Grapevine

19 December 2025

Welcome to this week’s Grapevine, the place to get your bitesize FM updates in one place, in a handy five-minute read.

Got a story for us? Please send news stories & press releases to: newsdesk@twinfm.com.

Mitie Reaches New Heights With Five-Year Contract With Real Estate Management (UK) Limited

Mitie, the UK’s leading facilities management, transformation and compliance company, has been awarded the Good Business Charter (GBC) accreditation, reflecting its commitment to responsible business practices that support people and the planet.

With 84,000 colleagues working across the country in roles from security to sustainability and cleaning to compliance, Mitie is the largest employer to be accredited by the GBC, meeting the standard required across all ten commitments of the Charter. It has pledged to continue to uphold the commitments, which collectively promote care for colleagues, suppliers, customers and the environment, while ensuring fair tax practices.

The accreditation was marked this morning at a breakfast reception held at Mitie’s headquarters in The Shard. The breakfast was hosted by Rt Hon. Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Jenny Herrera, CEO of the Good Business Charter and Jason Towse, Managing Director, Business Services at Mitie. It brought together business leaders ranging from multinationals to SMEs as well as policymakers and third parties to discuss how the Government and industry can work together in to ensure organisations are increasingly empowered to adopt responsible business practices, raising standards for workers throughout the UK whilst enabling economic growth.

Founded in 2020 by Julian Richer, founder of Richer Sounds, the Good Business Charter is the UK’s benchmark for responsible business behaviour. It was developed with the Confederation of British Industry and The Trades Union Congress, representing the voices of both businesses and workers. With 97% of the public wanting to support responsible businesses, the Charter provides an accessible accreditation that demonstrates this behaviour, including prioritising colleagues and caring for the environment.

The Good Business Charter aims to champion ethical behaviour and to provide a benchmark as to what constitutes a good business in the UK. There are over 1,000 organisations who have received this accreditation, sharing best practice on how to demonstrate responsible business behaviour through every area of operation.

By choosing to join the Good Business Charter, Mitie is helping to set a higher standard for the facilities management industry and wider British business, evidencing that major employers can lead with fairness, responsibility and care, providing a blueprint for a more ethical future of work in the UK. Mitie recognises the growing need for successful businesses to drive meaningful social impact and have as part of our ‘Plan Thrive’ mission, have committed to uplifting 1 million lives through inclusive employment and helping people to build sustainable careers.   

ESS and Royal Navy Win Institute for Collaborative Working’s Prestigious Chair’s Award 

ESS Defence, specialist provider of foodservice and FM to military establishments across the UK, and the Royal Navy have won this year’s Institute for Collaborative Working Chair’s Award. The accolade recognises ‘No Single Wets’, a joint initiative to remove single-use cups from Navy Command Headquarters at HMS Excellent.

The Institute for Collaborative Working Awards celebrate the positive impact of effective collaboration in action. The prestigious Chair’s Award honours a project or partnership that demonstrates exceptional collaborative working, often under challenging circumstances or delivering significant impact. It was presented during a special event held at the House of Lords.

ESS provides a busy café within the Royal Navy Headquarters at HMS Excellent, which serves thousands of hot drinks monthly. Previously, fewer than 5% of these drinks were in reusable cups, with the remainder in single-use cups going to waste. Minimising the impact of this significant waste stream was identified as a great opportunity, with the Navy challenging ESS to be bold in tackling it. 

Following detailed investigations of different options, including recycling, it was decided that single-use cups would be eliminated from the building and a 100% reusable cups policy introduced. With drinks known as ‘wets’ to Royal Navy personnel, ‘No Single Wets’ was born. From April 2024, the café would no longer stock single-use cups, customers must bring reusable cups for takeaway drinks and customers with reusable cups would enjoy a 25p discount.

To date, the initiative has saved 52,649 single-use cups, equating to 0.94 tonnes of waste. As well as preventing waste, the project has delivered well over £13,000 savings for customers through the customer discount. The programme will subsequently be replicated across the Royal Navy estate.

‘No Single Wets’ was also Highly Commended at the recent Waste2Zero Awards.

