Category: Destinations

Southbank Centre Appoints OCS as Part Of A Multi-million FM Investment Programme

Posted on by stephanieamata

Southbank Centre has awarded OCS a contract to supply total facilities management services to their sites. The services include cleaning, technical services (mechanical & engineering and projects), and event support. The core multi-million-pound contract will be carried out over 5 years, with potential for extension, along with additional yearly projects of added value, to enhance the facilities at Southbank Centre. This adds to OCS’s growing presence in the private sector.

The victory in securing this prestigious contract is attributed to the strong and sustained engagement between the teams at OCS and Southbank Centre. The foundations of a strong working relationship have fostered outstanding collaborative engagement throughout the tender process. The contract will go live on the 1st of April, with a transfer of over 100 front-line colleagues from the incumbent service provider to OCS.

Southbank Centre sought a contractor capable of addressing the unique needs of its dynamic business, including three main properties –Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Hayward Gallery–and other satellite locations. As a hub for the arts community, the spaces within Southbank Centre are constantly evolving spaces, to accommodate a busy calendar of events. The OCS team has committed to a service delivery with exceptional agility in supporting their building-repurposing initiatives.

We are excited about the collaboration with OCS and their dedication to delivering our specific requirements. Their commitment to building a strong and cooperative relationship has been clear throughout the process. We believe that their expertise will play a vital role in preserving our status as a hub for the arts community and improving our facilities. We anticipate a successful and mutually rewarding partnership.

Hilton Wells

Head of Facilities, Southbank Centre

OCS’s technological offerings, particularly its smart building technology, ABi, caught the attention of Southbank Centre. Post-mobilisation, they plan to implement ABi to assist in reaching and monitoring sustainability goals and fostering best practices for efficiency gains across operations.

In addition to shared commitments to greener practices, OCS and Southbank Centre share a dedication to empowering the local community in London. To ensure a positive impact, OCS commits to hiring from within the local community for outsourced services and further employment. Additionally, OCS is committed to providing apprenticeships during the contract tenure and contributing to social mobility within the community.

This successful tender marks the commencement of a promising partnership. Together, OCS and Southbank Centre are focused on future-proofing and decarbonising the estate, while simultaneously empowering local communities. OCS takes pride in this achievement and looks forward to the collaborative journey ahead.

We’re looking forward to building a strong relationship with Southbank Centre. Our commitment is to support them in maintaining their role as a hub for the South London community, creating welcoming spaces for both locals and visitors. Additionally, we are enthusiastic about implementing intelligent solutions to enhance their facilities and foster sustainable practices.

Claire Rumsey

OCS Sector Managing Director – Private FM, Destinations

OCS Wins Top Awards for Environmental Best Practice at Bluewater

Posted on by peterstatham

Three times award winner at the Green Apple Awards

OCS has been awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze at the Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice in recognition of its work at retail and leisure destination Bluewater in Kent.

For the past 7 years OCS has delivered a full portfolio of security, cleaning, mechanical and electrical, concierge, landscaping, and management and administration services at Bluewater. The gold award was received for its ‘Making Room for Nature’ biodiversity project which also created a vital wellbeing space for the local community at the Bluewater nature trail.

Biodiversity initatives

As part of the project the team created 188m2 of new flower beds and introduced pollinating plants and British native species to support insects. An additional 330m2 of wildflower planting was seeded in low quality areas to include the Cotoneaster Franchetti which absorbs 20% more air pollutants than other similar sized shrubs. The team reviewed all the planting and worked in collaboration with the onsite landscaping team and ecologist to draft this programme of improvements.

Sustainability and Innovation

The Silver award was for an ‘LED lighting programme’ that OCS introduced which was a phased lighting upgrade programme to convert all functional lights to LED and install automated controls and metering. This has delivered a 65% reduction in energy costs and associated carbon emissions. The Bronze award was for a ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ project which saw the team work with several local charities and community groups to raise environmental awareness, delivering 90 hours of community-based volunteering and over £400,000 of social value over the past year.

“To win gold, silver and bronze at the Green Apple Awards is a fantastic achievement and the team at Bluewater should all be very proud of their hard work. Working in partnership with our client with aligned values around the importance of collaboration, integrity and respect for communities and the environment has helped us to make a real difference. We will continue to support biodiversity on site and intend to use it for educational purposes for local schools as part of our community-based volunteering projects.”

Jacky So

ESG Director at OCS UK & Ireland

The Royal Parks awards OCS facilities maintenance contract 

Posted on by ameliaroberts

The Royal Parks charity has announced the tender results for its facilities maintenance contract.

The charity, which manages London’s historic Royal Parks and other important green spaces in the capital, has awarded a five-year, multi-million-pound service contract to international facilities management company OCS.

The contract, beginning on 1 October 2023, covers ‘hard’ facilities maintenance* services across all eight Royal Parks and Brompton Cemetery.

This involves skilled works to manage the parks’ infrastructure, including fountains, buildings such as public toilets and offices, footpaths, statues, monuments and street lighting.

OCS will deliver planned preventative maintenance to protect and prevent the decline of park assets and infrastructure, as well as unplanned reactive repair work.

The new contract will guarantee that all staff from current contracts will be protected under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation.

Through the contract, The Royal Parks will continue to deliver the highest service delivery standards, incorporating current industry standards and good practices, including around sustainability.

“We are delighted to award this contract to OCS. The work OCS will deliver will help us conserve and enhance the important national heritage within London’s eight Royal Parks for everyone to enjoy.”

Darren Woodward

Director of Estates and Projects, The Royal Parks

William Heaney, Managing Director, Technical Services, OCS, said: “We are thrilled to be awarded this prestigious, long-term contract with The Royal Parks to deliver a full complement of hard facilities management services.  

“Our shared vision of service excellence, sustainable, inclusive workplaces and continuous improvement provides the platform for a strong, successful, and impactful partnership.  

“We look forward to delivering a seamless transition of services and embracing the special environments which The Royal Parks have entrusted our organisation to maintain.”