Wales Millennium Centre scooped the award for Sustainability and Environmental Impact at the recent British Institute of Facilities Management Awards, presented by Clive Anderson.
The BIFM Awards recognise companies which demonstrate excellence and world-class credentials in facilities management and the ceremony was attended by 1300 industry professionals.
Sustainability has been at the heart of Wales Millennium Centre’s business from the outset. Its programme of continual improvement and environmental efficiencies enables the Centre to plough more financial resources into its artistic and charitable objectives, especially education, and outreach work across Wales.
The Centre is a founding signatory of Welsh Government’s Sustainable Development Charter and has achieved the international accreditation ISO 14001 for environmental management.
Through its Estates Exemplar Project on Sustainability, the Centre demonstrated how it made significant savings through effective environmental management, reducing waste and energy usage and CO2 emissions, as well as the adoption of new technologies. For example, replacing 2000 halogen lamps in the Centre’s public areas with the latest 7 watt LED lamps, made significant cost savings.
This year, those savings contributed directly to the Only Kids Aloud project, enabling 75 children from all parts of Wales to have life changing experiences, singing in St Petersburg and participating in the opening ceremony of London 2012.
The Centre’s managing director, Mathew Milsom, said: ‘In making this award, BIFM has recognised our FM team as world-class. They are the guardians of what is a national asset for the people of Wales. The team’s quest for continual improvement and increased efficiencies has brought immense value, not only to our own business but to others in Wales. Through sharing best practice, their experience and their knowledge, they are adding considerable value to the public purse in Wales.
Wales Millennium Centre also made the final in the Best In House Team Award.