News

Grain Connect moves to the next level for UK full-fibre broadband installation programme

Grain Connect, part of Pinnacle Group and one of the leading providers of ultrafast broadband for new build homes across the UK, announces £10m (GBP) investment by the Albion Real Assets Fund, a newly raised fund managed by Albion Capital.

This latest phase of
investment by the Albion Real Asset Fund will enable Grain Connect to expand
its network and service offering, grow its team and capitalise on the latest
phase of new housing developments across the UK. Grain Connect will continue to
work with Pinnacle Group, its founding shareholder and long-term funding
partner, to further unlock opportunities to support communities across Pinnacle’s
UK portfolio.  At the same time, Grain
has concluded an agreement with Solway Communications, its other founding
shareholder, for the acquisition of certain network assets from Solway, the transfer
of staff and expertise to Grain and the provision of services to Solway’s fixed
wireless business.

Rich Robinson, Managing Director of Grain
Connect said of the announcement: “We are delighted to announce the next phase of our growth and the integration
of the full end-to-end customer experience with Grain Connect’s operations. We
are committed to providing the highest quality of service in delivering full-fibre
broadband across the UK. Albion Capital understands the opportunities for the
UK communications sector and has a proven track record investing in
organisations that deliver for customers and shareholders. This investment
enables the Grain Connect team to consolidate its position as one of the
leading installers of full-fibre broadband in the UK, whilst retaining
flexibility for housebuilder clients and ensuring the highest level of service
for homeowners.”

Adam Chirkowski, Investment Director at Albion Capital added: “The opportunity to invest in the growth of one of the UK’s most exciting communications providers is highly exciting. Capitalising on the increasing demand for future-fit broadband services, Grain Connect is working to provide new housing developments nationwide with a resilient, high-quality broadband service that is meeting the needs of homeowners. Albion has been extremely active in the FTTP market, particularly investing in the growth of alt-nets to enable them to reach critical scale. Grain Connect’s dedication to every home, ensuring residents have the foundations and the choice to receive the best quality network for them is critical to the growth of the business and makes the investment an exciting next step in Albion’s fibre portfolio.”

Perry
Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Pinnacle Group, said of the investment: “At Pinnacle we are committed to working with communities across the
UK to deliver the highest quality of service through understanding the needs of
residents and adapting to changes in our modern world.  This continued investment in Grain Connect
underlines our commitment to supporting the digital transformation of
communities, enabling them to benefit from the rapid improvements to broadband
technology. Through Grain Connect, we see strong synergies across the Pinnacle
Group businesses, unlocking opportunities to provide the essential services
that enable communities to make a space, their home.”

Pinnacle begin comprehensive management contract in Greenwich

Pinnacle Group today announces that it has secured a
contract to deliver management services to Meridian Home Start, a Community
benefit Society providing affordable housing in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Pinnacle will provide tenancy management and maintenance services for tenants of Meridian Home Start including; tenancy engagement, income management, lettings services, cleaning and grounds maintenance, responsive repairs, void works and cyclical and planned maintenance. Pinnacle’s ability to deliver a comprehensive and integrated range services means tenants have a single point of contact, easier reporting of issues, and ultimately, a better tenant experience.

Delivery of Pinnacle’s management services began on
30^th September for over 50 units, and will extend to a planned 250
by 2021 as additional new schemes are completed. All of the homes managed are affordable
homes for local families to rent at discounted rates, on average 65% of the
market rent.

Nimisha Patel, Group Head of Housing at Pinnacle
Group, said: “We are delighted to be working in close partnership with Meridian
Home Start to deliver services across the Royal Borough of Greenwich. We are
excited for the opportunity to deliver first-class services to an increasing
number of families as Meridian’s provision of affordable homes in the Borough grows
in the coming years.”

The contract will last for an initial 18 months.

Relationships flexibility and an eye for detail

How FM providers can support schools and academies during times of change and budget restrictions

Matt Morrell, Head of Facilities Management at Pinnacle Group explores how FM providers can manage the tight budgetary constraints of the educational sector and unravel the complexities of schools converting into academies.

