At Sage Gateshead, the Newcastle music and entertainment venue, The Axis Group has extended its services to include a combined cleaning and security contract.
Axis Security already provides the manned guarding services. Stephen Little, Director of Operations at Sage Gateshead, looked to combine security with a cleaning and support services contract delivered by Axis Cleaning & Support Services which forms part of the same Axis Group. He said: “The security team won National Team of the Year at Axis Security’s National Security Awards and this is testament to the dedication the team shows. It is more than just a security contract, however. Customer service is crucial when welcoming performers and the public, and these standards were something we were looking for in our cleaning provision. By combining the two contracts we have been able to use both the cleaning and security hours in the most efficient way, ensuring that we retain valuable and experienced staff members.”
The contract firm is now providing cleaning services to the building, including all back-stage areas, the stages and auditoriums, dressing rooms, bathrooms, front-of-house and main concourse. Axis transferred cleaning staff under TUPE. Stephen Little added: “Performances continue to run regardless of when we change suppliers and as hoped, the change over has been very smooth. As we have seen with the security contract, part of this is because Axis management is on hand locally to proactively manage issues when they arise.”
Jonathan Levine, Axis Group CEO, said: “We won the contract by achieving the highest scores in the tender criteria, but we are also able to provide the added benefit of a linked security and cleaning management system and the cost efficiencies of a combined contract,” he said. This concept is relatively new in this industry and we look forward to demonstrating how well it can work at the Sage Gateshead.”
The Sage Gateshead is managed by the North Music Trust and hosts a range of entertainment shows, seven days a week, in the daytime and the evening. Photo by Mark Savage.
