‘Green Impact’ is back, the greening initiative which is providing staff and students an innovative platform to develop new exciting ways to green their working environment.

Anyone can take part and it helps to strengthen team communications and invigorate bonding whilst promoting time and resource efficiency achieving cost savings within your department.  It’s something the whole of MMU can be proud of and is celebrated in our awards ceremony, on web platforms and nationally through the NUS Green Impact awards extravaganza.

Come down to our Launch 31/10/11 between 12 noon and 2pm in the Pennine Suite, 5th floor, Allsaints building, Allsaints campus MMU, and find out more about how you can transform your department into a sustainable work space and pick up a delicious free fruit smoothie made from our bicycle smoothie maker using organic locally sourced fruit.

Last year an amazing 30 departments took part with over 274 staff members and 400 green actions completed as a direct result of taking part in the Green Impact program.  Last year there were so many ways MMU staff and students created innovative solutions to greening their offices and buildings such as:

This year’s aspirations are to reach 50 departments and achieve even more fantastic green actions with even more awesome prizes and awards to give away.  We want as many of you to get involved as possible.  Green Impact is a great way to further contribute to the staff and student experience at MMU and the best thing is that everyone gets recognised for their hard work and innovations.

As Green Impact Co-Ordinators Robert Croll and Laura Williams are always on hand to support and encourage your efforts, assisting in any way to progress your endeavours to promote environmental change at MMU through the Green Impact program. Robert and Laura are launching Green Impact on the 31st October 2011 and are holding drop in’s across MMU:

Tuesday 1st November 2011:  Didsbury – Behrens 1.8

All Saints – GM 330, 13:00 – 13:30

Wednesday 2nd November:

Crewe - S-0-02, 13:00 – 13:30

Thursday 3rd November:

Aytoun – Conference Room 2, 13:00 – 13:30

Hollings – Room 504, 13:00 – 13:30

Tuesday 8th November

Crewe – D-0-02, 13:00 – 13:30

All Saints – GM107, 13:00 – 13:30

Wednesday 9th November

Elizabeth Gaskell – OB102, 13:00 – 13:30

John Dalton - E145, 13:00 – 13:30

If you would like any more information on Green Impact, please do not hesitate to contact Robert Croll at Robert.croll@mmu.ac.uk and Laura Williams at laura.williams@mmu.ac.uk  or alternatively on the Facilities Environment Team website www.mmu.ac.uk/environment/greenimpact

Green your department

Have fun and win prizes

Let’s Make a Sustainable Planet

Wednesday, 26th October 2011

Two buildings at All Saints planted

YOU could be forgiven for not noticing immediately, but a large section of Manchester City Centre just got a lot greener.

Construction has recently finished on three large-scale ‘living’ green roofs on some of Oxford Road’s buildings, helping to create the highest concentration of green roofs in a City Centre area of this size in the UK.

The new green roofs have been built on Manchester Metropolitan University’s All Saints and new Business School buildings, and the Whitworth Art Gallery.

These will add to the four green roofs that can also be found on the University of Manchester’s Business School, ASK’s First Street building, Bruntwood’s number one New York Street and BDP’s Piccadilly Basin offices.

Climate change

The roofs will help to combat climate change in the city as well as providing important financial and social benefits.

Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Environment is delighted by the many benefits the roofs will bring: “The roofs don’t just look pretty, they serve a real business purpose and the financial benefits are bigger than you may think. As well as reducing heating bills as result of improved insulation, the roofs also cool the building in summer, reducing air conditioning costs.

“Green roofs also protect against the elements, increasing the life span of the building by at least double.”

Peter Stringer, Special Projects Manager at Red Rose Forest believes the roofs can solve some of the problems large modern cities face: “Green roofs have an immediate positive impact on our environment. They stop rain getting to the ground which can help to reduce the causes of flash flooding.

Urban heat

“They absorb the sun’s rays and reflect heat, lowering the overall temperatures in our towns and cities which are becoming more and more vulnerable to the Urban Heat Island effect. The beautiful greenery also absorbs harmful pollution as well as providing important habitats for birds and insects, in particular bees.

