The ‘24 Mindful Miles’ initiative was the brainchild of Graham Ogden, Accent’s engagement and sustainability manager. The initiative raised over £1,300 for the mental health charity MIND.
Odgen said: “Our goal was to create time and space for people to spend quality time outdoors. We used a free app to keep us all connected so that we could share conversations, experiences and photos as we walked. This initiative really resonated with people.
“For many, it changed daily habits. For example, some staff at our corporate headquarters in Staines fitted in a lunch-time walk to the park into their working day. Others, such as teams in our school catering contracts, chose to walk home from work instead of using public transport.
“It created a real sense of community across quite a broad geographical spread of our portfolio of contracts, stretching from Wolverhampton in The Midlands to across London and the southeast.”
He organised a group walk and a get-together on 30th November at one of Accent’s contracts in Chiswick where the Accent team played games and challenges in the school sports field, shared good food and took time out together to stroll around Chiswick Open Air Food Market.
Accent Catering Services Limited is an independently owned and run contract catering company with a select portfolio of clients and providing a bespoke and personal service, underlined by a fresh food ethos and a people-orientated focus.
Having worked in senior chef roles within the contract catering sector for over 25 years, Ogden believes that Accent’s people-centred approach and sense of community are why the company continues to attract talent and maintain a loyal client base.