Following a budget cut from central government of £2.7bn since
2015, and with funding in real terms set to decrease in the next year, schools
are currently under a huge amount of financial pressure. It is under these
conditions that schools need to determine what can be sacrificed to maintain an
operational and productive environment – in most cases they scrutinise the
provision of the institution’s FM.

The value of Total FM services, such as building maintenance,
security and waste management, which are integral to the success of any school
and academy, continues to be under review. In response, the FM industry needs
to demonstrate it can work efficiently and, in times of constraints, deliver
more for less.

In Public Private Partnerships (PPP), benchmarking has
become the norm. Over the past two years, the benchmarking process has become
increasingly rigorous, with independent data now a requirement in PPPs, rather
than just comparison against providers on other contracts. It is now more
common for clients to risk market testing services and rotating or replacing
their FM providers to ensure they are receiving value for money and the most
efficient and cost-effective service.

"Since FM became recognised as an industry in the 1980s, it has been built on strong relationships between the clients and their providers"

While this can be a challenge for many smaller and mid-sized
FM providers who are not in a position to utilise technology as effectively as
some of the larger, more resourceful organisations, it is not insurmountable.
Demonstrating a business ambition to develop strong, long-term relationships and
the ability to operate flexibly can go a long way to ensuring a cost-effective,
efficient and collaborative partnership, beyond technological innovation.

Since FM became recognised as an industry in the 1980s, it
has been built on strong relationships between the clients and their providers,
who work towards common goals to ensure buildings and workplaces are
operational.

In education PPPs, FM providers will form one part of a
trilateral relationship with the school and the local authority (LA), or
academy, and the special purpose vehicle (SPV). Adopting a collaborative and
flexible approach to their client relationship and contract, they work to will
facilitate discussion and agreement about working practices and cost.

Rather than reinforcing a position of ‘supplier’ to the
educational sector – though unfortunately so many relationships still do take
this format – it is important for FM providers to demonstrate to the LAs and
SPVs that long-term partnerships lead to the best educational outcomes. When FM
providers are seen as partners and consulted with as early as possible in any
process, they are more able to focus on the ultimate objective of all
stakeholders: the needs of the pupils.

The role of the FM provider is even more integral when
supporting the school-to-academy conversion process.

Since January 2018, 35 per cent of English state-funded
schools have been academies, a strategy the government has taken to help education
evolve and meet the demands of teachers, pupils and parents.

Navigating the complexities of the contract for a school
converted to an academy poses an extra challenge to FM providers who have to
demonstrate skills in translating contracts, managing the expectations of all
parties and ensuring flexibility in delivery. Many contracts are over 600 pages
long and more than 10 years old, and are often taken on by people who have no
prior experience in this field or the field of PPPs and Private Finance
Initiatives (PFIs). On acquiring the school and its operations, many academy
owners, reasonably, want to implement change in the educational and operational
model.

Often, academy business managers want to develop the site to
accommodate an increased number of pupils or incorporate new curriculum changes.
However, the terms of the PPP contract often make that desire commercially
complex and difficult to realise.

At the heart of such a situation, flexibility is key. It is
the role of an FM provider to inform the academy business manager of the formal
process as dictated by the contract and seek alternatives by giving suggestions
as how to best utilise the current space, thereby increasing pupil numbers or
allowing flexible teaching spaces where possible. Both parties would be aware
of, and want to avoid, the alternative: a Deed of Variation needing to be drawn
up for multiple lawyers and banks to approve, leading to a significant, and unavoidable,
expense in legal and administrative fees.

Some of the common challenges facing FM providers in the
educational sector relate to building use and the length of time buildings are
used for. Schools and academies will often try to increase their income
generation by extending the scope of their facilities and offering them to the public
for use. However, existing pre- and after-school clubs and sports or swimming
lessons could make new income-generating measures difficult to achieve. In that
case, the FM provider needs to address this and find flexible ways for the
organisation to achieve its goal.