“Plus, green spaces in our cities are limited. Green roofs are a highly original way of creating this much needed space. Greenery helps us reconnect with nature and is well known to improve psychological wellbeing and inspire everyone that sees them.

Manchester Metropolitan University Environment Manager Dr John Hindley said: "This project fits perfectly with our written commitment to increase biodiversity in and around our campuses.

"I believe we have the largest area of green roofs in Manchester, so we're proud of that but there is much more to do."

Students at the University of Manchester will study the impact of the roofs and publish results in 2012.

Green roofs don’t only apply to Oxford Road. ‘Little Green Roofs’ is an innovative project from Red Rose Forest who work with communities in Manchester to turn the roofs of small, uninhabited, communal buildings into natural green spaces. To date the project has created 10 green roofs including allotment sheds, two primary school storage containers and a church roof.

Tuesday, 11th October 2011

The University will be closed for the Christmas period as follows;

Monday 26th December 2011 - Bank Holiday, Boxing Day

Tuesday 27th December 2011 - Bank Holiday

Wednesday 28th December 2011 - Discretionary Closure Day

Thursday 29th December 2011 - Discretionary Closure Day

Friday 30th December 2011 - Discetionary Closure Day

Monday 2nd January 2012 - Bank Holiday, New Year's Day

Buildings will be closed from 5.30pm on Friday December 23rd, and will re-open as normal on Tuesday January 3rd.

Wednesday, 5th October 2011

This section has been created to acknowledge the excellent service delivered by staff across Facilities, and includes messages from customers and colleagues

Start of term thanks September 2011:

On Saturday my wife and I had the pleasure of moving our daughter into Cambridge Hall in readiness for Freshers' Week. Unloading in the Cul de Sac at the Hall was complicated by the dreadful weather and the number of people with similar timeslots. Hoewever, the whole process was simplified and streamlined by the extremely helpful Accommodation Staff, students on hand to assist and the parking attendants. I particularly commend the latter; the two men in the street battled against the wind, rain and vehicles coming at them from all angles but did so without any hassle whilst maintaining their cool and pleasant manner.

Please pass on my comments and gratitude to all involved - they are a credit to the University.

My husband and I brought my daughter to MMU on Saturday, 17 September.
We would just like to pass on our thanks to the university to making what was already a fairly stressful day for us so much easier than we anticipated.
The organisation of the day was second to none, and the help provided by the students in unloading the car and taking Clare's belongings to her flat
was a surprise we hadn't anticipated and was very much appreciated.
The contact with the students was a great help to Clare as she was obviously apprehensive about the whole move and their friendliness really helped her.
It all went very smoothly and everyone concerned should be proud of the fact that it was down to them and the great organisation of the university.
Well done and grateful thanks to all concerned.

Mary Heaney, Director of Services commented that "It is great to be able to pass on such good feedback to the team who put a lot of effort into making these first experiences really positive for our new students arriving to join the MMU family." Vice Chancellor Professor John Brooks was pleased to hear the arrival experience "came up to the mark"

Friday, 23rd September 2011

Further to the recent briefings on the proposal to changes to the structure of the management team within Facilities, Campus and Residential Services, the programme is now in implementation stage; this follows consultation with affected staff and their Trade Union representatives.

The following changes are to be implemented from the 1st August 2011.

House Services

The role of Services Manager and Assistant Services Manager will change to that of Facilities Manager and Assistant Facilities Manager.  These roles will be directly responsible for the provision of the following services within each campus:  cleaning, portering, reception and mail.  The services, previously known as ‘House Services’ will be referred to as ‘Facilities Services’ going forward.

The Facilities Manager will take a wider accountability in the delivery the other Facilities services on their part of the campus and will act as key point of liaison between Faculty staff and the other Facilities departments.   The House Foreperson roles will report directly into the Assistant Facilities Managers. 

All Saints Campus - changes

As a result of the capital programme, the management of the Facilities Services on the All Saints Campus will be aligned to reflect the new campus structure as follows:-

• All Saints North will include responsibility for the Hollings team.
• All Saints Central will include responsibility for the Business School team (Minshull and Aytoun and ultimately the new Hub building).
• All Saints South will include responsibility for Cavendish North and South (exc. Halls). 

