Netherlands. In her new position, she will continue to work with
Ahead of this week’s UK election, we’ve highlighted four key areas the next Government needs to act on to ‘stimulate and sustain’ the national workplace and facilities management (WFM) profession and sector. The ‘Priorities for the next Government: 2024 general election manifesto’ publication highlights the challenges faced by the next
Leading managing agent Rendall & Rittner is thrilled to have received two prestigious awards at this year’s ACE Awards: ‘Managing Agent of the Year (15,001+ units)’ and ‘Resident Engagement Initiative’. This marks the fifth occasion that Rendall & Rittner has received the renowned Managing Agent of the Year award in
Nearly half of building maintenance professionals state that systems integration is one of their most significant struggles, according to a recent poll by SFG20, the industry standard for facility maintenance specifications. Using this industry insight, SFG20 have developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that streamlines the integration between SFG20 content
Northumbria University in Newcastle has chosen to retain Sodexo for its soft and hard FM services and residential living management contract for a further ten years in a new contract with the addition of a new food offer for the University’s largest Trinity Square student accommodation. Sodexo has been managing student accommodation services at Northumbria University since 2014. Initially covering just Trinity Square, a contemporary accommodation block housing up to 1,000 students in double en-suites or shared flats for groups of three-five students. Over the course of the contract the University has added all its four City residences, housing nearly 2,500 students every year. Sodexo is focused on ensuring the student living experience is second-to-none and is committed to ensuring its presence has a positive social impact for the residents, the University, and the local community in which it operates. Services managed by Sodexo in the University’s student accommodation include reception, helpdesk, security, mechanical and electrical maintenance, and cleaning. Sodexo employs 58 people at Northumbria University and uses digital platforms for students to report maintenance issues, recently mobilising a mobile-enabled maintenance system to ensure timely servicing of request within the residences to reduce unexpected breakdowns and inconveniences, minimise costs and extend equipment life. The new contract will see Sodexo introduce a brand-new catering offer at Trinity Square student accommodation serving hot drinks and a grab and go food solution such as paninis and pastries. The team will transform the currently under-utilised space at the accommodation to further enhance the student experience creating a fantastic live learning experience that creates a true home from home atmosphere. Sodexo’s commitment to social impact underpins the strategic business ambitions at Northumbria University and is engrained into every floor cleaned, every maintenance job resolved, and every conversation had with students. Sodexo has built strong relationships with the local community and works with local charities and social enterprises such as Northern Rights and the DFN project, which are focused on helping the long term unemployed and people with learning difficulties get in to work. The Sodexo team at Northumbria has: Supporting students from applicant to alumni is a crucial part of Sodexo’s focus at the University, the team provides vital support to residents at a time which can be quite difficult as they adjust to life away from home where they need to balance studying with financial independence, making new friends and settling into a new setting and city. To provide further support in this area Sodexo has committed to train five mental health first responders across the contract. In 2022 Sodexo introduced Residency Advisors, students who live within the residences join the Sodexo team on a part-time basis to work with the accommodation team to manage any issues that arise quickly and efficiently and offer proactive peer to peer support. Through this programme Sodexo provides employment opportunities for 15 students which helps the long-term employability of the students as a valuable addition to their CVs. Sian Thompson, national operations director, Universities & PFIs, Sodexo UK & Ireland, Sodexo said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Northumbria University. There is a strong cultural fit between our organisations, and we are committed to continually delivering a leading facilities management service alongside the award-winning residency living model, with aligned goals and strategic objectives. This next contractual period brings with it some exciting service developments and we expect to achieve great things by continuing to work in a strategic and trusted partnership.” Erin Peart, executive director of campus services, Northumbria University said: “Sodexo continues to be one of the University’s valuable partners – not only because of the services it delivers and the commitment it has to enhancing the student experience, but in helping us to deliver social impact. We look forward to continuing this partnership with students at the heart of our shared ambitions.” Sodexo’s team at Northumbria University has received numerous awards including the 2023 IWFM award for Excellence in Customer Experience, Contract Manager Tom Martin received the 2022 title of Young Leader of the Year at the PFM Partnership awards and the contact was highly commended in the 2022 Student Accommodation awards for Collaboration. The team was also shortlisted at the 2024 Property Week awards for excellence in social impact. