Inspiring Men’s Awards

We have celebrated the Inspiring Women in our organisation for over 3 years. It is a wonderful initiative. We recognise women from all levels of the #bmFamily💜💚 who make a positive impact to BM or in their communities. It has been particularly valuable as women are often under-represented in professional kitchens. We have been able to recognise our own food heroes and encourage more women to join this rewarding profession.

Celebrating International Men’s Day

This year, we have decided to expand this by introducing the 2021 Inspiring Men’s Awards in conjuncture with International Men’s Day (IMD). International Men’s Day falls on the 19th November every year. It has been celebrated for more than 20 years in more than 60 countries. The date falls on the birthday of Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a doctor from Trinidad and Tobago who relaunched International Men’s Day in 1999. Dr Teelucksingh said in a statement: “International Men’s Day is observed on an annual basis by persons from all walks of life, who support the ongoing effort to improve lives, heal scarred hearts, seek solutions to social problems, mend troubled minds, reform the social outcasts and uplift the dysfunctional. IMD is designed to promote positive role models in society and develop wholesome individuals.”

Every day heroes

It has been a challenging two years and within the catering industry, in particular, we have struggled with problems imposed by Covid and Brexit. But there are many truly remarkable individuals in the #bmFamily💜💚. They have managed to remain positive and not allow the gloom to affect their attitude or approach to life. These individuals have kept food on people’s tables, often going over and above the call of duty. Examples include supporting the hard-working NHS teams, assisting the homeless via our work with the Felix project, or supporting vulnerable people in their community. On top of this they have also found ways to support our clients and their charities through these difficult times.

Inspirational men

We launched the Inspiring Men’s Awards in October. We asked the entire #bmFamily💜💚 to nominate colleagues who had inspired them and who were making a positive impact. We had over 50 nominations, resulting in 24 winners. It was heart-warming to read the nominations. It’s rare to have an opportunity see the influence people are having on their colleagues. We learned a lot about what our team members are doing that often goes unnoticed and uncelebrated.

Positive impacts

We currently have a recognition campaign to share our team member’s awards. We will be recognising their contribution on our internal social media platforms. They will all have certificates to mark the occasion. We will also celebrate their accomplishments externally to encourage other companies to run similar campaigns. It is our hope that these positive stories will inspire others. It makes us all realise that, like our 2021 winners, our actions have an incredibly positive impact on those around us.