Residential Services

The management of the Halls of Residences in Manchester and Cheshire will transfer to the responsibility of the Head of Residential Services.  A new role of Residential Facilities Manager  has been created to lead the development of a three year operating strategy and to develop a consistent student experience across the MMU owned and operated Halls.  The day to day operational management of the Halls will be undertaken by the new role of Assistant Residential Facilities Manager, reporting into the Residential Facilities Manager.

As a result of these changes the following appointments in accordance with the Management of Change Policy:

Facilities Services Team

Head of Campus Services - Chris Crouch

Facilities Manager (All Saints North)- Christine Shepherd

Assistant Facilities Manager (All Saints North) - John Mulligan

Assistant Facilities Manager (All Saints North) - Paul Stickney

Facilities Manager (All Saints Central)- Gill McPartlan

Assistant Facilities Manager (All Saints Central) - Sarah Marsland

Facilities Manager (All Saints South) - Kath Butterworth

Assistant Facilities Manager (All Saints South) - Sandra Harrop

Facilities Manager  (Didsbury & Gaskell) - Lyn Dodd

Assistant Facilities Manager (Didsbury & Gaskell) - Saji Chacko

Facilities Manager (Cheshire) - Jane Rowlands

Residential Services Team                                 

Head of Residential Services - Karen Horner

Residential Facilities Manager - Corinne Boothroyd

Assistant Residential Facilities Manager (Cheshire) - Tina Delves

Assistant Residential Facilities Manager (Cambridge) - Donna Wood

Assistant Residential Facilities Manager (Cavendish/Broomhurst) - Mandy McDowell

I would like to congratulate the team members on their appointments and ask that you join me in wishing them well and supporting them as they settle into their new roles in the coming weeks.

Claire Twaites
Facilities - Head of Campus & Residential Services

Thursday, 21st July 2011

MANCHESTER Metropolitan has been awarded First Class Honours by the UK’s leading student environmental campaign group.

The University earned a Top 20 place, ranked 17th greenest University in the UK by the People & Planet Green League.

The table was topped by Nottingham Trent, Gloucestershire and Worcester with Manchester Metropolitan arguably the rising star having climbed from 91st  in 2007 to 57th in 2009 and now to 17th.

Carbon footprint slashed

Manchester Metropolitan scored especially well for its environmental policy and dedicated environment team, its ability to engage students in campaigns, its fair-trade practices and its carbon management, having cut its carbon footprint by 5% in 2010.

But the university recognises it still has more work to do in renewable energy use, environmental auditing and waste recycling.

Student Union President Robert Croll said: "This is fantastic news and is shows that our students and staff are making saving the planet a real priority.

"If you organise, consult and engage well as this university is doing, students will definitely contribute as they are passionate about the environment and rightly concerned about non-sustainable lifestyles.

Solar panels and green roofs

"The university must now continue its mission and push for even greater awareness and firmer action on sustainability," added Rob.

The university’s carbon output fell by 4.9% in 2009/10 due to a raft of initiatives on heating, lighting, energy and waste, including:

• Solar panels on the All Saints and Student Union buildings with more approved for our Crewe campus.
• Energy ratings for each building heightening awareness.
• Student Switch-Off and recycling save energy and waste.

You can see the full results of People & Planet's Green League 2011 online.

Wednesday, 22nd June 2011

I’m really happy to inform you all that the completion of the modification project for the Fume Cupboards in John Dalton labs project came in on time and on budget. This has been a real team effort with huge input, cooperation and flexibility from the Facilities, Cares and JD Technical teams. Everyone involved should be proud of this achievement.

The Fume Cupboards are used for experiments and extract dangerous fumes away from those using the labs. Before this modification project they were running at full pelt 24/7 – sucking all the heat out of the building. Now when nobody is using them and if the sash is pulled down closed, then far less air is extracted from the building which in turn means we have to provide less heated air. The related savings are outlined below.

The total project cost £166K, reducing energy consumption by around 60% with estimated savings of 1,000,000 kWh each year – which translates into 247 tonnes CO2 or importantly £39K per year.

However, initial monitoring over last weekend saw savings more like 80% - so we are likely to be saving £1000 per week and pay for the project in 3 years. Further monitoring will confirm this.