The educational sector is under increasing pressure to
maintain standards at lower costs. With such responsibility for operations, it
is no surprise that FM providers are asked to do the same. But, with a
commitment to strong relationships, a flexible approach and the ability to
understand the contractual landscape, it is possible for FM providers to
navigate these challenges. Our role should be to work as a partner and add to
the overall strategic conversation about how operations are delivered.

This article was originally featured in Tomorrow's FM magazine.

Pinnacle Win Best Operational Project at Partnership Awards

Pinnacle Group’s team in Leeds have been awarded Best Operational Project at the Partnership Awards for the ‘Leeds Ten’ schools project. The Gold Award was presented at the Annual Partnership Awards hosted at the London Hilton, Park Lane on Thursday 9th May 2019.

The awards, now in their 21^st year, are designed to celebrate outstanding achievements in public-private partnerships and are open to all projects and organisations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Serving largely socially deprived areas in Leeds, the 10 schools demonstrate what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together. Pinnacle and our partners, HCP and QED, were commended on our close working relationship and the added social value brought to the schools and their wider communities.

The 10 schools demonstrate what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together

Our 100+ members of delivery staff serving 4,000 pupils have worked hard to bring added social value to the forefront of our service. This has included donating goods – as well as spare time – to help improve children’s wellbeing and learning experiences, as well as supporting the wider community directly and through local organisations. Recent initiatives have included Christmas donation appeals, sponsored sports tournaments and the ‘Give Your Time’ appeal in which Pinnacle staff members pledge their time and expertise to support community organisations.

The partnership has also focussed on a number of sustainability improvements to the buildings themselves, improving environmental standards through measures such as rainwater harvesting and installing LED lighting, as well as ensuring these measures help improve the contract’s value for money.

An excellent illustration of how an operational PPP project can deliver benefits to not only the schools but also the wider community

Neil Fergus, Managing Director of Facilities Management said: "We are very proud of the performance of our Leeds team, so it’s fantastic that they have received this award (in conjunction with our partners HCP and QED). The team are tremendously dedicated to delivering great services to our customers, but it’s the added value that they bring to the schools and the wider community that really stands out. That commitment to social value is now a core component of the everyday service in Leeds and their achievements are remarkable”.

The Partnership Awards judging panel said: “The judges considered this project to be an exemplar PPP both in terms of its core operations and its wider social engagement, backed up with strong evidence and testimonials. They welcomed the scheme as an excellent illustration of how an operational PPP project can deliver benefits to not only the schools but also the wider community”.

This latest award follows a host of other commendations Pinnacle has won since the contract began in 2009. We self-deliver a comprehensive Total Facilities Management service which, incorporating cleaning, catering, caretaking, grounds maintenance and M&E maintenance, while also overseeing major and lifecycle works.

Holistic service provision wins Lollard Street Contract

Leading housing manager Pinnacle Group today announces that it has secured a four-year contract to deliver management services to a new development in London’s Lollard Street.

Pinnacle will
provide housing management services to 70 affordable units and block management
services to 12 separate leasehold properties at the site. The company will
manage the development on behalf of Homes for Lambeth.

Pinnacle’s holistic
approach to service provision, which leads to more accountable property
management and, ultimately, a better tenant experience, was cited as a major factor
behind the awarding of the contract. The housing manager will offer a single
point of contact for residents, making it easier for residents to stay informed
of events and report issues.

Sarah Atkinson,
Regional Manager at Pinnacle Group, said: “Our ability to offer joined-up and
proactive management services allows us to deliver a better experience for our
tenants. We adopt a commercially-minded and socially-principled approach to all
developments, leaving tenants free to enjoy their lives.”

Our ability to offer joined-up and proactive management services allows us to deliver a better experience for our tenants. We adopt a commercially-minded and socially-principled approach to all developments, leaving tenants free to enjoy their lives.”

