SWC has been awarded a three-year deal with Great Portland Street Estates plc covering its portfolio of over 40 properties across London. The contract award is one of the largest stand-alone window cleaning contracts in the country, which will see the SWC team demonstrating a wide variety of specialist window cleaning techniques including Cradle systems, BMUs, rope access and traditional water fed pole systems in order to provide outstanding window cleaning across the variety of classic and state of the art modern buildings. Some of the notable buildings within the portfolio are 200 Grays Inn Road, brand new Hanover Square and The Hickman. Rebecca Bradley, Head of Property Services at Great Portland Estates plc said: “We were delighted to award SWC with this prestigious contract.  We have a clear strategic focus on London with a varied portfolio of properties.  SWC’s investment in their people, innovative cleaning methods and Health and safety approach, showed us that they are more than capable of offering a service that will cater for all of our buildings.” Gareth Thomas, Managing Director at SWC commented: “We were extremely pleased to win this significant contract. As one of the largest standalone window cleaning contracts in the county, it is a testament to our staff and their willingness to go the extra mile to exceed our client’s expectations.  We look forward to working with Great Portland Estates plc and building our respective businesses.”

Sodexo has won a contract to provide facilities management services at a new Covid-19 laboratory in Leamington Spa, including a contactless “micro market”. The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory in Royal Leamington Spa, which is owned and run by the Department of Health and Social Care, is part of the NHS Test and Trace network, which will increase Covid-19 testing capacity by hundreds of thousands a day in the coming months. The facilities management contract will employ 90 people from the local area to provide services including communal area cleaning, security, grounds maintenance, waste management, logistics, maintenance and 24/7 catering services. The catering services will include a contactless “micro market”, where staff can buy a range of drinks, snacks, sandwiches, salads and hot meals using self-service tills at any time of day. “I am extremely proud that we continue to play our part in the fight against this pandemic, supporting NHS Test and Trace, to increase the UK’s Covid-19 testing capacity,” said Stuart Winters, chief executive of healthcare for Sodexo UK & Ireland. “We know that working in close partnership with our client, being agile and responsive to their needs, is absolutely vital and I am delighted that we have been recognised for our ability to do this for NHS Test and Trace.

Sorting waste remains one of the most effective ways to become more eco-friendly and decrease pollution in your local area. If you would like to take part in this initiative and encourage your family members to start sorting waste, this article might be right for you. Discover some tips on how to train yourself and your family to sort trash. Before You Start Many students get academic assignments related to sorting waste and other eco programs at schools and universities. If you are one of them, you might need more advanced information about recycling activities. Moreover, you can get your essays done even easier if you use an online academic writing solution. Don’t forget to read the reviews of other students when choosing the best site for your needs. For example, there are many essay one day reviews available online. You can also explore a fresh domyessay review or look for more facts about justdomyessay. This way, your learning process will be much easier. If you still would like to write your paper by yourself or just want to know more about sorting trash, continue reading this article to get the freshest facts. Top Tips to Reduce Amount of Trash and Start Sorting It Sorting trash might seem difficult at first glance. However, it is much easier than you might think. If you follow the simple prompts below, you will have an opportunity to become more eco-friendly much easier. Avoid Using Material You Don’t Need The first step to reducing your amount of trash is to avoid using material and packaging you don’t really need. This rule is especially important during shopping. There is nothing new that most shops and retail points offer advanced packaging options to all their customers. However, if you refuse to get an extra bag for carrying your purchases, you will decrease the overall amount of waste you produce. In other words, to have less trash at home, don’t take it to your dwelling. Get Rid Of Things You Don’t Use To reduce the amount of trash, it might be a great idea to arrange a garage sale. For example, you can easily sell or give old chairs, equipment, clothes, and gadgets for free to those who really need them. First, you will become more environmentally friendly. Second, you will help people in need. Third, you can get more free space in your house. For example, before throwing your outdated tablet with a broken screen into the trash bin, think about whether someone might need it. Avoid Plastic There is nothing new that plastic is one of the main sources of pollution. Fortunately, you can decrease its amount. Avoid buying plastic toys and other products that you are likely to throw away soon. If you still need to buy something made from this material, consider choosing recyclable alternatives. For example, there are some recyclable plant pots you can buy for your garden. Buy In A Bulk Reducing packaging waste is also an excellent idea for families who take care of a healthy environment. But how to limit it? You can purchase pasta, cereal, and other products in bulk! This way, you will get the same amount of product but significantly decrease the packaging waste. Moreover, this simple trick might help you save money for something more important. Ban The Bottles How many times do you buy a bottle of water? Just imagine how many plastic bottles you use per year! Therefore, it is better to purchase a reusable water bottle you will take every time you leave home. This easy solution will allow you not to purchase plastic bottles with water and other drinks. Stop Using Straws You will be amazed to discover that Americans throw away about 550 million plastic straws each day. What about using disposable straws? They are the same convenient and easy to use as traditional ones. However, you get a chance to become more environmentally friendly using disposable straws. Use Separate Trash Containers The most effective solution to sort trash is to use several separate containers for different types of waste. You can also use containers of different colors for your convenience. For example, it might be very handy to have separate bins for plastic, glass, and organic waste. You can take out the trash bins when they become full to the local containers for further recycling. All in all, sorting trash initiatives might take your time. If you are not ready to follow all the tips above, it is still good to start small. For example, you can stop using straws and plastic bottles and then move to more advanced initiatives for sorting trash. Even the smallest measures done by each family could help us save our planet from drowning in tons of trash. Just try to be more eco-oriented and see how the environment around you will start changing!