The completion of this project makes an important contribution to MMU’s target to reduce CO2 emissions by 35% by 2016.

 Sam Pickles, Carbon Reduction Manager

Wednesday, 23rd February 2011

Uni combats carbon with flowers: Greening our campus roofs

University roofs are being planted with wildflowers to help improve the environment. Two of the roofs on the All Saints Building are getting the green makeover to help trap pollution from cars and buses along the busy Oxford Road. The enlightened move comes after solar panels were placed on All Saints making it one of the most sustainable buildings in Manchester city centre.

Apart from trapping pollutants, so-called ‘green roofs’ can;

 reduce the amount of heat lost from a building which can mean lower energy bills in winter,

 reflect heat from the sun which can help to stop the inside of a building’s upper floor from getting too hot on a summers day and therefore reduce the need for air conditioning

 capture rainwater which collectively with other green roofs, trees and grass can help to reduce flash flooding at ground level

 provide important habitats for insects and birds The two roofs, which cover an area of 715m2, will be planted with a sedum and wildflower mix. The sedum genus contains around 400 species of leaf succulents which are particularly good at storing water while the wildflowers will provide a splash of seasonal colour and will attract a range of insects.

Work will be completed in March and the roofs monitored to see how they affect the buildings efficiency with regards to energy loss and water retention. The All Saints adaptations are part of a wider programme of green roof installation and climate change projects that are being delivered in the Oxford Road Corridor in partnership with the Corridor, Manchester City Council, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Manchester and Red Rose Forest. 

Welcoming the news, Student Union President Robert Croll said: "MMU management have taken great strides to embracing the way we move forward towards a sustainable future. This evidently involves building and practice but essentially sustainability is about preservation of the planet. It is very exciting to see visible signs of this around campus." The green roofs have been organised by the Environment Team and funded by Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester City Council and the European Union. For more about sustainability initiatives at the University, go here http://www.mmu.ac.uk/environment/

Wednesday, 23rd February 2011

Carbon footprint shrinks again!: University is 'exemplar'

Birley Fields promises to be the greenest campus in the UK

A GREEN watchdog has praised the University after it sliced another 5% from its carbon footprint. Manchester Metropolitan is an ‘exemplar of public sector practice’, says the Carbon Trust, a government-backed body which helps organisations to become more environmentally-friendly. Our total carbon output fell by 4.9% in 2009/10 due to a raft of initiatives on heating, lighting, energy and waste, including: "technological and cultural changes are making us a beacon of sustainability" - Solar panels on the All Saints and Student Union buildings reduced our pull on the National Grid. - Several non-efficient buildings closed. - Energy ratings for each building heightened awareness. - Student Switch-Off and recycling save energy and waste.

The University’s environment team said technological and cultural changes are making us a beacon of sustainability. "On the technological side, we are investing 166k in more efficient fume cupboards for our science laboratories saving 247 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year,” says Carbon Reduction Manager Sam Pickles. "And we are building sustainability into all new projects, such as the Business School/Student Hub and the new Birley Fields campus. "Equally important is changing everyday behaviour – cutting down on photocopying, switching off computers, and such like." Long way to go But despite rapid progress towards sustainability, there was a long way to go in becoming truly green, he stressed. "As a university we consume 50 tonnes of paper each year in photocopying, a rather shocking quantity. With everyone’s help, we can reduce this substantially," said Sam.

New targets approved by the Board of Governors aim to cut 2005 level carbon usage by 35% by 2016. Manchester Metropolitan achieved the Carbon Trust Standard in June 2010. http://www.carbontruststandard.com/pages/home

Wednesday, 23rd February 2011

Wednesday, 3rd November 2010

Friday, 8th October 2010

MMU has been awarded the prestigious Carbon Trust Standard. To achieve this standard Facilities has worked tirelessly to provide the Trust with:

1. An accurate assessment of the University's footprint,
2. Achieved a year on year reduction in the University's carbon footprint over the last 3 years,
3. Evidence of our approach to sound carbon management,
4. Evidence of our continued commitment to continue to reduce MMU's carbon emissions.

