News

Pinnacle Group finalises integration of Orchard and Shipman brand.

The integration of housing specialists, Orchard & Shipman (O&S) Group, into Pinnacle Group has entered its second phase. This means that as of 1st June 2022, O&S Group now operates under the Pinnacle Group brand, replacing all O&S Group branding.

Pinnacle Group acquired O&S Group in late 2021, to support Pinnacle’s geographic expansion and service capability growth. Since then, the integration of the two businesses has been steadily underway. As well as the change to the branding, this latest phase of the acquisition will simultaneously see the O&S Group social media channels and website cease - apart from O&S Homes (one of our regulated Registered Providers of Affordable Housing), which will still have a page on the Pinnacle Group website.

Peregrine Lloyd, chief executive of Pinnacle Group, said: 

“We’re pleased to be taking the final integration steps as part of our exciting acquisition of O&S Group. The integration of branding, social channels and website within the Pinnacle Group brand is an important part of our plan to deliver our vision together as one provider. We look forward to growing from strength to strength together.”

Peregrine Lloyd
Group Chief Executive

Celebrating World FM Day

Each year, on World FM Day, the IWFM (Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management) highlights and celebrates the impact and value that facilities teams, and the wider industry, contribute to business worldwide.

Pinnacle Group is proud to be a Corporate Member of the IWFM, the organisation that promotes excellence among a worldwide workplace and facilities management membership community.

We’re delighted to celebrate World FM Day, recognising and thanking all of our people who make a vital contribution to putting our customers at the heart of facilities management services, providing places where people are safe, healthy and able to thrive.  

The theme for World FM Day 2022 is ‘Leading a sustainable future’.

Leading a sustainable future

With the day focusing on the FM industry’s opportunity to make positive change through corporate sustainability, Managing Director, FM Neil Fergus commented: 

“As we grow as a company, we are seizing the opportunity to operate with purpose. This is already ingrained in our company values. And, through the actions of our teams, we see our staff go above and beyond their daily duties to protect our planet, care for our people, have a positive impact in the community and deliver our services in a responsible and ethical manner.”

Neil Fergus
Managing Director, FM

Here we highlight some of the recent actions, across our business, that support our ongoing commitment to a sustainable future.

Our commitment to ESG 

We have a rich history as a socially conscious and values-led business. Building on this, we have launched our ESG Framework which is structured around the four pillars of:

• Protecting Our Planet
• Our People
• Community Impact
• Responsible Business

Through Protecting Our Planet, we are removing carbon, reducing pollution and continuously looking at making the right choice for the environment when deciding on ways of working and selecting suppliers, products, equipment and materials.

Project Electrify

Our Carbon Reduction Plan to Net Zero aims to achieve:

• Net Zero on direct emissions by 2025 (Scope 1 & 2) 
• Full emissions by 2035 (Scope 3)

Project Electrify supports Pinnacle’s Carbon Net Zero road map with the roll out an all-electric fleet across 500 service vehicles servicing over 100 UK locations. Analysing the usage requirements of all vehicles, due for renewal or new vehicles added to the fleet, these will be considered for an electric vehicle replacement to reduce our environmental impact.

This is backed by the rolling out of our own electric vehicle charging infrastructure across our sites and depots, maximising charge points on existing grid capacity.

Using telematics and data analysis, we will continuously review the programme to see if changes need to be made, based on our experience in the field and future efficiency.

Moving towards electric grounds maintenance equipment

In one of our contracts - Essex County Council - we have demonstrated a successful switch of 100% of our small kit to electric.

Creating energy efficiency through LED/PIR installations

Through our initiative of installing 6,000 energy efficient LED lights across seven schools in Swindon, we have delivered an impressive energy reduction of 70%.

