Vertas Group Leaders and Colleagues Help Serve Christmas Lunches to Schools

Embracing the festive spirit, Vertas Group board member and colleagues rolled up their sleeves this month to support the Group’s catering teams in delivering Christmas lunch service to schools across East Anglia.

Leading from the top, Vertas Group board member and Managing Director at Concertus Design and Property Consultants, Matthew Self, visited Ormiston Endeavour Academy in Ipswich to join forces with catering colleagues and ensure that students enjoyed a memorable Christmas lunch experience. When speaking about how this initiative highlights the company’s teamwork and gratitude, Matthew Self commented, “Our catering teams do an incredible job every day to ensure students are well-fed and cared for. This was a chance for us to step into their shoes, express our appreciation, and experience firsthand the effort that goes into delivering such a vital service.”

Christmas lunch service is one of the busiest times of the year for Vertas’ education catering teams, who work tirelessly to bring holiday joy to students. The added support from colleagues not only lightened the load but also showcased the collaborative spirit that underpins the company.

From festive decorations to carefully planned menus, every detail was designed to spread delight. It was a true team effort across the Group, with volunteers from 10 different services.

When speaking about his volunteer experience, Ross Lambert, Senior Account Manager at Opus Teach, part of Vertas Group, said “Being able to give back is such an important part of working for Opus Teach, so when I saw the opportunity to lend a helping hand to Vertas’ education catering teams, I signed myself up. I visited Ormiston Sudbury Academy and Elmswell to support the catering staff with serving Christmas meals to students. It was something different to my usual office-based day-to-day, but I was more than happy to roll my sleeves up and get involved. There’s a lot of value in volunteering in schools and I’m proud to work for an organisation that comes together to help each other and our local communities.”

The incredible efforts of the Group’s catering teams and volunteers resulted in the delivery of over 18,500 Christmas dinners. This included approximately 1000 vegetarian alternatives, 700 litres of gravy poured, and more than 18,500 festive cookies baked and served—all coming together to create a delicious festive dining experience for students.

This initiative not only highlighted the exceptional dedication of the catering teams but also reflected the values we uphold at Vertas Group. By demonstrating these principles, we showed the united spirit and shared commitment that defines us, continuing to make the difference in the communities we serve.