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

Three new key appointments now complete our Environmental Team:

Amanda Norris has joined as our new Waste Manager. Amanda has lead responsibility for implementing recycling initiatives across the University to include advising waste recycling requirements to help the University to develop a zero waste, water and carbon campus at Birley Fields.

Ian Goodwin is our new Travel Plan Manager. Ian is leading on the implementation of Travel Plans to support new developments at Crewe and for the Manchester campus integration programme including Birley Fields. Ian also has lead responsibility for management of the Universities car parks and the delivery of green initiatives to encourage students and staff to use other forms of transport rather than their cars.

Sophie Leigh is our Environmental Coordinator responsible for promoting behavioural change initiatives across the University as well as coordinating the development of systems and processes to help the Environment Team achieve its objectives.

The team can be contacted on 0161 247 6038 or e-mail environment@mmu.ac.uk

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

Facilities has improved the appearance of its catering outlets at All Saints and Crewe campuses by working closely with its suppliers. This has resulted in an improvement in the visibility of the outlets without the need for the University to find capital funding.

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

Facilities Environment Team has installed a “Live Energy Display” in the Ground Floor of the All Saints Building to show how much energy is being generated by the building’s photo voltaic installation. To date, renewable energy has been generated to provide over 1 million cups of tea at the Ground Floor coffee shop or power 384 student laptops for 20 hours per week.

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

Facilities has successfully deliver 11 fit out projects and the smooth relocation of 600 Contemporary Arts students and staff from the University’s Alsager campus to its Crewe campus in just 8 weeks !! Projects included the creation of new Student Union Facilities, Student Information Point, Video Editing/Music Technology Suites and a Central Student Zone

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

Facilities worked tirelessly, last year, to achieve a £1.3m budget improvement and is well on target to achieve further substantial savings for 2009/10. This has been possible through a systematic review of different parts of the Department and the development of LEAN business processes and structures.

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

Mark Shutt has joined the Facilities Department as the new Head of Security. Mark s responsible for leading the University’s Security Team. He is also has lead responsibility for all aspects of business continuity planning. Mark can be contacted on 0161 247 5949 and via email at m.shutt@mmu.ac.uk

Tuesday, 1st June 2010

The Facilities Environment Team has been successful in obtaining £209,000 from the Low Carbon Buildings Fund to install Photo Voltaic Cells on the All Saints Building, Student Union and Sir Kenneth Green Library roofs at MMU's All Saints Campus.

The project requires match funding from MMU and will result in our having the second largest Photovoltaic array in Manchester.

Tuesday, 28th April 2009

Facilities Environmental Team has successfully obtained £500,000 of external funding to help implement 200 small environmental improvement projects across the Estate.

One of the first projects to be delivered has been at the Lawrence Building in Crewe. Using an environmental thermal modelling tool to show existing performance and improved predicted running costs, funding has been used to install new high efficiency boilers, comprehensive double glazing and improved roof insulation using the latest insulation technology. The project is predicted to pay back within 6-7yrs. Currently measured as an 'E' rated building, these improvements will improve the efficiency of this building to a 'C' or better.

Further improvements to rating will be achieved though behaviour change and other electrical controls.

Tuesday, 28th April 2009

Facilities has recently hosted a Zero Carbon Office Event which attracted 12,000 visitors.

The event included an exhibition and a series of workshops to showcase innovative sustainable technologies to help organisations improve the energy efficiency of their offices. The event also included a Carbon Gym where attendees operated bicycles which powered low energy lamps, an iPod and LCD Television.

Tuesday, 28th April 2009

Head of CaReS Roadshows Claire Twaites, the Head of Campus and Residential Services has carried out roadshows across all sites over the past two weeks. The roadshows have been an opportunity for Claire to meet all the CaReS team. She has also shared the mission, vision and values of the Facilities Department and the priorities for the year ahead.

You can view Claire's presentation as a pdf document.

Monday, 26th January 2009

Tuesday, 20th January 2009

Save pounds and lose pounds in the New Year!

The Sports Service is now offering MMU staff the opportunity to pay for membership of sports facilities directly through monthly payroll deduction. This exciting development will allow staff the benefit of using University facilities for monthly fees that are significantly cheaper than other private and public sector facilities. In some cases membership fees will be as little as £10 per month.