Responsible cleaning

As a business that is committed to procuring with purpose, we want to replace the use of harmful chemical products and consumable products, used in the delivery of our contract cleaning service, with environmentally responsible alternatives. Our vision is to embed technologies within our contract cleaning service delivery that:  

• Do not use ingredients toxic to humans  
• Do not use ingredients toxic to aquatic life  
• Stop plastic pollution through the reduction of single use plastic  
• Promote the growth and development of small, localised, innovative businesses within our supply chain 

Project Switch  

A key part of our Responsible Procurement Policy, and cleaning responsibly, is our new national sustainability standard for commercial cleaning and hygiene supplies Project Switch in partnership with Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Services (BCHS).  

Project Switch ensures that sustainably produced and packaged cleaning chemicals, plus hygiene consumables, are prioritised across our soft facilities services portfolio. As part of the collaborative sustainability initiative, BCHS has committed to offsetting carbon emissions associated with our cleaning supplies delivery management, so that they are carbon neutral.    

As part of this project, 10 per cent of Project Switch’s annual spend will be allocated with approved local SME, VCSE and micro suppliers. 

Ongoing measurement of the policy will be used to keep reducing the number of post-consumer recycled (PCR) bottles being put back into the circular supply chain, working towards 100 per cent by 2025.   

Community impact

Our employees are passionate about engaging with and doing the right thing by the communities we serve. Many dedicate their time and develop initiatives to support local causes alongside community partners, partnering with local charities and social enterprises to provide help where it matters most.

At one local school, we have been supporting local planting, showing pupils how to successfully grow their own strawberries and combining this with healthy eating education.

From supporting the building of a community garden for a local hospice, to supporting local food banks across the country and creating community allotments, we are so proud of our people and the impact of their fantastic work.

Pinnacle Charges Towards Net Zero With Fleet of Electric Vehicles

Pinnacle Group is delivering on its “Project Electrify” ambitions to roll out an all-electric fleet of service vehicles. Pinnacle looks to transition almost 500 Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) from the current diesel-power to all-electric - starting with its first 33 models of the Nissan eNV200.

Pinnacle, which has more than 100 locations and 3,000 staff nationally, is accelerating its efforts to build a carbon neutral fleet under its Carbon Net Zero road map. Every vehicle due for renewal or added to the fleet will be considered for an electric vehicle replacement where possible.

Working closely with Fleet Alliance, a national fleet management company, there are also plans for a smaller tranche of Citroen e-Berlingos and electric replacement Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) in the new year. The move follows a comprehensive six-month plan to identify the vehicles suitable for electric replacements.

Pinnacle’s group procurement manager, Sarah Russell, said: “We are pleased to take the first step as part of our Project Electrify strategy, which has been well-researched and formalised by a dedicated cross-sectional group of colleagues.

“Building on Pinnacle’s ESG ‘Protect our Planet’ commitment, we will now be pressing ahead with the transition ambition in earnest - and we are planning to equip each of our core locations with the required charging infrastructure. This will start with the installation of 10 charging points at Tulse Hill, South London, in the new year.”

Pinnacle Group has been an outsourced client of Glasgow-based Fleet Alliance since late 2017 and benefits from several services and solutions.

Fleet Alliance CEO, Andy Bruce, commented: “Pinnacle Group is to be applauded for its decision to transition to an all-electric fleet in a structured, disciplined and well thought through manner.

“We will, of course, be with them all the way to ensure that the transition is a complete success and plays a key role in helping them achieve their zero net carbon ambitions.”

The vehicles will operate on four year/68,000-mile operating cycle, which will allow Pinnacle to better-record the long-term carbon savings. With full maintenance packages, drivers will be provided with electric charge cards, while those who park their vehicles at home overnight can also opt for home chargers.

Karen Reid, Corporate Sales Manager for Fleet Sales at Nissan, said: ‘‘We are naturally delighted that Pinnacle has chosen Nissan as a partner on its electrification journey. This announcement is a great way to round off an incredible year for e-NV200 in the fleet arena.

‘‘Pinnacle are clearly serious about making a success of their decarbonisation plans and the team there deserve huge credit for their efforts. We wish them every success.’’

