To shine a light on how Calabash works with clients we are talking to Jonny Bilsby Facilities Manager at IMechE. We have delivered cleaning excellence to their London headquarter building since 2008, ensuring that the prestigious venue exceeds the expectations of staff and visitors alike. What is the secret to that successful relationship and what value does it bring?
IMechE is a professional organisation that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. It was founded in 1847 and today has more than 111,000 members in 140 countries.
Located in the heart of Westminster overlooking St James’s Park, the Institution’s prestigious headquarters building, on Birdcage Walk is more than 100 years old. Combining original period features with modern working environments, it incorporates a variety of venue spaces, offices and tenanted areas.
The building’s unique heritage and modern facilities make it a popular venue accommodating a wide range of events, from small meetings to large events. Ensuring the building continues to make the right impression is a major task.
IMechE’s Facilities Manager Jonny Bilsby has worked at One Birdcage Walk for 9 years, during which time he has got know the Calabash team. After taking on the role of overseeing the team in early 2024, he has seen first-hand what their work entails. Our experienced professionals carry out most of their work between 7 am and 9 am and therefore go unseen by most building staff.
“When I started to spend more time with the cleaners, I was stunned by the amount of work they get done”, says Jonny. “So much of what they do goes unseen and even I had taken them for granted. This is such a large building to keep clean, but they are so skilled and committed.”
Be it keeping desks clean, ensuring venue rooms are ready for the next client, jet washing the exterior, cleaning upholstery or ensuring bins are emptied, our dedicated team has it covered.
Jonny says: “We demand high standards and the Calabash attention to detail is very impressive. As a rule, assume that if everything is done right nobody notices. We would know if our staff and clients were unhappy, and we have had zero complaints over the last year – that’s outstanding.”
“As a facilities manager in a large old building, I spend most of my time fixing issues and dealing with problems. The Calabash teams are one of the real joys of the job because they just get on with it. There is no drama and if problems arise, they find a way of solving them.”
By the time most people get to work, the Calabash team has already finished its shift. Jonny was keen to ensure they received the recognition they deserve. At Christmas he sent an email out to all staff saying: “Taking over supervision of the cleaners this year has been one of the greatest joys and getting to know them and how much they do to keep our building clean and safe has been awe inspiring. I’m incredibly grateful to work alongside them and I’ve no doubt you’ll all join me in thanking them for their enduring support and tireless efforts to keep employee offices, venue spaces, communal areas and tenant offices clean!”
The Calabash team was given a Christmas party to remember. They were granted access to one of the premiere event spaces, gifted a hamper and Jonny gave a speech thanking them for their work.
Being treated as a valued member of the building community is key to empowering cleaning staff and optimising outcomes. Jonny has formed close working relationships with the team and has supported their work by streamlining processes and ensuring they have all the tools they need to maintain the highest service standards.
In 2024 IMechE officially recognised the value of that partnership by committing to pay all Calabash staff the London Living Wage. The wage rate is set annually by the Living Wage Foundation and is designed to help workers meet the true cost of living. “You need to give people just recognition and ensure they are fairly rewarded for the great work they do” explains Jonny.
Calabash’s accreditation as a Living Wage employer forms a cornerstone of our sustainability strategy. Using a supplier who is embedding ESG best practice is of great value to IMechE.
Jonny says: “They are doing so much to help us meet our sustainability goals. We are in an old inefficient building and must work hard to reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact. Cleaning staff are very diligent about turning off lights and heating when rooms are not in use and ensuring that waste is properly segregated so we can improve our recycling rates. They use cleaning products with minimal environmental impact and are helping us embrace responsible waste management.”
He adds: “I would highly recommend working with Calabash. They do exactly what they say on the tin in delivering a consistently high standard of service. They are a team of people I can trust who have a strong work ethic and are committed to sustainable ways of operating, which is after all what the future is all about.”
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