Beating scores of other suppliers, phs Group’s Dispose with Dignity initiative, which included the creation of a tailored sanitary bin for male incontinence products and an awareness raising campaign took home the award following two in-depth presentations.
The presentations took place at CBRE’s headquarters in Southwark on 26 April 2024, with a supporter from the men’s health charity, Prostate Cancer UK in attendance with phs Group.
It is the first time that the leading professional services provider, which has 120,000 customers in 300,000 locations in the UK, has won an CBRE Supplier award.
phs Group has been working with the charity Prostate Cancer UK, since summer 2022. The partnership’s goal has been to raise awareness and break the taboos surrounding male incontinence as well as increasing the provision of incontinence bins in washrooms across the UK.
The CBRE Supplier Innovation Awards has four categories, and winners would gain access to several initiatives, including an executive CBRE sponsor for 12 months responsible for introducing phs Group to other areas of the business and facilitating trials of products.
Clemmy Martin, procurement manager, CBRE Global Workplace Solutions said:
“The male incontinence speech from phs was profoundly moving, resonating deeply with the audience, stirring a range of emotions. Its powerful delivery and heartfelt message left many in tears, creating a deep sense of connection and empathy. Thank you PHS for raising awareness to all."
phs Group’s head of marketing, Kelly Greenaway, and head of FM and property management, Ryan Farnworth presented to 24 people to scoop the award, alongside Jonathon Hall, a Prostate Cancer UK supporter who lives with male incontinence. Jonathon spoke about the importance of providing access to male incontinence bins in washrooms in public locations and businesses, while Kelly and Ryan spoke about the importance of the campaign and how it could benefit CBRE and its clients.
The multi-award-winning campaign, Dispose with Dignity aims to better support men who are suffering from urinary incontinence, a common side-effect of life-saving prostate cancer treatment. One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, rising to one in four Black men. Of these men, 60 per cent will experience incontinence at some stage, many for just a few weeks, while others may experience this longer-term.
The ‘Dispose with Dignity’ project was launched by Prostate Cancer UK and phs Group to the public in February 2023, with the publication of co-authored new research into the experience of men living with urinary incontinence.
As well as launching a specially designed bin for male incontinence products, co-branded with Prostate Cancer UK, the campaign also sought to raise awareness of the issues surrounding male incontinence. As a result of this project, the issue has been discussed in public and private across parliament, and the Health & Safety Executive is set to consult on stipulating that sanitary bins should be supplied in all washrooms.
Since the campaign launch, over 2,600 people wrote to their MP, 16 parliamentary questions were tabled, and a Westminster Hall Debate was secured by the partnership.
Head of marketing at phs Group, Kelly Greenaway said:
“Taking part in the CBRE Supplier Challenge was worth every effort on our part. It was an exciting process, presenting to two panels, but our passion for this project and the cause came across. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to spread the word about the importance of the Dispose with Dignity initiative, with the support of CBRE.”
Head of FM and Property Management at phs Group, Ryan Farnworth, said:
“Our purpose as an organisation is putting people at the heart of our products and services. Business-wide, we are incredibly proud of this initiative, and the impact it will have on those who experience incontinence. Having an executive mentor from CBRE to support us to take this further will be a huge boost to its success, and we can’t wait to get started.”