Career Ladder Q&A with Neil Fergus

Neil Fergus, Managing Director – FM, recently took part in a Q&A discussing his journey in FM, the impact of the pandemic and the future of the industry.

Q: What first attracted you to working in FM, did you have much awareness of the profession?

In the first decade or so of my career, I was a Housing Manager. During that time, we were using a series of sub-contractors to provide FM services, some good and some bad. We then made the decision to start bringing some of these services in house. And that’s where it all started for me.

Q: How did you progress through the profession to your current role?

It started with the management of cleaning and GM services in the housing contract I was running that covered some central London housing estates. From there I made the move across to a fully-fledged FM role when we took over a local authority DLO that delivered cleaning and GM services to schools and council buildings.

My role has grown alongside Pinnacle’s growth in FM services. The next key point came when we took over a company delivering Total FM services to Education PFI projects. I managed the transition of this company to Pinnacle and while it was very challenging it’s become a great success.

From there I became a Director and was appointed MD in 2019. I’ve now been with Pinnacle for over 20 years, which is not what I would have imagined at the start of my career. However, both the company and my role within it have constantly evolved and that’s kept it interesting and motivating.

Q: What have you found the most challenging experiences working in FM?

There’s no hiding the fact that I don’t come from a technical background, so there’s been many challenges around this aspect of the work over the years. This was definitely a test for me in the early days of Total FM service delivery. However, I’ve been lucky to have had some great technical people working alongside me. I really appreciate the fact that they’re still happy to break these issues down for me, even after all these years.

Q: What have you found most satisfying about working in the sector?

We’ve become a bit of a specialist in turning around difficult contracts, particularly in PFIs and it gives me real pleasure seeing our team go about this transformation.

My strongly held view is that customer service is the backbone to all FM services and I love seeing our teams go above and beyond for the clients or communities they serve. There are so many people working incredibly hard (often for modest reward) in our industry and yet we never struggle to find people that are willing to go the extra mile.

Q: What qualities do you think are most needed for a successful career in FM?

There are so many different roles in FM that I feel like there’s a place for most people. But there are certainly some overarching qualities that can help. Of course, you have to be resilient and flexible. One of the great things about FM is that no two days are the same and one of the demanding things about FM is that no two days are the same. It helps if you’re the type of person that is ready for that. Emergencies will be thrown at you and everyone will want an immediate response.

And then it comes back to the general interpersonal skills that are required to provide really good customer service. You need to be able to listen, understand and empathise with your clients and customers and then have the ability to explain the reasoning behind decisions you have made.

Q: What has changed about your job role since the COVID-19 crisis? E.g. home working, furloughed, redeployed?

I’ve spent a lot of time working from home and had similar experiences to most others in those circumstances. You find that working from home does have a rebalancing effect on work-life balance, but it’s also emphasised that meeting and working collaboratively with others is really important, particularly when it comes to making important decisions in a crisis. Communication has likely been the biggest change, in that the way we communicate with customers, clients and colleagues alike has by necessity become more open, transparent and available.

Q: What is your organisation doing to ensure the wellbeing of staff – whether working at home or returning to the workplace?

I think we’ve worked really hard to ensure the wellbeing of our colleagues remains our top priority. Initially, this came in the form of extra PPE, sanitation, a flexible approach and a host of practical measures to protect the health of our staff.

We have also been conscious of the new challenges presented by the shift in working patterns – both for those working from home and those continuing to go to their workplace. We took a proactive approach, implementing new ways for colleagues to interact, ask questions and also worked hard to ensure that colleague’s concerns were heard and action was taken.

Over the course of the last couple of years, we have also placed mental health at the top of our agenda through training, sharing advice, holding virtual events and spreading awareness to ensure that each member of staff feels supported and able to speak with someone should they need.

Q: Do you believe the pandemic has highlighted the important role of the FM sector and what areas do you see as most key?

