As we bid farewell to 2023, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the highlights and milestones that made this year one to remember.
Over the past 12 months, we have been providing support to our members and partner organisations as well as promoting and enhancing service delivery for public sector organisations in Scotland. Here are some of the highlights:
ASSIST FM Conference 2023
The ASSIST FM ‘What’s your reality?’ conference, sponsored by Müller Milk & Ingredients, took place in May at the Hilton Glasgow and focused on the future of the facilities management industry and explored the reality of what lies ahead.
We had a fantastic lineup of 55 exhibitors made up of long-time partners, recurring suppliers and new suppliers who brought real innovation to the public sector. We also had the opportunity to hear from fantastic speakers on a range of topics and our Keynote speaker was the wonderful Cor Hutton who shared an inspiring story that left everyone on a high!
We held our annual Local Authority Cook of the Year (LACOTY) competition to determine the menu for the Conference’s Gala Dinner. Six Local Authorities competed at The Braehead Cook School in March. The judges Willie Pike and Bruce Sangster selected the top three dishes (Best starter, main, and dessert), and the 3 finalists went head-to-head at the Glasgow Hilton with Nicola Arnold from Edinburgh Council announced as the winner of the LACOTY competition during the Gala Dinner. The LACOTY competition continues to be a resounding success!
The Gala Dinner, hosted by ASSIST FM’s very own Keith Breasley, featured an awards ceremony where 10 National Awards were presented.
Parliamentary Event
The ASSIST FM Committee had a fantastic day in October at The Scottish Parliament in partnership with Food for Life Scotland.
“It’s a pleasure to work in partnership with Food for Life (FFL) and to celebrate the school food heroes who go above and beyond in the community in which they serve,” shared Chris Ross, Chair of ASSIST FM.
Autumn Seminar
In November, we hosted the Autumn Seminar where invited partners presented their latest innovative products. The event welcomed all 32 Local Authorities FM employees for a day filled with seminars, break-out activities, and an exceptional lunch provided by Fife Council at the Glen Pavilion.
Exciting news to wrap up the year!
Christopher Ross has been recognised as one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in public sector catering.
The list comprises people who are the industry’s leading lights based on their ability to represent the concerns of people working in the sector, as well as their capacity to drive change. They cover schools, universities, hospitals, the care sector, prisons and catering colleges. Congratulations Chris, we are so proud of you!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your continuous support and for making this year unforgettable! We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and look forward to the exciting journey that we will be undertaking in 2024.
The ASSIST FM 2023 conference was held on Thursday 18th-19th May at The Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. The two day event was extremely successful and well attended by 28 Local Authority council delegates, guests, speakers, suppliers and our loyal partners. The Conference theme was ‘What’s your reality?’ looking into the future of the facilities management industry and really delving deep into the reality of what the future holds.
Chris Ross, ASSIST FM Chair stated, ‘It was a wonderful two days to catch up with colleagues, suppliers and reflect upon the incredible achievements of Local Authority service providers in Scotland. The conference was a real opportunity to hear from some inspirational speakers on a wide range of topics, operational matters to the wider national agenda. Our wide and varied range of suppliers this year added real innovation to the public sector, rounded off by a wonderful events reception to award those public sector heroes!
The Conference had 55 exhibitors, 15 who are long time partners, 37 recurring suppliers and 3 brand new ones. The seminar sessions led by past Chair Keith Breasley and included talks from Brian Costello at Headstrong and Gordon McIntyre from Hospitality health talking about the importance of mental health in the workplace. We heard from Public Sector Alliance, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association and many more. Keynote speaker Cor Hutton wowed the room with her inspiring story and left everyone on a high!
ASSIST FM held a competition this year which determined the menu at The Hilton Hotel conference gala dinner – Local Authority Cook of the year. The competition allowed 6 Local Authorities to compete at The Braehead Cook School in March, where Willie Pike and Bruce Sangstar judged the 6 applicants and whittled the number down to three – Best starter, main and dessert, who all competed in the final at The Hilton and the winner was announced at the evening gala dinner. The winner of the competition was Nicola Arnold from Edinburgh Council.
