By Cheryl Ellerington, Managing Director of FM Business Daily.
World FM Day takes place on 10 May this year with the theme being ‘Making a real difference.’
World FM Day was first observed on 28 August 2009. The time of year on which the day occurs has changed over the years and has now settled on the second Wednesday in May. The aim is always to recognise, appreciate and celebrate the contributions of individuals working in facilities management (FM).
FM is a profession that, perhaps more than most, has seen a lot of changes over the last three years with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst there has been a shift to home and hybrid working, there continues to be a huge and growing need for engineers to attend commercial, industrial, residential and office buildings for a whole spectrum of services to ensure the built environment remains safe, clean and protected.
COVID-19 has also necessitated innovation, such as touch-free technology, enabling people to continue accessing communal environments as safely as possible. Well-managed workplaces also make a measurable difference to productivity, encouraging people to be more passionate about their work. True to this year’s theme, FM is proven to make a real difference.
Ways to get involved
The Institute for Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) is supporting World FM Day in the UK and has produced the following ideas to get involved:
Here are some ways you can get involved and join the World FM Day celebrations:
- Share your successes. Give a shout out to your teams. Share a commitment on how you and your organisation will help lead a sustainable future.
- Ask your marketing/communications team to help you raise your profile across your company and on your company social media channels.
- Make sure you tag IWFM on your company or personal Twitter posts using @IWFM_UK so they can showcase the amazing work you are doing. Also use the hashtags #WORLDFMDAY2023 in all of your posts.
- Download the official World FM Day and IWFM marketing pack and share them on your website, social or email footers to help raise the profile of our profession. Wish your social media followers a ‘Happy World FM Day’!
- Tag IWFM and say why you are proud to be in the workplace and facilities management sector.
We’re pleased to include a selection of comments below from spokepersons in different areas of FM.
Bianca Angelico, director and chief DayMaker at On Verve
A core remit of front-of-house teams is to make a difference. That’s why we created DayMakers at On Verve – we exist to make someone’s day, whether they are an employee or a visitor. Personally, I’m delighted that as an industry we are talking more about creating inclusive environments, especially for neurodiverse individuals. If you have a sensitivity to sound, colour, light or any other number of factors, having someone in the workplace that recognises this and provides support is truly invaluable and makes a huge difference. I hope to see this trend continue in FM so that we can create workplaces where everyone can feel comfortable and happy.
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Kieran Mackie, managing director at Amulet
I like to think that security officers are getting more recognition for the scope of work they undertake – a lot of which is above and beyond their core role, and carried out solely to make a positive difference in the communities they operate in. For example, our Travel Safety Officers on one of our rail clients have spearheaded partnerships with numerous charities such as Shelter, and are safeguarding accredited to provide support to vulnerable people. Security is about safety, but it’s also about trust. One of the biggest ways in which our sector can make a difference is providing a presence that people can trust and rely on.
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Joe Saisi, managing director – London at Portfolio
FM is arguably at its most effective and impactful when we develop strong relationships with our clients. For example, we see much better results when our cleaning teams operate as strategic partners, as opposed to simply a service provider. This includes flexibility in how we work. Of course we have contracts, but when we can offer more of a concierge service and fully align with our clients’ goals, that’s where we can truly make a difference. And we see that in the feedback we get from senior leadership and employees that interact with our cleaning operatives. Creating a safe, hygienic and welcoming space is about a big a difference as you can make.
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James Bradley, CEO at Churchill
FM is well placed to support vital social causes in local communities. For example, our grounds maintenance service, Chequers, is working with One Housing and Crisis to support homeless people by giving them new skills. Ivan Lucci attended a one-day training course, made a great impression and is now working as a cleaning operative at the Stratford Centre in London. Ivan said: ”I was desperate to find a job, not only for the money but for my sense of self-worth. When you have experienced having no fixed abode and no job, the world feels so bleak. The teams at Crisis, Chequers and Churchill all pulled together to help me, and it has made a very big difference to my life”. Ivan is just one person who has experienced the difference that our sector can make through this partnership, and we look forward to supporting many more people through providing skills development and employment.