Yes, it’s been great to see some overdue recognition of the role that our front-line workers play. In our work in schools, we’ve been continually reminded of the vital backbone of support provided by FM services to ensure children’s education can continue. Across the board, the focus on sanitation has become key in helping to ensure that the communities we serve can utilise their spaces safely, and facilitate a return to some level of normality.

Q: What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession now?

It’s a great profession. It’s not always easy but the varied nature of the work is what keeps it interesting. There are loads of learning and development opportunities out there, so take them whenever they’re available. And you are doing a job that makes a difference, it’s important to always keep that in mind.

Q: Which of your achievements are you most proud of during your career?

I think we’ve built a business that is values driven. We always strive to deliver excellence and I genuinely believe that we’re a great company to work for. We’ve won some awards, which is always nice as it gives some external validation of the work our teams put in every day, but mostly I’m proud of the fact that people enjoy working for us.

Q: What do you predict could be the main changes to the FM sector post pandemic?

I think we all know that the work environment has changed. This was happening anyway, but it’s been dramatically accelerated by the pandemic. The role of the office will change for most people and work life balance equations will be made. Even as the industry makes technological advances, many FM roles still require people on site to physically complete tasks and wellbeing will remain a top priority for all workers. What we have seen is that FM is incredibly resilient and flexible.

This Feature was originally published in the Facilities Management Journal.

Toby Heysham on the bright future of energy

During COP26’s Energy Day, Toby Heysham, MD of Pinnacle Power, explores the future of low carbon heat

The world is watching the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) with excitement. What new commitments will arise? How will the world change as a result? It is really exciting to be working in Pinnacle Power as policy announcement after policy announcement comes out supporting the industry we are in, all at the same time as we are actively engaging with Government to speed things up. There is such intense pressure to not only deliver, but more so to deliver much faster. This gives me real confidence that the coming decade will be one of seismic shift for us as a country, but more so for anyone in the industries trying to deliver on this ambition.

The government is legally bound into its “Carbon Budgets” and has recently passed the 6^th Carbon Budget into law. Looking at the graph beside, the firm line shows the carbon emission drop that has already happened. The dotted line is the pathway we need to be on in order to hit the legally binding targets. In very basic terms the drop you can see has come from the decarbonisation of the power sector (producing electricity). This has been achieved by turning off the coal fired power stations and the deployment of renewables.

This has been a huge success. It is very hard to argue with this success, but you can see from the graph how much further we need to go. The next “super challenges” that need to be faced are the decarbonisation of heat and transport. It is the heat bit that Pinnacle Power focuses on.

To hit these targets, we cannot continue to burn fossil fuels in our houses/ businesses anymore. This is a point often missed when we consider our own carbon footprint. Most of us have a supply of fossil fuel running into our homes, where we burn that fuel (typically gas or oil) to create heating. This not only emits carbon, but it has a terrible impact on air pollution. A friend of mine went to the doctor recently with her 2 year old son who was coughing up black gunk, the doctor looked at it and said “oh don’t worry that is just London Lung”.  She was as horrified by the acceptance of this concept as the fact that it existed.

There is a huge amount of heat wasted in the UK every day. It is widely believed that 100% of the UK heat demand could be met by the heat we waste. Use a power station as an example, those cooling towers are doing exactly that… taking usable heat and cooling it down. Imagine if that could be turned into usable heat for your shower? You may have been on the tube network, imagine if that inferno could be turned into usable heat?

This is what Pinnacle Power does – we take heat from a variety of different low carbon/ waste sources and transport that through large pipes around a city, town, estate or community and then into peoples’ homes. Inside the house we then use our system to heat the customer’s property (hot water and heating). The interesting part of this is that we can, and will, change the source of that heat as time goes on. At the moment it may be one source, but in 5 years it will certainly be different, and probably in 10 years different again. We can run the lowest carbon, lowest cost heat into people’s homes.

The challenge here is for us to get the pipes running round the dense urban environments. As soon as the pipes are in we can then find waste heat, low carbon and cheap heat sources and plug them in. We then plug in the buildings, homes and businesses in the area and suddenly they are not burning gas or oil inside that building, there are no flues and both carbon performance and critically air quality improves. We start making significant progress on the fixed line of the Climate Change Committee graph.