The Gala Dinner included 10 National Awards. Hosted by ASSIST FM’s very own Keith Breasley:
Outstanding Contribution to Cleaning
Sponsored by GT Cleaning
The winner was Stirling Council
Outstanding Contribution to Catering
Sponsored by CRB Cunningham
The winner was Shetland Council
Outstanding Contribution to FM Services
Sponsored by Alliance Catering Equipment & Disposables
The winner was Edinburgh City Council
Local Authority Innovation Award
Sponsored by James Scott & Sons
The winner was West Lothian
Climate Initiative Award
Sponsored by Muller Milk and Ingredients
The winner was West Lothian
Digital and Technology Award
Sponsored by Tropical Ice
The winner was West Lothian
Community Focus Award
Sponsored by McCain Foods
The winner was Argyll and Bute Council
Supplier of The Year
Sponsored by ASSIST FM
The winner was Nilfisk
Grab and Go Award
Sponsored by Brakes
The winner was East Renfrewshire Council
Local Authority Cook of the Year
Sponsored by Muller Milk and Ingredients
First Place – Nicola Arnold, Edinburgh Council
Second Place – Martyn Cuthbert, East Ayrshire Council
Third Place – Jamie Kimmett, Stirling Council
We then enjoyed a night full of fun – ABBA tribute band, Voyage followed by a DJ. Everyone danced the night away.
Here are some quotes from the attendees:
“It was invaluable to participate in Assist FM’s conference in Glasgow last week. IFAN is very grateful indeed for all the support we received.”
Maria Marshall – Independent Food Aid Network – ASSIST FM 2023 Charity Partner
“We had such an incredible time at the ASSIST FM conference. It was a key opportunity for us to promote our School Plates programme in Scotland and THE place to network and be informed on current issues facing local authorities in Scotland.”
ProVeg – First time supplier
For further information please contact alan@totalizemedia.co.uk or
sarah.duff@totalizemedia.co.uk.
For the first time we have created a stand-alone website for the ASSIST FM Conference – www.assistfmconference.co.uk
Please visit it for more information about 2018’s Conference.The 18th ASSIST FM Conference takes place in Glasgow on 23-24 August 2018, with an exhibitor set up day on Wednesday 22 August. This year for our conference there is an ‘Agents of Change’ theme and we will be highlighting speakers relevant to the ‘Year of Young People’ who are our future Agents of Change!
We will also have our supplier exhibition and ASSIST FM National Awards:
ASSIST FM Scottish School Cook of The Year
BEBL School Award Winners
ASSIST FM Catering Team of The Year
ASSIST FM Cleaning Team of The Year
ASSIST FM School Crossing Patroller of The Year
ASSIST FM Janitor or Caretaker of the Year
ASSIST FM Making A Difference Award
ASSIST FM National Chair Award
Keep watching the Conference website for further details on speakers, and conference content.
ASSIST Conference 25th/26th August 2016
Glasgow City Hotel and Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow
The annual conference will be held in Glasgow for a sixth year. The ASSIST Conference has become the premier Conference for FM suppliers within the Scottish Local authorities. The theme for the conference is ‘Innovation’ in keeping with the fact that it is The Scottish Government’s Year of Innovation. The format will remain as last year’s conference – with the supplier exhibition taking place on Day One from 12 noon to 4pm (in the Glasgow City Hotel Ballroom). The delegate sessions on Day One will take place in the Robert Burns Suite in the same hotel, whilst the delegate sessions on Day Two will be in the Grand Central Hotel. (The Glasgow City Hotel is situated at the following address – Cambridge Street Glasgow G2 3HN – website address; www.thehotelcollection.co.uk/hotels/glasgow-city-hotel We do hope that you will be able to join us at the ASSIST Conference 2016.
If you wish to attend as a delegate or as an exhibitor please contact alanc@totalizemedia.co.uk
The 18th Annual ASSIST FM Conference took place in the Hilton Glasgow on the 23rd and 24th August 2018 and it was the biggest conference yet with more delegates and suppliers attending than ever before.We kicked off our delegate seminars on Thursday morning with an opening address from ASSIST FM’s chair, Keith Breasley, welcoming delegates from all over Scotland to the conference. Our Keynote speaker Cleland Sneddon, CEO of Argyll & Bute Council who presented his vision for Argyll & Bute, how young people are at the heart of the council’s outcomes and what Argyll & Bute are doing to support young people to become agents for change. He also touched on national strategies, the role of Facilities Management and challenges for Facilities Management going forward.