This offer is available at Alsager Sports Centre, Didsbury Sports Centre and the Sugden Sports Centre.

Tuesday, 9th December 2008

A ‘great pleasure to be back’ was how the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Brooks, opened the CustomerFirst Awards Lunch 2008.

As the University embarks on an ambitious capital programme moving forward in to the 21st century, he emphasised the importance of the often unseen support staff.

The Vice Chancellor acknowledged the vital contribution support staff play in the provision of a quality environment in which students live, eat and relax. Students are now paying customers with expectations of a high quality service.

He talked of the latest developments to the CustomerFirst programme, among them the inclusion of colleagues from ProMPT for the first time this year. He also noted that there was a culture change running through the organisation which was demonstrated through the increase in nominations year on year, especially from faculty and departmental staff acknowledging the work we do.

The Charter of Respect was re-launched across CaReS under the CustomerFirst umbrella encouraging a greater respect for diversity.

The Vice Chancellor concluded that ‘Award winners are very special people’ but that all those present at the event should be proud of their achievements.

The event wouldn’t be possible without the support from a range of companies who work closely with CaReS and ProMPT. Their sponsorship is greatly appreciated and helps to make the event a memorable occasion.

After the lunch service, the presentations began, hosted by Director of Facilities Heather Wilson. The first announcement was a roll call of all staff present at the lunch who had achieved 100% attendance for 2007/08.

The two prize draws were for the 100% attendee won by Barbara Weetman from Alsager and awards nominator won by Sue Campayne from Didsbury.

And the winners are…

Employee of the Year

Robert Wallace Winner

Ronnie O’Neill

Christine Preece

Employee of the Year awarded to Robert Wallace, Building Surveyor

‘This individual is never known to say no, even if it is not their area of responsibility. They will advise and pass on to the relevant person.’

Sponsored by Tchibo Coffee International

Team of the Year

Aytoun House Services Winner

Ormond

Tracy Moran and Mike Gannon

Team of the Year awarded to Aytoun House Services

‘When I need help with the “how to– do something, the team members will always come forward with ideas, suggestions and techniques – supportively. I always feel 100% safe and secure. There is very much a “team spirit” attitude.’

Sponsored by Host Contract Management

Unsung Hero

Mary Buckley

Dennis Dimelow Winner

June Cannon

‘Unsung Hero’ awarded to Dennis Dimelow, Assistant Engineer, Booth Hall

‘Comes up for ways to solve problems “thinking outside the box”. Helps all members of my team whether it is work related or personal.’

Sponsored by MITIE Cleaning North

Above and Beyond

Ron Burgess

Rhoda Onafeko

Nigel Landon Winner

‘Above and Beyond’ awarded to Nigel Landon, Grounds Manager, MMU Cheshire

Never falling back on reasons why it can’t be done, this person always finds a way. Recently enabled a student beach volleyball event – importing a beach to the campus, setting it all up – in his words ‘to give the students a better experience at university’

Sponsored by Opal Property Group

Manager

Derek Tonge

Kerr Hamilton

James Crowley Winner

Manager of the Year awarded to James Crowley, Head of Sport Services

Very positive, willing to try new approaches. Always smiling, friendly and helpful. Ensures their service is fully prepared for new MMU and departmental schemes.

Sponsored by Coca Cola Enterprises

Ideas 4 Us Staff Suggestion Scheme

Louis Gyves

Jenny Dickson Winner

Amanda Briggs and Karen Astley

Idea of the Year awarded to Jenny Dickson, Alsager Shop Supervisor

Jenny had the idea to fit timers to the chiller fridges in the shop which means that they turn off automatically when not in use. It is estimated that in the first year alone this idea will lead to energy savings of over £500.

Sponsored by Hayvern Maintenance

Innovation of the Year

Lynne Collins

Christopher Hall

Patrick McAnulty Winner

Innovation of the Year awarded to Patrick McAnulty, Senior Technician (Gas Fitter / Plumber), ProMPT

Patrick designed a new burner assembly, with up-to-date safety devices, which burns gas more economically and safely. Teaching had been stopped in the glass blowing area, and the burner condemned. No replacements were available due to the equipment’s age.