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Facilities management provider OCS plans to offer apprenticeship pathways across each of its service lines to nurture future talent and support career progression. The company has committed to increasing its number of apprenticeship placements in the UK and Ireland to over 1,000 within the next 12 months. This initiative aligns with its growth ambitions and includes substantial investments in its funded learning programme. With the recent announcement of its vision to optimise people and places as part of its brand strategy, this move underscores OCS’s dedication to social mobility and impact. It aims to drive social value initiatives, such as apprenticeship schemes and funded learning, to enhance sustainable employment by offering empowering careers and embracing diversity. OCS reports a 140 per cent increase in the uptake of its apprenticeships over the past year and aims to maintain this growth by providing opportunities in each of its service lines: facilities management, security, pest control, cleaning, catering and hospitality, and hard services. Ipswich-based OCS currently offers 12 professional pathways and 39 programmes to support its business units. In addition to service lines, these opportunities include management and leadership, coaching and mentoring, and customer service and sales. By focusing on investing in the development and upskilling of its internal colleagues, these pathways and programmes are available to both employees and external candidates. Apprenticeship pathways will be available at entry level (level 2) and for management (level 3), and OCS is currently revising its higher apprenticeship pathway (level 4) in collaboration with the Institute for Apprentices and Technical Education. Toni Marie-Vaughan, Head of Social Mobility at OCS UK and Ireland, commented: “While it’s important that we continue to open up more opportunities for people looking to develop, our priority will always remain on the quality of programmes delivered. We are working with a number of partners to achieve this. “Additionally, we have invested further in our online training modules, delivered through the OCS Academy. Learners can access a variety of programmes in addition to the structured training around their chosen pathway. Along with e-learning and on-the-job training, learners can expect regular line management meetings and coaching conversations, dedicated study time away from practical training, and progress reports.” Daniel Dickson, Chief Executive Officer at OCS UK and Ireland, said: “It’s exciting that we operate in an industry that can provide opportunities for further development within many different career paths. Our apprenticeship scheme and funded learning pathways are accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, background, level of education, or experience.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Equans will continue to provide FM services across Manchester City Council’s public buildings estate. The three-year contract extension will see the energy and facilities management specialist providing responsive repairs and planned preventative maintenance to industry-standard specifications across the Council’s portfolio of 258 buildings. As part of the contract, which originally commenced in 2019, Equans has responsibility for repairing and maintaining Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed buildings, including Manchester Town Hall – as well as care facilities where 24-hour service delivery is paramount. As the partnership evolves into its next phase, Equans is collaborating with Manchester City Council to work towards the city’s target of becoming net zero by 2038. This will be evident in the way Equans conducts its own operations and through targeted decarbonisation activities across the council’s property portfolio. Richard Carmichael, Managing Director for Local Authority Services at Equans UK & Ireland, said: “This is a terrific opportunity for us to build on an already strong and successful partnership with Manchester City Council and draw on our broader expertise in decarbonisation to help the city of Manchester reach its impressive zero carbon ambitions. “Beyond service delivery, the partnership with Manchester City Council extends to supporting local priorities such as job creation, social welfare, and innovation. We are thoroughly committed to continuing to undertake social value activities across the region to help improve prosperity in the area; including employment opportunities and community fundraising.” This contract award follows the recent three-year extension with Manchester City Council Housing, which will see Equans providing ongoing maintenance and repairs to 12,000 homes and carrying out refurbishment and adaptations on behalf of the council until 2027. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Independent commercial property management and building consultancy firm, Workman LLP, has made 49 promotions across the business, including six new partners. Charting an upward trajectory, it currently manages more than 4,000 properties, with a capital value of approximately £20 billion and rising. The latest promotions extend across the firm’s 11-strong nationwide office network and cover vital sectors. These include core property management and building consultancy, along with high-growth services, such as building technology, ESG, and project management. The geographic spread and multi-disciplinary nature of the promotions highlights continued growth across all parts of the business. The new partners are: Matthew Pateman, Managing Partner, said: “Investment in our people continues to be a cornerstone of the Workman culture, and these promotions are shining examples of the career development and progression on offer here. Talent is the driver of positive change, so the energy, determination, and dedication of our teams deserves to be recognised and rewarded. Our recent promotions are testament to these individuals’ commitment to delivering the highest standards of service to our valued clients. I congratulate every one of this year’s group and look forward to working alongside them, as they continue to develop in their careers.” These latest promotions come after the firm recruited 46 graduates and apprentices across the business during 2023, with more planned for 2024, to continue to develop the talent of the future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
