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Welcome to InTheNews – covering all the FM news you may have missed over the week:
This week marked National Apprenticeship Week, Sodexo has announced it has gifted £2m of its apprenticeship levy to support a number of small companies and not-for-profit organisations across the UK at the launch of National Apprenticeship Week 2023.
In August 2021, the food services and facilities management business announced it had gifted more than £1m to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for apprenticeship training.
Over the last 18 months, the company has doubled that figure and committed apprentice levy gifting funds to several other organisations.
UK and Ireland chief executive officer Sean Haley added: “We know there is a significant role we can play in helping more organisations develop the people and the skills they will need in the future. This is why apprenticeship levy gifting is such a crucial component of our social impact pledge.”
Compass Group UK & Ireland has had its social impact measured by Social Value Portal, resulting in a staggering total social and local economic value of £591m.
The majority of this figure is made up of the company’s local economic value (£587m), employing over 17k of its 45k people within 15 miles of their homes. Significantly, its work with apprenticeships, community support and social enterprises have also contributed towards its overall social value impact.
Chris Chidley, Compass Group UK & Ireland Social Value Executive Team Sponsor said: “As a large employer, we recognise we have the ability to change people’s lives, as well as have a positive impact on the communities in which we work.
“It’s been really interesting to have our social value measured and we are delighted to see the positive impact we are making in communities and for our clients around the country. We see this initial measurement as a great baseline to build on. We know we already do some great work, but having this insight helps us to identify where any gaps may be and areas that may require further focus.
Industry trade bodies, UKHospitality, Hospitality Ulster, BBPA and the BII, have jointly written to the Secretary of State for BEIS, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, calling for further support for vulnerable pubs, brewers and hospitality operators, facing devastating energy costs which are crippling their businesses.
With over 1600 hospitality businesses already having failed in the last three months (CGA and AlixPartners research), the organisations issued a stark warning about the thousands more potential business failures in the sector without further support.
In a joint statement, the organisations they commented:
“We are calling on the Secretary of State for BEIS to recognise the impossible situation facing our nation’s pubs, bars, restaurants, brewers and all those venues in hospitality, all of whom support communities across the whole of the UK.
“Government must ensure suppliers deliver a framework of fair and reasonable energy costs for hospitality businesses, and direct energy companies to allow those who were forced into contracts in 2022 at untenable rates to renegotiate, reflecting the now much lower wholesale prices, but also the record-breaking profits these suppliers have announced.”
You can find out more on news.fmbusinessdaily.com
