ISS wins schools sustainability award

ISS was recognised at the recent FootPrint Awards for its Green Fingers – The Big Grow school gardening campaign, receiving the Sustainability in Education accolade. The awards, held annually since 2010, celebrate the work of organisations who are taking impactful steps to operate responsibly while supporting their communities and the wider industry.

Green Fingers is a celebration of natural UK produce that encourages children to learn where their food comes from by growing their own. ISS has held Green Fingers for the past 10 years, but this May’s campaign had an additional focus on promoting plant-based dishes as part of a balanced diet.

The two-week event saw around 2,000 children engage with food and gardening virtually. This was done via online classroom sessions hosted by ISS’s chef and nutrition experts, with thousands more enjoying plant-based foods in dining halls across England as part of their lunch service.

Steve Kemp, sector director for ISS Food Services – Schools said: “It’s a real honour to be recognised by FootPrint. Through offering children experiences like gardening and cooking at school, we hope to encourage positive conversations about food provenance and sustainability.

“Green Fingers has been a really fun and powerful tool for us to do that, and this year we’ve found new ways to utilise digital channels in order to bring those experiences and opportunities to more children than ever. Educating children early on is so important, both for their futures and for the sustainability of our planet.”

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