You will have to excuse the flowery copy on this one, but we’re buzzing to announce that the ACC Liverpool Group marked this year’s annual World Bee Day by welcoming some new and very exciting VIPs…that’s ‘Very Important Pollinators’, to its waterfront site with support from Hard FM partner, Kimpton. The project was made possible by the support and sponsorship of a number of supply partners, co-ordinated by experts in bee husbandry. These included Sunlight Bees, Kimpton, Sodexo Live! and members of Kimpton’s supply chain Ultra Civils, Metro Rod, ADC, North West MEWPS, AHS, AWS, and Service Graphics who all donated towards the cost. World Bee Day was marked by a community of more than 140,000 honeybees, who were officially welcomed to Liverpool’s event campus in two brand new beehives, each with its own queen bee. Supported by Wirral beekeepers Sunlight Bees, the hives have been installed in a newly planted wildflower garden on the site and following a competition on ACC Liverpool Group’s social media channels, the hives were named Oh BeeHive! and Let it Beehive! The introduction of beehives and wildflowers to the site is an important development in ACC Liverpool Group’s sustainability journey. This initiative aims to increase the biodiversity on Liverpool’s event campus and showcases their commitment to environmental sustainability. Habitats in urban areas that include wildflowers, grasses, and flowering plants attract insects and other invertebrates like butterflies, spiders, and millipedes, as well as birds and mammals. Bees pollinate our wild trees and wildflowers, which support other insects, and in turn support birds, bats, and other mammals by creating bee-friendly environments. Members of the ACCL staff, some of the Kimpton team, and other sponsors of the project enjoyed bee-themed refreshments at the launch, and sunflower seedlings were handed out for people to take home and nurture before bringing them back to be planted in the wildflower garden in the summer. Eddie dos Santos, Director of Operations at ACC Liverpool, said: “We know how important it is that we minimise the environmental impact of our operations to do our bit to tackle the climate crisis. The arrival of these beehives on-site marks a key milestone in our sustainability journey. They have captured the imagination of our colleagues, and we hope the public will be equally excited by the development. We’re grateful to Sunlight Bees for their advice and guidance and to our ever-supportive suppliers who have made the project happen.” Matt Breakwell, Business Development Manager from Kimpton said “A crucial part of our ongoing relationship with ACC Liverpool is working in partnership to support their Sustainability Strategy. Having already completed a number of decarbonisation projects, we were delighted to be able to deliver the bees’ new home with the help of the specialist suppliers that support us to deliver the FM contract.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Royal College of Art (RCA) has awarded Derwent Facilities Management (FM) an integrated facilities management (IFM) contract to manage its estate for the next five years, subject to contract. The contract encompasses responsibility for all hard and soft services, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning, mechanical and electrical maintenance, cleaning, security, pest control, grounds maintenance, transportation, and more. These services will be provided across 12 buildings at RCA’s three campuses in South Kensington, Battersea, and White City. Founded in 1837, the RCA has been rated the world’s top art and design university for the past ten years by QS World University Rankings. It is the world’s most influential institution for postgraduate art and design studies, with 3,000 students. Eamonn Tierney, Managing Director at Derwent FM, said: “Derwent FM are hugely proud to have been awarded the contract with The Royal College of Art, an iconic and prestigious educational institution, and look forward to working in partnership to deliver our services to the highest possible standards. “RCA is world-renowned, and to support that, its facilities must run to the very best standards, and that is what we provide. We’re really looking forward to managing such important buildings and facilities and supporting the continued success of RCA and its students.” Paul Draper, Director of Estates at RCA, said: “Student experience and customer service are at the heart of everything we do here as the RCA’s Estates team. “Our estate is not merely a collection of buildings; it is the backbone of our academic pursuits. The goal from the outset was to create a world-class environment for learning, research, and collaboration, ensuring that the Royal College of Art remains at the very forefront of higher education. “Derwent’s team were very impressive in being able to demonstrate their affinity and knowledge to support that ambition, and their pure enthusiasm to deliver our vision.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Colliers EMEA has bolstered its Facilities Management Advisory service to Occupiers by appointing Denise Hoogendoorn as Director of Strategic Consulting. Hoogendoorn joins the EMEA Enterprise FM Advisory team from her previous role leading Colliers’ Occupier Consultancy Service in the Netherlands. In her new position, she will continue to work with clients across all sectors and global markets, spearheading the strategic development and growth of innovative delivery models that incorporate dynamic FM solutions tailored to occupiers’ varying operating models and occupancy strategies. Nicholas Marsh, Head of Enterprise Consulting, EMEA Occupier Services, stated: “We’re delighted to have Denise onboard. Over the last 10 years, she has been a driving force behind the development and success of our FM business in the Netherlands. Her unique skills and experience will further strengthen our strategic FM consulting capabilities – both regionally and globally – and extend our support to even more organisations.