FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Sodexo has been awarded a three-year catering contract extension with Oasis Community Learning.
The two organisations first partnered over 12 years ago, and today Sodexo’s Food & Co offer provides breakfast, morning break and lunch to 28,000 Oasis pupils, as well as hospitality services.
The new contract which starts in September 2023 will see the deployment of Sodexo’s digital pre-ordering system, School Food United (SFU), at all Oasis academy schools in time for the 2023-24 academic year.
Sodexo has also partnered with Rethink Food’s Futures programme to provide Oasis academy pupils with exciting learning opportunities with tower gardens introduced. The soil-free tower gardens enable the children to grow fresh produce from seed to salad in 60 days.
Tower gardens use aeroponic technology which is the process of growing plants in the air or mist environment without soil or an aggregate medium. Compared to soil gardening, aeroponic technology has been shown to increase yields by as much as 30 per cent and triple the speed of plant growth, while using only 10 per cent of the water and space. According to Rethink Food, research shows that children who grow their own food are five times more likely to eat it.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has always been a key focus for the partnership, in June 2022 Sodexo appointed Elizabeth Axon as social responsibility and engagement manager specifically to help maximise Sodexo’s initiatives across Oasis academy schools.
Initiatives include:
- Agents for Change programme which invites pupils to have a say in the school meals provision from menu through to dining hall design.
- Carbon menu labelling at secondary academy schools. Sodexo has partnered with Klimato to raise awareness amongst pupils and staff on the impact their food choices have on the planet through CO2 labelling .
- WasteWatch. Sodexo teams have been using the WasteWatch food waste reduction programme, powered by LeanPath at Oasis schools since April 2021. The amount of food waste reduced has helped prevent almost 80 metric tons of CO2. That is the equivalent to 20,847 meals saved.
Steve Hawkins, Managing Director, schools, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted to continue our long-term partnership with Oasis Community Learning. Together we are committed to working together to ensure pupils enjoy tasty, nutritious school meals every day, and to help raise awareness of not only the importance of a well-balanced diet but how small changes can make a big difference on the impact food has on the planet, whether that is choosing a low-carbon meal or ensuring that food waste is kept to a minimum.
“We have enjoyed engaging Oasis pupils on sustainability issues over the last 12 years and with Elizabeth’s help we will continue to do this and support Oasis on its net zero journey as we too navigate ours.”
John Barneby, Chief Operating Officer of Oasis Community Learning added: “We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Sodexo. We believe that having access to good, healthy food is important to help our students learn.
“We have been impressed by Sodexo’s passion for delivering sustainable and nutritious school meal options and are confident that together we can continue to encourage the uptake of school meals whilst educating the next generation about how a change in behaviour or diet can have a positive impact on the planet.”
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
