Renfrewshire Council

Mia (left) with senior facilities operative Jennifer Cameron Congratulations and best of luck to our Soft FM colleagues who have made the shortlist in two categories at this year's Assist FM National Awards.

The nominations for 'Outstanding Contribution to Catering Services' and 'Digital and Technical Award' reflect our team's innovation and impactful contributions to the facilities management sector.

We'll find out who the winners are on Thursday 16 May and in the meantime colleagues Mia Ma, Brian Connelly and David Boyce tell us a little about their work.

Outstanding Contribution to Catering Services - Finalist

Nutrition and menu officer, Mia Ma is passionate about healthy natural foods and tasty flavours and has transformed school meals in Renfrewshire since she joined the council, less than two years ago.

Pairing her nutritional master's degree knowledge, with a sprinkling of passion, infused with extensive feedback from kids, parents and colleagues, she has developed a variety of meals, including plant-based options, that cater to the diverse needs of the 15,000+ local school children.

Dishes like 'build-your-own-burger', 'green pesto pasta', 'sloppy Joe tacos' and 'fresh meatball subs' are proving so popular we are now the first local authority in Scotland to receive a ProVeg Bronze award in recognition of the positive steps we've taken to create healthier, environmentally friendly school menus.

Mia said: "There's nothing quite like finding new foods you love, and I want as many kids as possible to feel the joy of trying new things and living a life fuelled by a healthy balanced diet. I love being creative with street food because it's varied, and there's an interactive element that kids enjoy. It's a great way to train their taste buds while empowering them to make healthy and sustainable choices." 

On reaching the Assist Awards 2024 final for outstanding contribution to catering services, Mia said it felt great to be recognised: "I'm thrilled to be acknowledged for my work that contributes to the wellbeing of so many children in a way that will have a lasting positive impact."

Digital & Technical Award - Finalist

Soft FM colleagues have embraced modernised security in schools and community centres across Renfrewshire. Their ability to adapt and get the most from technology has earned them a second spot on the Assist Award's shortlist this year. 

The new ASSA ABLOY-suited lock system with programmable keypad locks means greater flexibility and less time spent travelling between locations. And, for soft facilities officers Brian Connelly and David Boyce, the implementation has been a real game-changer.

Brian said: "[The system] is saving so much time and it's easy to track and control who has access to each building. If someone misplaces a key, it's quick and simple to deactivate so we can be confident the site remains secure."

David adds: "If you arrived at a school only to find you had a key which didn't work, it would mean time and travel costs to go back to your previous site and work out which key to try next. Thankfully, those types of delays are now a thing of the past!"

About Assist FM Awards

Assist FM brings together public sector facilities management experts across Scotland to promote and improve service delivery.

Each year, they highlight the achievements of frontline staff across the sector, recognising exceptional work and celebrating success at a glittering awards ceremony. 

In his message to our Soft FM team, the Assist National Chair, Chris Ross, praised their work, saying: 

"The judging panel were blown away by your submissions, and you are very worthy finalists. We always love reading the award submissions as they remind us of the work that goes on behind the scenes every day in Scotland's Local Authorities!"

We wish our finalists the best of luck at the Assist FM National Awards ceremony, which will be held at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Published Thursday 02 May 2024