The final critical piece of the puzzle is the price of the heat. We cannot be in a world where we rely on the vast majority of consumers to change from high carbon to low carbon heating if the ongoing costs, or the initial costs, are high. Perversely this argument is being helped at present with the massive spike in the cost of fossil fuels. The main heating fuel in the UK is natural gas. This price has recently gone through the roof rising c300-500%. This is not yet fully being felt in the domestic market, but it will feed through to retail prices over the coming year. The value of a heat network is that as soon as the infrastructure is in place it is relatively easy to plug in very low cost or zero cost heat. The challenge is getting the infrastructure in place to take advantage of that cheap low carbon heat.

To this end the government has released a consultation on zoning which looks to insert a “heat zone” into every appropriate urban environment. This will be taking advantage of the government looking to remove gas from the built environment. This is detailed in the Heat and Building Strategy. These two policy drivers will make a significant impact in the growth of low carbon heating, but they will not get to the targets that the government set out. As a result of this we are working with government to provide an investment framework which will bring more than £60bn into low carbon heat networks in the coming decades. By way of reference this would be double the size of the current UK’s offshore wind industry. This industry is widely seen to have been a massive success. We are one of the worlds foremost offshore wind countries and this industry is the benchmark by which many in the heat industry view the future.

This is a thrilling time to be in the low carbon industries and we are excited by the challenge ahead.

Pinnacle Group Acquires AM Services Group

Pinnacle Group expands facilities management expertise and acquisitional growth drive with purchase of AM Services Group

TODAY, Pinnacle Group has announced that it has acquired AM Services Group (AMSG) in a deal that extends its service capacity, technical skill set and expert knowledge across new FM sectors including retail, manufacturing, and chemical industries. This acquisition expands Pinnacle’s service footprint across the North of England and Midlands as well as bolstering its business-to-business offer.

Importantly, this acquisition also enhances Pinnacle’s ability to deliver holistic seamless services to a broader range of communities in accordance with their commitment to community stewardship.

Established in 2001, AMSG is a Lancashire-headquartered business which employs 750+ people. It has a loyal client base with an impressive 96% business retention rate.

AMSG’s Greg O’Brien, Managing Director; Ashley Kirk, Commercial Director; and Neil Cooper, Operations Director will all remain with the business to focus on continuing to deliver growth and service excellence. This senior management team will fully integrate the AMSG business with Pinnacle over the next 12 months. Current CEO and Founder Adrian Cresswell will be retiring from the company.

The acquisition provides AMSG’s existing and new clients with enhanced value through wider access to technical skills and innovative service solutions and will support Pinnacle’s existing plans to optimise new FM growth opportunities. This includes penetration of the large-scale UK catering market by building on AMSG’s recent landmark contract win with a leading Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer.

“Pinnacle prides itself on delivering the very best FM services and the acquisition of AMSG bolsters that further. Both organisations have enviable reputations for delivering consistently high levels of customer service. In tandem with shared customer-led service values, our joint track record of longstanding, trusted client relationships and recurring revenue, puts us in good stead for continuing to strengthen and grow Pinnacle.”

Peregrine Lloyd
Chief Executive of Pinnacle Group
"After 22 years heading up AM Services Group, I have decided to retire from the company. It has been an amazing privilege to run and develop this business during my tenure and given me immense pride. I would like to thank all the people that have helped me develop the business along the way, your dedication and commitment has been faultless. I am confident that Pinnacle and the AMSG management team will work well together, given that they foster the same commitment to delivering high levels of customer service and staff development. The aligning of these two companies offers many opportunities for those working within the business.”