The University of Oxford has upgraded its estates management processes with a new indoor mapping system to provide more efficient methods of maintaining asset data and how it charges university departments and other tenants for the space they use. Offering easy access to property and interiors data across 300+ buildings and 35,000 spaces using interactive maps, the University chose GIS mapping technology from Esri UK to build the new system, which went live in May 2021. Replacing manual processes, static CAD floorplan drawings and Excel spreadsheets, the new solution combines over 2,000 floorplans into a single interactive map, enabling the university to more easily share data online with building managers and department administrators. A two-way communication tool has also been introduced, so any modifications to lecture theatres, accommodation or classrooms can be easily fed back to the estates team online, replacing a labour-intensive and paper-based annual audit and improving how the university calculates charges for tenants. Consisting of a broad portfolio, the University of Oxford’s estate includes academic buildings, laboratories, student and staff accommodation, commercial buildings for investment and leasing purposes, farms, plus space embedded in a number of hospitals around Oxford. The university charges academic departments and colleges for the space they use and also leases buildings to commercial entities. The University is the oldest in the English-speaking world and has more than 24,000 students. The new indoor mapping system was created by migrating static CAD floorplans and associated building data into the online GIS (Geographic Information System) software from Esri UK. Interactive maps now give an overview of the estate, showing buildings in context of their surroundings down to individual floors, rooms and spaces, while interactive dashboards show floorplans, usage and cost details. “The challenge was to create an indoor mapping system which would provide 24hr access to floorplan and budget information for academic departments and other tenants and keep pace with the dynamic nature of our estate, which has several thousand changes every year, from repurposing an office into a laboratory to minor modifications such as moving internal walls,” explained Lomin Saayman, Information Records Manager, University of Oxford Estates Services. “The Esri UK solution gives us a geographical visualisation of our estate and allows tenants to report any changes so our central asset record is always up-to-date. The old process of confirming what space they occupied used to take around five months and wasted time chasing data, so now the estates team is free to work on other tasks. Overall, the increased visibility and accuracy is helping improve how we inform departments what they will be charged for the year and in how we plan for the future expansion of the estate. Purchasing the software via a Chest agreement also meant it was well within our budget,” concluded Saayman. The new system is already contributing to the spatial planning of a large new laboratory facility being built, by revealing how the old 1960s building was previously used. Plans for the future include adding large or significant assets to the indoor mapping solution, such as an MRI scanner, by scanning items with a 3D scanner and making them visible on the map. “Indoor mapping has made previously difficult to share static floorplan data rapidly accessible and easy to navigate by all stakeholders,” said Rob Nichols, Sales Lead at Esri UK. “Bringing CAD data into a GIS mapping environment has given the university complete situational awareness of its whole estate, allowing it to improve operational efficiency and make accurate decisions.”

With businesses reopening to the public and employees returning to the office, it’s paramount that facility managers know how to keep all premises safe and secure from any unlawful activity. Theft and business crimes make up 20% of all crime in the UK1. This causes great distress to business owners and can lead to commercial failure. To help companies prepare for coming out of lockdown, safety and security specialists Reece Enterprise, have shared their top seven tips to preventing theft that all facility managers need to know. 1. Risk Assessment To mitigate the risk of being subject to theft crime, the first step businesses need to take is conducting a risk assessment. This will help to identify any potential hazards that may occur within the organisation so the board can identify what to prioritise safety wise. This can involve any security aspect from defective security cameras or blind spots to faulty locks or windows. Risk assessments should be undertaken regularly, at least once a year. A further review is recommended once any changes have been made to business equipment, materials, processes, or people. This is also advised after accidents occur, to ensure their validity. 2. Employee Training As stakeholders, employees are a critical part of any business and play a key role in keeping their workplaces safe and protected. Companies should always carry out full background and employment history checks before hiring people if possible. Once hired, security guidelines and theft policies should be clearly explained during employee inductions. Managers can help to mitigate the risk of internal theft by encouraging staff accountability. There are several actions that can be taken to enforce this, such as enacting policy that requires employees to keep laptops and equipment locked and password protected, encouraging employees to report suspicious activity, and by giving specific access, (for example to a cupboard of stationary) to named employees. 3. Keeping Everything Locked, Keys Included Managers can further minimise risk of theft by ensuring valuable items are locked up, making sure that doors, safes and storage spaces are locked, and by safely storing keys in one secure place, like a reliable key cabinet from Reece Enterprise. From fire-resistant to free-standing, key or wall mounted, with a key or padlock, there are multiple cabinets to choose from that are sure to suit your business needs.  Adding additional locks to doors and shutters or grilles to windows can give further protection. 4. Surveillance Cameras Use of security cameras, such as CCTV, is one of the most common practices that businesses use to fight criminal activity in the UK. Although data protection rules apply for the use of cameras, they are an excellent tool for deterring burglars. They are particularly effective as they provide evidence and visibility. When operating with small budgets, consider installing a limited number of surveillance cameras in the most high-risk areas. Security mirrors in blind spots are also another good alternative. This will create a robust security system for the business. 5. Keeping Records Another key factor in dealing with theft is identifying the unusual activity in the first place. Being organised and staying on top of stock management within the organisation is essential. Track all your inventory, keep on top of your paperwork, and use tags and labels with serial numbers for all the important pieces of equipment to make sure nothing gets lost. 6. Installing Alarms Alarms are one of the most traditional and prevalent types of security system. Alarm systems and security lighting are a go-to measure for discouraging intruders and having them in place can also help to lower insurance premium costs. Consider setting up a BS 4737-4.3:1988 intruder alarm system, this is part of the general requirements that companies need to comply with in accordance with the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and therefore should be considered. Once set up, managers are advised to arrange for the alarms to be regularly tested and maintained.

