Case study: Delivering sustainable solutions on the DWP Estate

Since 2000, Telereal Trillium and its service partner Amaryllis have worked together to develop sustainable furniture and equipment solutions for the Department for Work and Pensions.

The partnership sought to repair or provide reused, ‘fit-for-purpose’ assets, in place of purchasing new ones. A database was created of ‘live’ assets, totalling over 700,000 items, which enabled the identification of items suitable for reuse. In 2014 alone, 27,728 items were renovated or repaired.

In 2014, the partnership undertook a major DWP programme for the Job Centre Plus sites, to introduce desks for jobseekers with computers and free internet access in anticipation of the new Universal Credit roll-out. Telereal Trillium and Amaryllis proposed an innovative solution for the digital roll-out programme by combining the remodelling and reuse of redundant desks from vacated DWP office buildings, and involving ‘social giving’ initiatives for the manufacture of additional requirements.

Remanufacturing of the desk legs was undertaken through the work that Amaryllis does in its prison workshops, supporting the rehabilitation of ex-offenders and creating meaningful employment for offenders.

Remexx – a new ‘social enterprise’ business – was also commissioned to produce the frames.

The project included repurposing of more than 2,500 redundant desks from the DWP estate, across 856 sites. Over a seven-month period from June - December 2014, more than 4,500 desks were installed at over 850 premises throughout the country.

Removing the standalone job points and installing the new computers will further deliver savings of more than £2m a year to the DWP.

The project was recognised by being shortlisted in the Premises and Facilities Management Awards 2015 in the ‘Partners in Sustainability’ category.

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