Adrian Cresswell
CEO and Founder of AMSG
“Pinnacle’s clients and customers will benefit greatly from this acquisition. Our wider geographical spread, broader FM service scope and ability to seamlessly integrate service provision across more FM sectors will ensure that Pinnacle remains top of its game. The technical expertise that AMSG will bring will ensure that we continue to innovate in terms of our service models to better meet client and customer needs.”

Neil Fergus
Managing Director FM of Pinnacle
“Adrian has built the AMSG brand with pride and passion which I am sure he will throw into his next ventures. It is rare to find two companies that share similar people focussed values and going forward I am looking forward to working with everyone at Pinnacle, sharing best practices that will underpin our growth, benefit our clients and develop our teams.”

Greg O’Brien
Managing Director of AMSG

Earlier this month Pinnacle announced it had acquired residential and social housing specialists Orchard & Shipman, expanding its Homes business nationwide.

Rebecca McCann, Associate in the Corporate team at Forbes Solicitors advised on the deal, alongside Rachel Marsden at MHA Moore and Smalley and Charlotte Potts and Kaine Smith at Rickitt Mitchell.

Pinnacle Group acquires Orchard & Shipman

ANNOUNCED today, Pinnacle Group, one of the UK’s leading multi-tenure residential service providers, is expanding its geographical footprint and service capability nationwide through the acquisition of residential and social housing specialists Orchard & Shipman.  This acquisition will integrate the whole of Orchard & Shipman within Pinnacle, including their Registered Provider (Orchard & Shipman Homes), and will continue to be led by Chris Shipman, Executive Chairman. 

Orchard & Shipman brings over 30 years’ experience and expertise in the provision of the highest quality residential management services to public and private sector landlords and portfolio owners nationwide. 

With a mixed-tenure residential management portfolio of over 80,000 homes across the UK, the strategic acquisition of Orchard & Shipman further boosts Pinnacle’s already significant sector expertise and capability whilst benefitting existing as well as new customers and clients.

The deal immediately strengthens Pinnacle’s capacity to deliver step-change housing solutions. This includes delivery of the 49,000-home National Accommodation Management Services contract - secured by Pinnacle in June - on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (part of the Ministry of Defence). It also includes the £85m funding project, devised and secured by Orchard & Shipman in August in partnership with London Borough of Bromley, to provide much-needed permanent affordable homes and to manage them over a 50-year period.

“I am delighted to able to announce this strategic acquisition for Pinnacle. Both companies have a long history as trusted housing service providers and a complementary client base across public and private sectors. We have shared values and heritage and look forward to meeting our collective goals of providing even better value, more service innovation and extra customer focus as we continue to grow under the Pinnacle umbrella.”

Peregrine Lloyd
Pinnacle Group Chief Executive
“I am delighted to be joining an organisation that has the same high standards and values we have striven to deliver over our 30 years in business and very confident that our customers and employees will be in safe hands. Our businesses have many complementary skills and I look forward to helping to deliver the exciting projects we already have in the pipeline."

Chris Shipman
Executive Chairman of Orchard & Shipman

Pinnacle Group lands Canary Wharf Group contract

Pinnacle Group has been awarded the contract to provide housing management and resident repairs at the affordable rented homes development in Wood Wharf, the new neighbourhood in the heart of Canary Wharf, London.

The five-year contract for Canary Wharf Group will see Pinnacle looking after 143 affordable rented homes made up of one, two, three and four bed apartments. 

Pinnacle will provide maintenance and communal area cleaning and oversee management of issues and tenancies, including successions and void periods for two blocks that are part of the first phase of Wood Wharf, part of the sustainable community at Canary Wharf.

It is also managing the letting process with Tower Hamlets Council, which includes vetting applicants conducting both virtual and in-person viewings and arranging the tenancies.

“Pinnacle is delighted to have been awarded this contract from Canary Wharf Group and we have been working hard to fill the apartments as quickly as we can. At the moment it is taking only ten days from tenant referral to sign up, and we have signed up nearly 100 residents.”

Pratik Popat
Pinnacle Group Regional Manager

Pinnacle will employ at least 25% of its workforce at Wood Wharf from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Later this year, Pinnacle will also start its programme of courses to help residents improve their employability with job seeking advice and training.