Mitie has been selected as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) agreement for Covid community testing sites. The appointment extends Mitie’s key role as a supporter of testing services and covers new Covid test sites to be opened as needed by local authorities for short periods – up to 12 weeks. Mitie will potentially offer test site management and support services to local authorities across 11 regions: Yorkshire and Humber, North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, South East, London, and an option to add Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Mitie will be providing registration assistants, processing operatives, security officers and test assistants, as well as cleaning at the sites along with any additional services required by the local authorities. Mitie has been supporting the country directly in its Covid-19 response since the beginning of the pandemic, through community testing centres, the first of which opened in Inverness on 25 April 2020, and essential services for hospitals, including the Nightingale Hospital London and the Ysbyty Calon y Ddraig – Dragon’s Heart Hospital as it is known in English – in Cardiff. More widely, Mitie now operates over 150 testing sites for public and private sector clients, and its colleagues have continued to provide key services at critical sites, such as ports and airports, across the country. Simon Venn, Chief Government & Strategy Officer, Mitie, said: “I am delighted to be extending our vital work at the heart of the UK’s Coronavirus response to support local communities with their testing programmes.  I am proud of the commitment of our Mitie colleagues in delivering these critical services, they truly are frontline heroes. We continue to play our part in keeping the country running and also supporting its recovery.”

Bolton-based Seddon has completed the £900,000 project to replace a 20-year-old hydrotherapy pool at Delamere School, to benefit pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Trafford. The project was funded by Trafford Council via the Department for Education’s SEND capital funding. Delamere School provides 80 places to support local children and is one of only three dedicated SEND schools in Trafford. Designed by Bowker Sadler Architecture (BSA), delivery of the project was also aided by structural engineer, Ridge and Partners LLP, and specialist pool installers, Unique Pool Ltd. The new hydrotherapy pool replaces the previous facilities which were well-worn and no longer fit-for-purpose. The existing pool area has been remodelled to provide a larger, more inclusive, and spacious changing facility. The extension houses a new level-deck pool to replace the existing one, which sat 600mm above floor level. Its design provides a level threshold and a modern pool hoist lift from the changing rooms into the pool, making direct entry into the water both easier and safer for those with reduced mobility. The new pool incorporates a stimulating bubble bed, colour changing/mood lighting, an audio system and image projection to enhance the sensory experience for the children. The hydrotherapy facility will prove to be a huge asset for the school by providing a wealth of benefits for children with SEND, helping to maintain joint and muscle movement and contributing to positive wellbeing. Fixed poolside seating offers parents and carers a comfortable place to watch their loved ones. During the build, the Seddon team worked with local sub-contractors and their own apprentices to offer live experience of the plumbing trade and to give a boost to local businesses, while the site management worked closely with the school to minimise disruption and maintain safety. This was commended by the headteacher throughout the build. “Bringing a project like this to life is an absolute pleasure. It was great to do our bit to improve these important facilities that benefit the school so much, by providing a more modern and usable space the children can get the very best support,” said John Shannon, divisional director at Seddon. “We were also able to undertake a site viewing with members of the children’s School Council, where they could see the works that were ongoing. Under the current circumstances, this really helped them to look forward to the new facility being completed, and I believe they were even reporting back to the staff about what pool toys and floats they want to add. We hope everyone at Delamere School and in the wider community can make the most of the new pool for years to come.” Pupils and staff were also given the opportunity to visit the site, as part of a safe, socially distanced tour while everything was under construction. The school plans to offer their improved and modern facilities to members of the local community, including plans for parent and baby classes. This will be scheduled around the school’s timetable and will maximise the benefit provided by this development. This will support the local community and generate much-needed income for the school to offset running costs and provide commercial sustainability for the facility. “The build has been completed on time by Seddon, which is unbelievable in the context of COVID. BSA inspired confidence that they understood the issues with our previous pool, and that they were experienced enough to deliver a high quality, bespoke product. They consulted at every stage, kept us very well informed and really cared about the success of our project and understood how much it meant to me and my children,” added Sally Burston, headteacher at Delamere School.