Sarah Atkinson, Regional Manager

Richard Reynolds,
Group Chair of Homes for Lambeth, said: “Welcoming our first residents to their
new homes on Lollard Street is an important step for Homes for Lambeth. We are
delighted to be working with Pinnacle to deliver a service to residents which
we are confident will be safe, effective and efficient.”

The contract will
last for an initial four years.

Claire Kober: It is not all doom and gloom

I spent this morning’s commute reading the executive summary of IPPR’s Commission on Economic Justice. The product of a two-year enquiry into the UK economy, the report outlines with devastating clarity the profound economic injustice that scars our country. Too many households no better off than a decade ago; the economy failing to deliver rising living standards for a majority of the population and nearly a million people on zero hours contracts.

None of this comes as a surprise to local government; day in day out, we see in individuals, families and communities experiencing the impact of income inequality and Europe’s most geographically unbalanced economy. But the Commission is not simply a council of despair. Instead it presents a genuinely radical 10-part plan for economic reform to achieve prosperity and justice.

The report is an impressive read for two reasons. The first is what it represents. I remember back in the 1990s, when IPPR convened a Commission on Social Justice. Unlike so many reports and commissions, this one laid out an ambitious agenda of social policy reform and gained traction among politicians and policy makers alike. It has had a lasting impact on public policy debates. The Commission on Economic Justice has similar potential; there are few reports which unite the Archbishop of Canterbury, McKinsey’s global managing partner and a Community Organiser from Citizens UK. But they are three of the commissioners that IPPR brought together; a consensus is already being built.

The second reason it is that it embraces the role of local government rather than neglecting it. It’s rare that a thinktank beyond the local government sector thinks radically about the role of councils’. However, the Commission calls for devolution of economic governance through the creation of four ‘economic executives’ comprising local authority representatives, as well as a rolling out of combined authorities throughout England.

Of course, it’s early days and we are yet to see how much traction the report will gain. But the signs look promising.

Pinnacle announce grounds maintenance contract win with Wandle

Following a competitive process, Wandle has awarded Pinnacle a contract to deliver soft facilities management to over 9,000 homes across nine southern London Boroughs.

From late November 2018, Pinnacle has been delivering ground maintenance and arboricultural services across south London.

“We are delighted to have won this contract and we look forward to working with Wandle and its residents. We pride ourselves on providing excellent services to our customers by putting residents at the heart of what we do. During the course of this contract we have committed to a number of social value initiatives as work experience places and employment opportunities.”

Neil Fergus, Pinnacle’s Director of Facilities Management

Lorraine Joseph, Estate Services Manager said: “Looking after our grounds is import to us ensuring that our residents can enjoy the communities that they live in, so were thrilled to be working with Pinnacle in making our grounds maintenance service fantastic for our residents.”

The contract is for an initial five-year period, with a possible years extension.

Christopher Hodson joins Pinnacle Group as Chief Financial Officer

Pinnacle Group has appointed Christopher Hodson as the Group’s new Chief Financial Officer to lead Pinnacle’s finance-related operations and further strengthen the senior management team.

Christopher joins the group from Tunstall Real Estate where he was Finance Director.  He brings with him over 15 years of pan-European real estate industry experience, focusing on defining, creating and implementing financial strategies for the real estate market involving structuring real estate transactions in excess of €1 billion.

“I am delighted to welcome Christopher to Pinnacle Group as Chief Financial Officer, a new role which recognises the importance we place on the next stage in the growth of the Group. In the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy and the demise of Carillion, we face challenges but most importantly opportunities and I believe that the broad range of experience which Christopher brings to the Group will help us capture these opportunities for the benefit of our customers, our employees and our shareholders.”

Group Chief Executive, Perry Lloyd

As Chief Financial Officer to Pinnacle Group, Christopher will provide strategic direction, financial planning and reporting, management of financial and commercial risks and finance-related operations and will work closely with the Group’s CEO and Board to support the strategic direction of the Group.

