Success for Mears Group’s Inverness team prestigious 2024 Partnerships Awards after groundbreaking facilities management work in the Highlands
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A giant UK housing and social care provider’s Inverness operation has landed a top award for its energy-saving work at schools across the Highlands.
Mears Facilities Management (FM) won ‘best operational project’ in the 2024 Partnerships Awards, recognised as the industry’s biggest celebration of excellence in the public–private partnership (PPP) industry.
The awards aim to showcase organisations who turn partnerships into unparalleled success stories, rewarding the very best of the industry globally.
The winning contract saw the FM team at Mears implement an ambitious LED lighting project across 11 schools in the region, successfully reducing building energy consumption by 252 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023, with projected savings of 112 tonnes during 2024.
The project was described as demonstrating how a well thought out strategy and close collaboration could create a sustainable environment that benefits local children and provides valuable facilities for community groups.
It was also said to have shown the additional value that private sector investment and service provision can bring when fully aligned with the public sector’s objectives.
The judges highlighted the “tangible positive outcomes to the remote communities served by the project”.
Members of the FM team collected the award alongside representatives from the Equitix Project Management team and the investor at a ceremony in London last week.
Alex Ballintine, general manager, FM Highlands, said: “I’m thrilled that we’ve been recognised by the industry, particularly as we were up against not only the UK but deserving nominees from further afield too.”
Dawn Kidd, regional director, added: “I’m really proud of the team that initiated, designed and then delivered the project.
“The power of collaborative working and the partnership that exists between Mears, Equitex and the Highland Council meant that an idea became reality and resulted in significant reduction of CO2 emissions.
“The award is the icing on the cake and confirmation of a great job done by the whole team”.
Mears Group is one of the UK’s leading housing solutions providers to both the public and private sector.
It repairs and maintains over 700,000 social homes across the UK and has over 5,500 employees, working with clients to help develop, fund and implement innovative solutions.
A full case study about the project, Helping schools in Scotland become net zero is available here.
