Farewell 2023 – What a year! 

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 […]

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.