From Andy Jones
May I take this opportunity on behalf of the Branch to thank Sonja Brine, Conference Secretary, the Conference Committee and the North West Branch for putting on an excellent Conference. You certainly ‘raised the bar’.
We’d also like to congratulate Sewellyn Douglass-James on her appointment as National Secretary and to thank her for being an excellent Branch Chair over the last few years. And thank you and a ‘happy retirement from the role’ goes to Sandra Roberts who has stepped down as National Secretary after 11 years. We look forward to seeing you both at the next Branch Meeting.
The Branch recently met at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, where we were treated to an excellent presentation by Maples Fine Foods Ltd, who also provided us with excellent fare. Our thanks to Ann O’Brien, Mike Towler and the rest of the Good Hope team for their kind hospitality.
Study Day
On to Stafford General Hospital for our May Branch meeting and Study Day, the theme of which was ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’. There were some very good speakers and our Chair, Roger Kellow, ably kept everyone to the schedule. Thanks to Roger and also to Rob Willatt, Catering Manager, and the team at Stafford for the super lunch they provided and their hospitality.
The key note speaker was John Savage, from Fosters Refrigeration, who spoke about ‘Sustainability and Refrigeration’.
The closing presentation was given by Philippa Usher, Environmental Officer, Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership Trust, who challenged us to think about NHS budgets and what Trusts are doing to reduce their environmental impact and to drive forward sustainability, leading to a lively debate among participants.
Our thanks to the Suppliers who supported the day with stands and also provided short presentations, including Lynn Johnson from Johnson’s Catering Equipment, Jim Harris from Bunzl Catering Supplies, Lee Shelton from Procaterserv, David Jones, Electrolux and Les Darlington from Tillery Valley Foods.
