Serco Sports: Cultivating community spirit and wellbeing

Our people 2019

In the Middle East, the work and lives of many of our people are more closely interwoven than anywhere else we operate. The majority are guests in the region, relocating from various places including India, the Philippines, Australia, the UK and Europe.

International relocation for career and employment always presents challenges as well as opportunities, but for our frontline employees in particular – unaccompanied, living and working with new people in new surroundings, possibly thousands of miles from home – it can be particularly tough.

We pride ourselves on doing everything we can to support our people and reinforce their connection to Serco. This includes a commitment to facilitating high levels of wellbeing and engagement, supporting our employees in maintaining a vibrant and dynamic community culture.

The Serco Middle East cultural calendar is always alive with engaging events, but of all recreational pursuits embraced by our people, none strike such a compelling chord as Serco Sports.

“Years ago, as our workforce grew, we realised we needed to provide more for our people outside the day job,” explains Graeme Flaws, Portfolio General Manager, Universities Abu Dhabi. “It started simply and grew into our Cricket League, followed by leagues for basketball, volleyball and badminton.”

Today there are twenty-nine teams or badminton pairs competing from sixteen different sites. League finals are always a huge occasion and sports news is a popular fixture in Divisional communications.

“At first, it was limited to one site,” says Graeme, “but as word got out it grew bigger and bigger, bringing multiple sites together. Serco’s support for these activities has generated excellent camaraderie. For all frontline staff, the opportunity to be part of these events has made a noticeable difference throughout our culture, nurturing a cohesive, enriched and highly-engaged workforce.”