Cleland Sneddon, CEO of Argyll & Bute Council
Better Eating Better Learning Award Winners 2018
Brian Whittle, MSP
Neil Durrant of Diversey said that “Personally this was one of the best exhibitions I have attended, from start to finish” and that “As a supplier I would say [the best things about the conference were] the large number of delegates attending. This provided us with the opportunity to interact with so many people in one place.”
Carianne De Koning of Argyll & Bute Council said that “the variety of suppliers was fantastic, and the stamp card was a great incentive to speak to most of them”. She also said that the main benefit of the conference to her was the ability “to connect with suppliers and also be inspired by new things and ideas”.
We finished off the day with our Awards Dinner on Thursday night, where Keith Breasley and sponsors from Muller Milk & Ingredients, Live Kitchen and McCain Foods presented the ASSIST FM awards to some very worthy winners.Our Friday morning seminar was opened by Laura Wilson, a Health and Nutrition Inspector from Education Scotland who shared findings of inspections over the last year. Laura also updated delegates on the development of a Self-Evaluation Framework for Food in Schools in Scotland and gave an overview of the recommendations and next steps for changes to the nutritional regulations for school food and drinks.After Laura Wilson, Rhys McCole, a Year of Young People 2018 ambassador and para-disabled boxer spoke to our delegates about his life and the importance of heathy eating and exercise. His speech was both entertaining and extremely humorous, as well as being very inspirational.Next up, our Inch by Inch For Scotland Chef and Presenter, Jordan Docherty, took to the stage to give an update on his work with Inch By Inch For Scotland over the past year and the impact it has had on his own life. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Jordan also received the Conference’s first standing ovation from all the delegates present.Jordan was followed by Alan Mawson from Dumfries & Galloway Council and Alan Cunningham of Totalize Media presenting their research project on how the Scottish School Meals service has changed over the last 15 years as well as the direction the service could take in the future.The last speaker of the day, and of the conference was Annie Lindsay of Tickety Boo Training, who motivated our audience to think positively and ‘delete’ negative thoughts.The ASSIST FM Conference 2018 was a great success and the feedback from our delegates, guests and suppliers echoed this. If you are interested in attending any future ASSIST FM Conferences, don’t hesitate to get in touch by contacting us here.
Last month saw the annual ASSIST FM Conference come to Glasgow in its 19th year with the theme of ‘Watchers on the Wall’ tying together the TV phenomenon, Game of Thrones, and the role that ASSIST FM plays in watching over its services and protecting them in difficult conditions.
On day one, Dr Jeremy Leach presented to a packed out seminar on his Nudge Theory which looks at ‘how to nudge people using behavioural sciences’ and how to apply this to the FM sector. Jeanette Orrey MBE followed, delving into her impressive career from dinner lady to the founder of Food for Life and becoming a commissioner on Food and Poverty with the Fabian Society in 2015. Dr Colin Espie, Professor of Sleep Medicine from the University of Oxford presented on ‘What is Sleep and Why Does it Matter?’, providing an insightful look into the importance of sleep and the workplace. The seminars then concluded with an emotional and inspirational session from Nigel Owens MBE, the Welsh international Rugby Referee who truly captivated the audience.
The feedback from delegates was fantastic and Sue Nield of Highland Council said that “I especially enjoyed the speakers this year, the messages they shared are especially important due to the ever-challenging climates ahead.”
After the seminar, delegates were invited to attend the biggest ASSIST FM Conference Exhibition to date, with more suppliers in attendance than ever before, including a number of organisations new to the event such as Nespresso Professional and The Scottish Salmon Company. ASSIST FM also continued with their fantastic initiative backed by Hobart UK and Brakes Scotland to get the exhibitors to donate any unconsumed stock to a local food bank, combating food waste as well as supporting a local cause.
Jason McKeon from Unilever Food Solutions described the Conference as a “Great opportunity to chat with Local Authorities, Buyers, Industry leaders and decision-makers over 2 days” and “the best in class industry event for FM in the UK by a mile.”