Sponsored by Pochin Developments

MMU gratefully acknowledge the support from the sponsors above and

Tuesday, 1st July 2008

The Vice Chancellor, Professor John Brooks, opened proceedings and offered a warm welcome to the first annual CustomerFirst Awards Event.

He stated that the people present were ‘at the sharp end’ of Customer Services and had to deal with all the different types of customer within the University.

He hoped that the event would prove to be ‘a real, genuine celebration of commitment to a successful university’.

Head of Customer Services, Catherine Anderson, hosted the Awards Ceremony, and began the presentations with a prize draw for 100% attendees (winner Tony Buckley, House Services, John Dalton) and awards nominator (winner student Dritan Avdi).

Almost 100 guests attended the lunch, including staff from Customer Services, Faculties and other Departments.

The event was sponsored by Suppliers from a range of companies associated with the Customer Services Department – We gratefully acknowledge their support.

And the winners are …

Employee of the Year, sponsored by Pochins

Carl Johnson, House Assistant

‘Clearly committed to providing a true level of Customer Service to staff, students or visitors.’

Team of the Year, sponsored by Coca Cola Enterprises

House Services, All Saints West

‘They anticipate potential problems and solve them with a minimum of fuss’

Manager of the Year, sponsored by MITIE Cleaning North

Gill McPartlan, Services Manager

‘Frequently looking at how we can improve the services we give to all our customers’

Above and Beyond, sponsored by Opal Property Group

Judy Rowlands, Domestic Assistant

‘Quietly and without fuss offers a significant welfare role for the students in her area’

Unsung Hero, Vice Chancellor’s Award, sponsored by Tchibo

Sandra Berry, General Kitchen Assistant

‘Makes you feel positive, a lovely person doing a great job’

Supervisor of the Year, sponsored by Initial Electronic Security

Ronnie O’Neill, House Foreman

‘Has a ‘can do’ attitude, ensures his team provide the best service possible’

Saturday, 1st July 2006

The Vice Chancellor, Professor John Brooks, opened proceedings and offered a warm welcome to the second annual CustomerFirst Awards Lunch – ‘an important event for the University’. He commented that as a group Customer Services staff represent the frontline and welcomed the very special contribution that staff make collectively, individually and as team players, with examples of the very best sitting in the room today.

The focus this year has been around communication, and he emphasised how important two way communication is within the change agenda. ‘The support you provide is absolutely essential to the core business of the University’

‘Although we often focus on the quality of the academic experience, if you speak to the students, parents and friends, what they will reflect back to you is the service you provide and I hope that we, the management and academic community can learn from the best practice you provide.’

He summed up by saying ‘I hope you feel proud about what you have achieved individually and I hope you feel that in organising this event, your contribution has been acknowledged’.

Following lunch, the Awards Ceremony began hosted by Head of Customer Services, Catherine Anderson. She began by announcing the winner for Idea of the Year for 2007 – Diane McLucas, Assistant Service Manager at MMU Cheshire. She then congratulated staff who had achieved 100% attendance during 2006/2007, announcing the names of those present at the lunch. The Vice Chancellor then picked out the winners for the prize draw for 100% attendees – Billy Hendren from John Dalton, and the prize draw for awards nominator – Sue Earnshaw from Hollings.

The event was a great success. Over 100 guests attended the lunch, including staff from Customer Services, Faculties and other Departments.

The event was supported by the sponsorship from a range of companies associated with the Customer Services Department, including Matthew Clark who sponsored the wine. The generous support from all our sponsors is greatly appreciated.

And the winners are…

Employee of the Year, sponsored by Pochins

George Cannon, MMU Driver

‘Can be relied on 100%. The epitome of good service. Friendly, polite, respectful and a pleasure to work with’

Team of the Year, sponsored by MITIE Cleaning North

Cavendish Customer Services

‘Work together with camaraderie and mutual support. They are exceptionally friendly and helpful to students, staff, workmen and visitors’

Supervisor of the Year, sponsored by Grosvenor Continental

Rose Copas, Dining Room Supervisor, Aytoun

‘Any problems that arise are dealt with competently and swiftly to ensure an excellent service.’ Has a saying… ‘It’s not a problem, don’t worry about it, it shall be done.’