Sunbelt Rentals Launches Wreaths Across Great Britian to Honour Veterans This December

Sunbelt Rentals UK & Ireland is launching Wreaths Across Great Britian throughout December, a new remembrance initiative created to honour veterans resting in Commonwealth war graves. The project is inspired by Wreaths Across America and Canada and brings together remembrance, rehabilitation and community volunteering. This December more than 300 handmade wreaths will be laid at cemeteries in Greenock, Dundee and Scottish Veterans Residences sites for former servicemen and women who have no family to remember them. In partnership with Forest with Impact, every wreath has been crafted by people in custody, including veterans, at HMP Haverigg, creating a meaningful connection between service, rehabilitation and social sustainability.

The initiative is underpinned by a powerful belief that you lose someone twice, the first when someone passes and the second when their name is spoken for the last time. By laying a wreath and saying each name aloud, Sunbelt Rentals colleagues and community volunteers ensure these veterans are never forgotten.

The teams from Sunbelt Rentals undertook a meaningful initiative where they collected the hand-made wreaths from HMP Haverigg. These wreaths were then carefully transported to various local depots located in Scotland. The final leg of this journey took place on the 3rd of December when the wreaths were brought to the cemeteries to honour those who have served. On that day, volunteers from across the entire company came together at each of the sites to participate in a ceremony by placing the wreaths, reading aloud the names of the individuals being honoured and paying their respects.

Wreaths Across Great Britian forms part of Sunbelt Rentals wider commitment to the veteran community. The business employs around 2,000 veterans globally and holds the MOD Gold Armed Forces Covenant Award. Through its 4Rs Programme, Sunbelt Rentals continues to support serving personnel, veterans and their families with resources, recognition, retention and recruitment opportunities.

Sarah MacGregor, Head of Social Sustainability at Sunbelt Rentals: “Our Veterans Programme was built by veterans for veterans and projects like Wreaths Across Great Britian reflects what that community stands for. We recognise the commitment and service of those who have served and we’re proud to honour them with respect. This programme brings together remembrance, rehabilitation and community in a way that stays true to our values and our promise to support veterans throughout their journey with us.”

12 December

Novus Supports WHBC’s Nicer Neighbourhoods Initiative

National maintenance, refurbishment and fit out contractor Novus Property Solutions has joined forces with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council to improve and enhance communal spaces for a pilot scheme under its new Nicer Neighbourhoods initiative to create safer, greener and more connected places to live.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s Nicer Neighbourhoods project pilot area covered two sites in Welwyn Garden City. For the first site at Briars Wood, the communal garden has been enhanced to create a more welcoming, family-friendly space by opening up space for children to play as well as installing new benches, rotary dryers and herb-filled planters. The larger site at Heronswood Road and Haynes Close also benefited from new rotary dryers, benches, and herb planters plus new footpaths were laid at the back of the block of flats, making it easier for residents to walk safely between buildings.

Alongside the outdoor improvements, both sites also received deep cleans of internal communal areas and new noticeboards which were installed to help keep residents informed about local opportunities and community updates. 

Novus has been working with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council since October 2022 on a five-year contract worth £9 million per year to provide a range of upgrades across the council’s portfolio of 10,000 homes in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. The scope of works includes kitchen and bathroom replacements, installation of new windows and doors, rewiring, roofing and external redecoration with the latest tranche of works set to complete by the end of March 2026. As part of its social value programme, as well as supporting the new Nicer Neighbourhoods Initiative, Novus has also donated £500 to the council’s Borrow It initiative which gives residents the opportunity to borrow fully PAT-tested tools to carry out small DIY jobs in their homes.

Simon Wilson, Operations Manager at Novus Property Solutions said: “Giving back to the communities in which we operate has always been a core value and at the heart of how we do business here at Novus. We were delighted to be able to support Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council as part of our social value programme and it was a real privilege to see the positive impact of the Nicer Neighbourhoods project on residents and the local communities.”  

The Nicer Neighbourhoods initiative is an ongoing programme aimed at developing a long-term improvement plan for how the council manages its housing estates. Each project is developed with residents’ input to improve shared spaces who are also invited to take an active role by becoming Community Champions to help guide the development of future Nicer Neighbourhoods locations.