Day two saw an update for Local Authorities from Education Scotland delivered by Shirley Beattie which sparked great discussion from the delegates in attendance. Paul Fletcher and Kevin Onanu from Achieve More Scotland spoke about their work to tackle poverty and ‘enable the life chances and health and wellbeing of young people and families at risk’. Catherine Agnew, Chief Inspector for Children at the Care Inspectorate discussed the role of the Care Inspectorate and the upcoming partnership that will be developed between the Care Inspectorate and Local Authority FM services. Gary Ennis of NS Design provided a compelling crash course in getting the most out of Social Media and the importance of developing your online presence. Most notably though was the presentation from Dr John McKendrick of Glasgow Caledonian University where he shared the research findings that himself and a team of students have been working on for ASSIST FM on issues pertaining to School Meals Provision in Scotland. The research will be published by Glasgow Caledonian University and ASSIST FM in the coming months.
The ASSIST FM Conference 2019 was a fantastic and informative event that has become unsurpassable for the Facilities Management sector in Scotland.
Delegates and suppliers alike heralded the 2005 A.S.S.I.S.T. Conference as a great success. The conference began with an interesting and challenging talk from Paul O’Brien, CEO of APSE. This was followed by an excellent Supplier Exhibition. Winner of the Best Stand competition went to Jan Harding at Creative Interiors.In the afternoon of the first day there were three workshops hosted by Des Murray of APSE, Ken Campbell, Vice Chair of A.S.S.I.S.T., and Gordon Gray of Glasgow City Council. Day One of the conference came to a close with a superb talk by World Athletic Champion, Steve Cram.
Day Two started with the launch of the RHM Healthier School Meals Competition and was followed by two extremely interesting talks from Caroline Gardner, Deputy Auditor General and Controller of Audit, Audit Scotland and Scott Haldane, Director of Finance, National Services Scotland (NHS). Later in the morning a presentation by Les Dalrymple, Deputy Chief Executive of East Renfrewshire Council opened a lively debate on Modernising Employment and Equal Pay.
The Chairperson’s Award for Services to the Industry was presented to Lynne Howe of Tayside Contracts, who recently won the title UK School Cook of the Year. Another highlight of the conference was the launch of the A.S.S.I.S.T. Research Project, copies of which were available to all delegates. Please fill in our contact form to request a copy of the report.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we have unfortunately had to take the decision to postpone our 20th annual ASSIST FM Conference. We’ll be back next, from the 26-27th August, with our full conference and supplier exhibition which has become the premier event for FM Suppliers in the 32 Scottish Local Authorities.
Further information about our 2021 conference will be announced in due course and in the meantime our ASSIST FM committee is working hard to keep our members informed about how the Facilities Management sector is being impacted by the virus.
We have held webinars for our Local Authority members and our suppliers, and will aim to host further online events as we receive more information from our colleagues in the Scottish Government and public sector organisations. Information about any future ASSIST FM events will be circulated with our members and suppliers when the details have been finalised.
Due to the pandemic, we have also put our National Awards and Scottish School Cook of the Year competition on hold until further notice, but we will be looking to celebrate our staff who have been so vital in ensuring that our most vulnerable and shielding pupils are still benefiting from our service at our future events.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions both about the ASSIST FM Conference or about how the pandemic is impacting our sector. We hope to see you at one of our future events, both online and offline, and look forward to working together with you to get through this uncertain time.
The 2006 A.S.S.I.S.T. Conference tackled many of the difficult issues that are currently affecting the membership. Issues such as Equal Pay, Promoting Health in Schools, How to be a Successful Woman in Business and also Partnership Working. Chaired by Fergus Chambers, Chair A.S.S.I.S.T, the first session of the conference was opened by Pat Watters with a typically challenging and thought-provoking talk. Paul O’Brien CEO APSE and Alex Linkston, CEO of West Lothian Council joined the debate. The Leading Ladies session hosted by Viv Lumsden saw three business women with very interesting takes on how to become successful in male dominated industries. Diane West, Assistant Managing Director of The Daily Record and Sunday Mail, Samantha Barbour, Chief Executive of Scottish Business in the Community, and Fiona Lees, Chief Executive, East Ayrshire Council discussed their take on how they have become a success in their respective fields. Paul O’Brien, CEO APSE, Margaret Paterson, Leader of Clackmannanshire Council and Grant Henderson, Operations Director, Amey Business Services, discussed the hot topic of Partnership Working, and Dr Roberta Sonnino from Cardiff University gave a fascinating talk on how Italians source local and organic food and the contrasting attitudes within the Italian culture that could provide a positive affect for our own school meal provision.