When completed, Wood Wharf will have up to 3,600 homes, retail, office, an NHS medical centre and primary school, waterside and cycle paths with parks and gardens.

Pinnacle Group awarded Gold in Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme

Pinnacle Group has been awarded Gold on the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme, acknowledging the organisation’s outstanding support towards the Armed Forces community.

Less than a month since Pinnacle was awarded a 7-year contract to manage 49,000 Service family homes on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, the company has been recognised for the continued support it provides to the military community.

Pinnacle has proactively demonstrated its forces-friendly credentials as part of its recruitment processes. It also actively ensures that its workforce is aware of its positive policies towards the Service Personnel community as well as advocating support to partner organisations, suppliers and customers.

Pinnacle has an established Armed Forces Network, made up of a mix of veterans, reservists, Cadet Force Adult volunteers and families of Serving Personnel or veterans. This Network supports and promotes the company’s commitment to the Armed Forces community, which includes an additional two weeks of paid leave per year to Reservists to enable them to attend annual camp,  and also actively supports military charities such as SSAFA and the Royal British Legion.

"I would like to thank all the organisations who have proven their support for the Defence community during such unprecedented and challenging times. The vast range of those recognised this year demonstrates how employing the Armed Forces community makes a truly positive and beneficial impact for all employers, regardless of size, sector or location.”​

Leo Docherty
Minister for Defence People and Veterans
"As a business it is important for us to be advocates for those who protect our nation, and we are deeply proud of all our colleagues who are a part of the British Armed Forces community.

"We realise the responsibility we have to provide this community with an effective path into meaningful employment and to ensure a supportive environment which is reinforced by colleagues who genuinely care about their welfare and realise the value of their skillset. We are on a mission to make a difference and the honour of being awarded Gold in the Employer Recognition Scheme demonstrates that we are on the right path.”

Peregrine Lloyd
Pinnacle Group Chief Executive

Pinnacle Group awarded major Contract to manage 49,000 Service Family homes on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation

• Pinnacle Group has been awarded a landmark contract to deliver National Accommodation Management Services (NAMS) on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and will be responsible for providing accommodation services to 49,000 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) homes from March 2022.

• Pinnacle Group will play the lead customer-facing role in the provision of these high-quality services to Service Personnel and their families across the UK and overseas, delivering and enhancing the lived experience.

• With a total core contract value of £144m over the initial seven-year period, and a further three one-year extension options, this contract is a key element of the new Future Defence Infrastructure Services Contracts, which includes Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS).

Pinnacle Group has been awarded a contract to manage 49,000 service family homes across the UK and overseas delivering accommodation services to Service Personnel and their families.  Awarded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) the seven-year contract has a core value of £144m, with three optional one-year extensions. The landmark National Accommodation Management Services (NAMS) contract is a key element of the Future Defence Infrastructure Contracts and will begin in March 2022.

Pinnacle’s offer places customers at the heart of the service and recognises that there is a ‘family behind every door’.  Introducing innovative technology and digitalisation will enhance the lived experience by maximising customer choice.

Building on decades of accommodation services expertise across public and private sectors, Pinnacle will offer service personnel and their families a real step-change in experience when moving in and out of accommodation, with a real focus on improving the customer journey throughout the whole process. Pinnacle will work closely with key stakeholders including the Service Families Federations, RAMS providers and delivery partners, such as Sopra Steria as digital transformation lead, to deliver and enhance the service through effective day to day collaboration.  

"Accommodation is such an important part of family life for Servicemen and women, which is why we collaborated closely with representatives of our Service personnel and their families to develop these contracts and ensure that their needs are fully considered.
“These new contracts offer the opportunity to break decisively from the past and to build on the commitments made by all suppliers to innovate and deliver more responsive and flexible services to the Armed Forces and their families.”