Manager of the Year, sponsored by Coca Cola Enterprises

George Reti, Catering Manager, Didsbury

‘Leads from the front with new ideas – very innovative’

Above and Beyond, sponsored by Opal Property Group

Rhoda Onafeko, Domestic Assistant, Mabel Tylecote

(Sandra Harrop pictured picking up the award on behalf of Rhoda, who was on holiday) ‘Trains all new starters as well as doing her own job to a very high standard and transfers her positive attitude to others’

Unsung Hero, Vice Chancellor’s Award, sponsored by Host Contract Management

Alison Moffatt, Domestic Assistant, Ormond

‘She is a strong team player, supportive of colleagues and positive about MMU’

Sunday, 1st July 2007

Facilities brings together the CaReS, Environment and ProMPT teams into the one department with the aim of enhancing service standards to our customers whilst achieving value for money.

To start the integration process, Facilities has replaced the CaReS, Environment and ProMPT web pages with a new single website.

The Director of Facilities, Heather Wilson, would like to hear your views on the style and content of the new web pages. You can email her at dof@mmu.ac.uk.

Tuesday, 4th November 2008

The accommodation team and all those who assisted were thanked for a very successful arrivals weekend which launched the start of the academic year. This was the results of months of hard work introducing modifications to the Accommodation Allocation System. The weekend saw thousands of students and their parents arriving to embark on their journey through Higher Education.

Claire Twaites, Head of CaReS, said ‘for our customers this is one of the biggest life-experiences. The professionalism and care that I saw this weekend was first class’.

Friday, 31st October 2008

Welcome to all the mail messengers who have now joined the Facilities department to work in addition to our central and Cheshire mailroom staff. Welcome to Danny Walsh, Chatham, Duncan Missel, Aytoun, Andrew Gough, Didsbury, Ray Unsworth, Geoffrey Manton, John Daly Greenham, Hollings, and Andrew Stringer, John Dalton.

Thursday, 30th October 2008

Last year, Facilities received and resolved 23,000 property repairs requests through our telephone Helpdesks at Manchester and Cheshire To further improve our service we have now launched an online Request A Repair service where you can request a repair, receive regular progress updates via email and can track jobs you have requested.

We have also improved our Telephone Helpdesk service by replacing our Manchester and Cheshire telephone numbers with one new single Helpdesk Number, x2882.

Friday, 31st October 2008

It has just become law for all large public buildings to have a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) on show in the entrance. The Certificates rate the energy efficiency of a building with a score from A to G, just like you’ll see when buying a new fridge or a new car. But unlike fridges and cars these ratings include how efficiently the building’s occupants are using energy. So every time we leave lights or computers on, or we leave windows open when the heating is on, we make the rating worse.

All universities have got DECs for some of their buildings, but MMU is alone in going one step further than the law requires by getting a Certificate for each and every building.

Thursday, 30th October 2008

Since achieving Fairtrade status in April 2008, the Facilities Catering Team have been selling ‘One Love Bottled Water’ across MMU campuses.

We are very pleased to announce that from the sale of this water to students, staff and visitors, MMU has been able to fund the installation of a new Water Pump in Africa.

Friday, 31st October 2008

Facilities can only realistically carry out building alteration works during the summer vacation from 1st June to 1st September when students have gone home and the University is quiet.

The types of building alteration works required (such as the creation of Student Information Points or improving classroom accommodation) typically take 6 months to complete.

Traditionally the University seeks requests for alteration works at the beginning of June with the requirement to have works completed by 1st September. This gives insufficient time to plan and complete works satisfactorily for everyone.

To aid projects being completed on time and fitting into the schedule we have a new procedure and request form which can be accessed on the Alterations, Signage and Furniture page.

Friday, 31st October 2008

Instead of automatically disposing of old furniture and purchasing new, the Facilities team are now able to have old furniture completely refurbished so they look like new at a fraction of the cost.

It takes only 1 week for chairs to be picked up, repaired, serviced and re covered using CO2 neutral foam and the cost saving is £10 per chair compared to a new chair which can take up to 6 weeks to be delivered.

In addition re-use and waste prevention is the best form of re-cycling.

Friday, 31st October 2008