Our commitment to community engagement and impact – through delivery of public services and the broader social value that we generate – is something we share with our strategic partners and joint venture organisations.
Khadamat Facilities Management is one such joint venture, formed between Serco and the Abu Dhabi-based investment company, Mubadala, to operate the United Arab Emirates (UAE) University Campus in the city of Al Ain.
Our Khadamat colleagues have a strong, dynamic culture of volunteering and community giving. Each year their calendar buzzes with social initiatives and hands-on support for local causes.
For 2023, the UAE 'Year of Sustainability', the Khadamat team challenged themselves to take on a project beyond anything they had done before.
With numerous causes already on their radar, it did not take long for the team to identify a project aligned to their agenda: the renovation of the local Al-Mutarid Tolerance School.
Tolerance Schools were launched in the UAE during the UAE 'Year of Tolerance', 2019. Their primary purpose has been to help disadvantaged families gain access to quality education.
The Al-Mutarid Tolerance School in Al-Ain is one of two that serve female and male student populations respectively. The school is committed to serving a diverse cross-section of the community, with over 16 nationalities represented through the different age groups.
Until recently, the school had been operating with inadequate resources, equipment and furniture.
After several site visits and much planning, our Khadamat colleagues were ready to commence their project: 12 weeks of renovation and modernisation for the school.
But they did not go it alone. The team called on Serco and Mubadala to join forces with them in delivering the project, which they were delighted to do.
From June to August, volunteers from all three organisations came together alongside teams of Khadamat facilities management specialists, plus supporting suppliers and subcontractors.
The 142 volunteers included senior leaders from Serco, Khadamat and Mubadala, all of whom rolled up their sleeves to deliver the comprehensive programme of work which included:
- delivering donated furniture and installing 135 curtains;
- replacing 587 lamps and 54 air conditioning units;
- painting 36 classrooms and other educational spaces;
- repairing 30 doors and replacing 30 drain covers;
- general carpentry work and washroom repairs;
- installing safety signage; and cleaning and sanitising every inch of the premises.
Through their efforts, supplemented by financial contributions and donations of books and other much-needed resources, our Khadamat colleagues masterminded and delivered a full-scale renewal of the Al-Mutarid Tolerance School in time for the return of its 733 students in September 2023. With help from our Serco volunteers and colleagues from Mubadala, they have created an environment where learning can thrive.
And all of this was undertaken in parallel to their other community work, such as donating food to families in need during Ramadan, supporting and volunteering at a local summer camp for students with disabilities, and donating 233 kg of aid for families affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
"I'm immensely proud of our team's dedication to community engagement and social impact. The transformation of the Al-Mutarid Tolerance School reflects our unwavering commitment to creating positive change."
Graeme Flaws
Operations Director, Serco Middle East