Air Commodore James Savage
DIO Head of Accommodation
“Securing the right to manage Service Family Accommodation on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation is a huge honour and responsibility. We understand the importance of high-quality accommodation services to the recruitment and retention of Armed Forces Service Personnel and their families and appreciate the trust the DIO have placed in us. Pinnacle Group brings over 25 years of service delivery experience to this contract and we are committed to deploying it for the benefit of all customers.”

Peregrine Lloyd
Group Chief Executive of Pinnacle Group
“Working collaboratively with our delivery partners, Pinnacle Group will bring a fresh approach to the delivery of accommodation services for all those in Service Family Accommodation. We are passionate about transforming delivery, enhancing the use of technology and providing a more convenient, accessible and valued service. Our Service Personnel deserve nothing less.”

Claire Kober
Managing Director, Homes

Claire Kober joins British Property Federation’s new Affordable Housing Committee

The British Property Federation (BPF) has launched a new Affordable Housing Committee to provide leadership for the UK’s real estate industry. 

The committee, chaired by Rob Beiley, partner at Trowers & Hamlins, with vice-chair Simon Century, director – Build-to-rent & Affordable Homes, Legal & General, will champion investment in high-quality and sustainable affordable homes. 

It will lead the industry’s representations to government and act as interlocutor between the industry and key stakeholders including Homes England, the GLA and Regulator of Social Housing. 

Claire Kober, Managing Director, Homes, oversees Pinnacle Group’s housing and property management contracts and sits on Pinnacle’s Executive Committee. In addition to sitting on the BPF’s Affordable Housing Committee, Claire is also an Independent Director and Chair of House by Urban Splash. 

Other committee members include:  

• Rob Beiley, Trowers & Hamlins (Chair) 
• Simon Century, Legal & General (Vice-Chair) 
• Catherin Webster, Quintain 
• Charles Cleal, JLL 
• Charles Crowe, PGIM Real Estate 
• Chris Jeffs, M&G Real Estate 
• Debi Marriott-Lavery, Places for People 
• Julia Bevan, Grainger 
• Kush Rawal, Metropolitan Thames Valley 
• Matthew Chillingworth, Federated Hermes 
• Natalia Kolotneva, LaSalle Investment Management 
• Olivia Harris, Dolphin Living 
• Peter Quinn, Watkin Jones 
• Shamez Alibhai, Man GPM 
• Thomas Mudd, CBRE 
• Tom Paul, Optivo 

“I am delighted to join BPF’s Affordable Housing Committee and, working with colleagues from across the real estate industry, look forward to maximising opportunities for investment in affordable housing to support communities and social wellbeing.”

Claire Kober
Managing Director, Homes

Pinnacle Kickstarts work experience placements

Pinnacle Group has launched its government-backed Kickstart work scheme, aimed at 16-to-24-year-olds who are receiving Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment.

Introduced by the government to create high-quality six-month work placements, Pinnacle is in the process of recruiting 30+ people to its Kickstart Scheme that will start in June.

Successful applicants will be placed in different areas of the business to gain valuable work experience by learning on the job and will receive a programme of support to ensure they are able to make the most of their time with Pinnacle.

Each person will have a dedicated Kickstart Coach, who will be a mentor, and undertake regular reviews and provide feedback.

In addition, the Kickstarters will attend Group Employability Workshops which will cover induction and expectations of their role within Pinnacle; building their capabilities and managing change to help participants become more self-aware and improve confidence. Young people on the Kickstart Scheme will also be supported to upskill in the writing of covering letters, completion of application forms; development of a best-in-class CV, job searching; and interview techniques.

"Pinnacle has always given back to the community and the Kickstart Scheme is the ideal opportunity to help young people gain experience of the workplace with lifelong skills for finding and keeping future employment.
We look forward to welcoming the Kickstarters to the Pinnacle team.”

Jane Baxter
Managing Director, Pinnacle People

Each Kickstarter will be paid weekly over the six-month programme and receive 12.5 days of annual leave as well as time off for Bank Holidays.