Cllr Gemma Moore, Executive Member for Housing, said: “Creating Nicer Neighbourhoods is a priority for the Council, and it is wonderful to see how collaborative working with our residents and colleagues at Novus has made such a difference to the communal areas in Briars Wood and Heronswood Road and Haynes Close. Works such as these help instil a sense of pride in local communities and I am sure that residents will enjoy using these much-improved spaces. Well done to everyone involved and I look forward to seeing similar transformations across the Borough.

NIC Services Group Ltd Recognised in the 2025 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List

NIC Services Group Ltd has been ranked number 32 in the 2025/26 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List, revealed at the Inclusive Awards on November 27, 2025. The list, produced by Inclusive Companies, highlights employers that show sustained commitment to inclusion across their whole organisation and across all strands of diversity.

Marking its tenth year, the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List continues to set the benchmark for organisations creating workplaces where people feel valued, supported and able to succeed. Judging covers gender, disability, age, LGBTQ+, race, faith and religion, as well as long-term progress and cultural impact.

Inclusion sits at the heart of NIC’s approach to people and culture. The company continues to invest in programmes that open access to development, strengthen representation and support colleague wellbeing. Recent initiatives include an expanded leadership development pathway, a strengthened mental health and wellbeing network and forum groups that give colleagues a direct voice in shaping policy and practice. These are supported by ongoing training designed to build understanding and confidence in inclusive behaviours across the business.

John Spencer, Group Chair, said, “We are proud to be recognised in this year’s list. Our teams work hard to create an environment where people feel they belong and can grow their careers. This recognition shows the progress we are making and encourages us to keep raising our standards.”

Laura Sterling, Chief People Officer, said, “Being named in the Inclusive Top 50 is an important milestone for us. It reflects the work our people have put into building a supportive and fair workplace. Inclusion remains a priority, and we will continue to strengthen our efforts year after year.”

Paul Sesay, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Companies, said, “Every year, the standard rises as organisations demonstrate ever-stronger evidence of their commitment to truly inclusive cultures. The IT50 List celebrates employers who go beyond initiatives and policies and instead embed diversity and inclusion into the fabric of how they operate. Our judges look for consistency, authenticity and long-term impact, and this year’s entries show just how many organisations are investing in meaningful, sustainable change.”

Mitie Accredited as a Member of the Good Business Charter

Mitie, the UK’s leading facilities management, transformation and compliance company, has been awarded the Good Business Charter (GBC) accreditation, reflecting its commitment to responsible business practices that support people and the planet.

With 84,000 colleagues working across the country in roles from security to sustainability and cleaning to compliance, Mitie is the largest employer to be accredited by the GBC, meeting the standard required across all ten commitments of the Charter. It has pledged to continue to uphold the commitments, which collectively promote care for colleagues, suppliers, customers and the environment, while ensuring fair tax practices.

The accreditation was marked this morning at a breakfast reception held at Mitie’s headquarters in The Shard. The breakfast was hosted by Rt Hon. Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Jenny Herrera, CEO of the Good Business Charter and Jason Towse, Managing Director, Business Services at Mitie. It brought together business leaders ranging from multinationals to SMEs as well as policymakers and third parties to discuss how the Government and industry can work together in to ensure organisations are increasingly empowered to adopt responsible business practices, raising standards for workers throughout the UK whilst enabling economic growth.

Founded in 2020 by Julian Richer, founder of Richer Sounds, the Good Business Charter is the UK’s benchmark for responsible business behaviour. It was developed with the Confederation of British Industry and The Trades Union Congress, representing the voices of both businesses and workers. With 97% of the public wanting to support responsible businesses, the Charter provides an accessible accreditation that demonstrates this behaviour, including prioritising colleagues and caring for the environment.

The Good Business Charter aims to champion ethical behaviour and to provide a benchmark as to what constitutes a good business in the UK. There are over 1,000 organisations who have received this accreditation, sharing best practice on how to demonstrate responsible business behaviour through every area of operation.

By choosing to join the Good Business Charter, Mitie is helping to set a higher standard for the facilities management industry and wider British business, evidencing that major employers can lead with fairness, responsibility and care, providing a blueprint for a more ethical future of work in the UK. Mitie recognises the growing need for successful businesses to drive meaningful social impact and have as part of our ‘Plan Thrive’ mission, have committed to uplifting 1 million lives through inclusive employment and helping people to build sustainable careers.  

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