Our supplier exhibition was a great success with over fifteen new suppliers attending amongst the 54 exhibitors. The Chairperson’s Award for Services to the Industry was presented to Gillian Kynoch of the Scottish Executive for her work in supporting Scottish Councils in the Hungry For Success programme.
It has been three years since the last face to face ASSIST FM Conference. So when the 2022 Conference, themed ‘The Road To Recovery’ took place on the 17th and 18th May at the Glasgow Hilton, it was a huge success with the biggest delegate turnout ever.
Jayne Jones, National Chair of ASSIST FM stated, ‘It has been a hugely challenging time for everyone, not least our staff and suppliers. It was just fantastic to see how many people came to the conference and were able to network. After such a long period of time when we were using online meetings, everyone enjoyed the chance to catch up face to face’
The Conference had 60 exhibitors. The seminar sessions led by past Chair Keith Breasley included talks from Paul O’Brien, CEO APSE, Professor Mary Brennan of Edinburgh University, Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Paul Rankin, Michelin Starred Chef, Professor John McKendrick of Caledonian University, Professor Don Bundy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Sarah Watters, COSLA’s Director of Membership and Resource, Cameron Smith from SCLD, Jennifer Scott, and Linda Nelson of Dumfries &Galloway Council, and Ian Midwinter CEO of Scran Academy.
Talks ranged from the Scottish Government relaunch of A Good Food Nation, as well as thoughts on the Hospitality Industry, employment opportunities for people with Learning Disabilities, school health and nutrition and programmes on cleaning and catering that have really been positive forces during the pandemic.
Derek Wright, Blackpool Catering Services, David Cochrane, CEO of HIT Scotland, and Rose King, Regional Manager, Career Ready also held a session on their own thoughts about the future of hospitality.
ASSIST FM also published a new cookery book that can be used by all Scottish Local Authorities, and is fully nutritionally analysed as per the Government guidelines.
The Gala Dinner included 8 National Awards. Hosted by Deacon Blue drummer and TV presenter, Dougie Vipond, the winners were announced in the various categories, as follows:
Outstanding Contribution to Cleaning
Dumfries & Galloway Council
Outstanding Contribution to Catering
Sponsored by Muller Milk & Ingredients
Robert Steven, South Lanarkshire Council
Outstanding Contribution to FM Services
Renfrewshire Council
Outstanding Collaboration and Local Authority Innovation Award
Sponsored by Parent Pay
Shetland Council
Suppliers of The Year
Quorn Foods and Harfield
ASSIST FM Committee Special Award
Rachel Cunningham
ASSIST Special Recognition Award
Nicky Joiner, East Renfrewshire Council
Here are some quotes from the attendees:
‘It was a terrific two days and as a first post pandemic conference for me it was a most interesting and thoroughly enjoyable event. Good speakers on broad range of topics , fab exhibition , brilliant recipe book and the usual warm friendly atmosphere that the ASSIST ethos permeates at its events. Plus a new logo!
The event showed the resilience and good spirit of ‘can do’ for the sector in Scotland despite some really difficult times. I found that most heartening indeed.’
Lindsay Graham, Poverty & Inequality Commissioner
‘We got to meet new people, like Levi Roots and had the opportunity to showcase some of our latest software. Customers were highly impressed with our meal analysis solution. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello! It was great to see you all in person again.’
CRB Cunninghams
‘Thank you ASSIST FM for having Tugo at your event. It was great to catch up with so many people, and have positive feedback, on our range of products.’
Steve Guttteridge Tugo
For further information please contact alan@totalizemedia.co.uk or
sarah.duff@totalizemedia.co.uk.