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ahead of this week’s UK election, we’ve highlighted four key areas the next Government needs to act on to ‘stimulate and sustain’ the national workplace and facilities management (WFM) profession and sector. The ‘Priorities for the next Government: 2024 general election manifesto’ publication highlights the challenges faced by the next Government, including economic malaise, decarbonising the country’s infrastructure and habits, investing in education and health, all in a challenging and persistent negative fiscal environment. The publication also details how WFM is a major contributor to the UK economy; for instance, outsourced sector/service providers represent about 5% of all UK enterprises, of which 250 key WFM enterprises had a turnover of £50 million or more each. Drawing on recent research, IWFM’s Market Outlook Survey 2024 report, five major priorities emerged for our members: 1. Focus on growing the economy 2. Develop a coherent plan to achieve net zero 3. Reduce uncertainly around government policy 4. Provide support to people to help with the cost of living 5. Develop an overarching skills strategy / make it easier to recruit talent from outside the UK / encourage staff back to offices in town centres / reduce business taxes. We identified four key areas to realise these priorities, all of which are cross cutting to a degree: skills; sustainability; building safety; information management, data and technology. Our Head of Policy & Research, Sofie Hooper, said, ‘Along with the UK at large, WFM as a profession and sector are facing seismic challenges which threaten their prospects. However, their contribution represents a huge source of value across broad areas: increasing organisational productivity and providing workplace wellbeing, delivering net zero and mitigating climate change across our buildings, delivering safe homes and providing the right information to the right people at the right time. ‘Fortunately, actionable steps can be taken to address immediate issues and get match fit for future conditions. IWFM calls on the next UK Government to act on this publication and the many resources we’ve created to enhance our sector and profession.’ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading managing agent Rendall & Rittner is thrilled to have received two prestigious awards at this year’s ACE Awards: ‘Managing Agent of the Year (15,001+ units)’ and ‘Resident Engagement Initiative’. This marks the fifth occasion that Rendall & Rittner has received the renowned Managing Agent of the Year award in the 6 years the awards have taken place. This achievement also follows the company’s recent ‘Property Manager of the Year’ award win at the RESI awards, meaning Rendall & Rittner currently holds the sector’s two most coveted awards. The ACE Awards were presented at an awards dinner in London’s Old Billingsgate market on Friday 21st June. Hosted by The Property Institute (formerly ARMA and IRPM), the awards unite industry-leading managing agents, developers, and suppliers to celebrate the ‘leading lights among UK managing agents’. The Managing Agent of the Year Award reflects Rendall & Rittner’s commitment to being a respected, responsible and trusted partner. With a portfolio of over 80,000 homes across the UK, Rendall & Rittner’s people led, technology enabled, service driven approach drives the company forward for the benefit of its customers, clients and residents. With each award entry vigorously scrutinised by an independent judging panel of senior property professionals, Rendall & Rittner’s success amongst such tough competition highlights a clear commitment to innovation and delivering exceptional service levels. Rendall & Rittner was also presented with the inaugural Resident Engagement Initiative award, acknowledging the careful consideration placed on enhancing the experience of residents and developing a greater sense of community at developments across the portfolio. Supported by its Operations Team, Rendall & Rittner organises and runs a wide ranging calendar of activities and events, including festive gatherings, open mic nights, Recycle Week, wildlife photography competitions and F1 simulator events in partnership with Sky. Resident communication is also a priority for the managing agent, ensuring residents are regularly engaged on key topics such as building safety, façade remediation, and the cost of living. Richard Daver, Group CEO at Rendall & Rittner comments: “At Rendall & Rittner, our strategic focus on driving change and innovation for our clients, customers and residents is at the forefront of everything we do. We are therefore thrilled that the ACE Awards judges have recognised the enthusiasm and dedication of our people once again this year as we continue to seek opportunities to enhance our service offering. Receiving both the prestigious Managing Agent of the Year and Resident Engagement Initiative awards is testament to the contribution and effort of all our people, especially so soon after being named Property Manager of the Year at the RESI awards.” For further information please visit: www.rendallandrittner.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nearly half of building maintenance professionals state that systems integration is one of their most significant struggles, according to a recent poll by SFG20, the industry standard for facility maintenance specifications. Using this industry insight, SFG20 have developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that streamlines the integration between SFG20 content and FM systems used for operational activity. Almost 90% of FM professionals agreed on the benefit of implementing SFG20’s new ‘smart’ software, driven by new features such as automatic notifications that advise users when updates are made to the SFG20 standard. The new API makes SFG20 content available and accessible to all via the common FM systems used for operational activity i.e., CAFMs, IWFMs, CMMS etc. As users are notified of updates to SFG20’s content, they can choose when to accept them. SFG20 guidance will then automatically flow into their FM system. The API is also bi-directional, meaning that once work has been completed this information can flow back to SFG20 who will be able to provide reporting and insight around levels of compliance and value derived from their FM provider. Paul Bullard, Product and Professional Services Director at SFG20, says: “Our new freely available API will allow users to access and work with the SFG20 standard more efficiently than ever. By receiving updates to SFG20’s maintenance schedules and having this content automatically integrated into various FM systems, facility maintenance professionals remove the risk of falling off the standard and becoming non-compliant. The API comes at no cost, and allows any FM system to link in. SFG20 also provides support with the integration process, thereby removing any potential barriers and making it as easy as possible to carry out maintenance work and achieve compliance.” “To find out more about SFG20’s new open API solution, please visit their software integration page, which details the benefits of their open API, from improved efficiency, greater control, and standard compliance.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