“This is a great opportunity to immerse myself within Pinnacle Group and to help shape its future. These are very exciting times for the Group and I look forward to working with the senior management team to achieve our strategic goals.”

Chief Financial Officer, Christopher Hodson

2018 Staff Awards

The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Museum of London in late-September.  Everyone left with a prize: £100 each for the 16 finalists; £500 for the five category winners; and £1,000 for the overall winner.

The event is a chance to recognise and reward those staff who live by the Pinnacle’s core values – Trust, Respect, Involve, Challenge and Deliver Excellence. There are five award categories – one for every core value – and an overall ‘Pinnacle Way’ winner.

This year, Pinnacle PSG’s Vanda Lowndes received the overall ‘Pinnacle Way’ award, for the commitment she has shown to her colleagues, client and above all, her residents. Living by such values, Vanda is a real credit to herself and Pinnacle and epitomises so much of the good work that our staff deliver every day.

The other worthy category winners and finalists were:

TRUST AWARD
Finalists – Lee Field and Nicola Bennison
Winners – Suzie Payne and Sarah Jacques

RESPECT AWARD
Finalists – Orlando Correia and Auryn Morgan
Winner – Vanda Lowndes

INVOLVE AWARD
Finalists – Julie Impey and Paul Thomas
Winner – Kathryn Hall

CHALLENGE AWARD
Finalists – Jackie Southam and Joaquin Pablo Moyano Mena
Winner – Timothy Speed

DELIVER EXCELLENCE AWARD
Finalists – George Halliday and Kevin Hearn
Winner – Carlos Morris

In addition to the Value awards, two special awards were handed out:

SPECIAL AWARD
Winner – Aundrey Smith

TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
Winner – City Peninsula Team

Perry Lloyd, Chief Executive, said of the Awards: “The staff awards are a very special event in the Pinnacle calendar.  It is where we can celebrate staff who have gone the extra mile.  The evening was a great success and I want to send my congratulations again to all our winners who truly deserve to be recognised for their exceptional commitment to our organisation and communities.”

Neil Euesden, Group Director of Operations, said of the Awards: “I have been blown away by the truly inspirational stories I have heard this evening.   Each nominee is a credit to our company and I’m proud of each and every one of them.  I would like to thank and congratulate every nominee for the commitment they show to Pinnacle, and our residents”

The event was hosted by Pinnacle Group’s Training and Development Manager, Gary Dear and was attended by more than 100 guests.  Gary was supported by Ben Leahy (Pinnacle People’s Commercial and Legal Manager), Matt Morrell (Head of Facilities Management), Seuni Laroussi (Business Manager for Organisational Change, FM), Matt Walker (Business Manager, FM) and Barry Montgomerie (Contract Director, Woking).

Pinnacle PSG announce the start of a new facilities management contract

Following a competitive process, Aldwyck Housing Group has awarded Pinnacle PSG, part of Pinnacle Group, a contract to deliver soft facilities management to over 6,500 properties.

From July 2018, Pinnacle PSG has been delivering cleaning and window cleaning across Aldwyck’s properties in Hertsmere, St Albans and Broxbourne. Then from October 2018, Pinnacle PSG will also deliver grounds maintenance across the same regions.

All vehicles will be fitted with water tanks and 65w power inverters in order to charge battery operated machinery.

“The upgrades made to our equipment allows us to fulfil this work efficiently and target new partners to work with. We are delighted to have won this contract and we look forward to working with Aldwyck Housing Group and its residents.”

Neil Fergus, Pinnacle PSG Director of Facilities Management

Aldywck Housing Group Head of Housing Tony Campbell said: “This is an exciting time. We’re really looking forward to working with Pinnacle and starting this new chapter in how we provide customer service.

We’re confident that through our new contract appointments our customers will experience an improved service and greater value for money. We’re also encouraging our customers to be involved in the monitoring of the contract, giving them more of a say and ensuring issues can be resolved more promptly.”

The contract is for an initial five years, with an option to extend for a further five.