Interserve FM Archive

23 December 2019

Interserve Group Limited backs social enterprise Rise at the Cabinet Office

Interserve Group Limited, the international Support Services, Construction and Equipment Services group, hosted an event at the Cabinet Office to launch a range of brownies baked by Rise, which is part of homelessness charity Providence Row.

Autograph Food, Interserve’s bespoke catering and event company, a division of Interserve, already sells Rise Bakery’s products on several contracts, including at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the government hub building at 10 South Colonnade. The company has worked with Rise Bakery for two-years, providing support including developing a business plan to grow capacity and selling the social enterprise’s products on Autograph contracts. Autograph returns all profits from the sale of brownies to Rise.

Providence Row has been running for almost 160 years tackling the root causes of homelessness. Rise bakery, which makes and sells brownies, offers accredited training and employment support for people affected by homelessness.

Oliver Miller, Managing Director of Autograph, organised an event at the Cabinet Office to showcase a range of social enterprises and London suppliers, which included brownies supplied by Rise and coffee supplied by Change Please with support from other local purveyors who champion British produce. Buidling a network of support to help grow the social enterprises on the company’s contracts has always been a key objective. The brownies and other products will be sold to Cabinet Office staff within their facility.

Interserve employs 350 people across six Government facilities management contracts delivering catering, cleaning and security services.

Colin Read, Interserve’s Central Government Sector Director, said: “Interserve is committed to not only supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in our supply chain, but to also support and develop organisations like Rise Bakery and Change Please who both carry out exceptional work providing opportunities, hope and care to people who have experienced homelessness and associated problems.”

Oliver Miller, Autograph Food’s Managing Director, said: “We have been privileged to work with Rise Bakery for two-years and are helping the social enterprise to build and certify a new kitchen, expand their product range and drive sales volume so they can support even more people to make positive changes to their lives.”

Tom O’Connor, Providence Row’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are thrilled that brownies from Rise Bakery will now be supplied to the Cabinet Office. Our scheme makes a significant difference in our trainees’ lives. It helps them to build self-confidence and develop new skills on their path to recovery. We are thankful to Interserve for their support in helping us expand our market reach.”

Helen Lederer, the Prime Minister’s Deputy Director of Corporate Services, said: “Supporting organisations such as Rise Bakery is precisely what the government should be doing, and I am very grateful to Interserve for creating this opportunity.”

Notes to editors

Interserve Facilities Management was a part of the Interserve Group and was acquired by Mitie on 30 November 2020.