World FM Day 2026: Cultivating belonging through built environments
World FM Day gives us the opportunity to recognise the people behind the scenes who keep our environments safe, secure and supportive every single day. Chris Evans, Deputy Director, HMP Peterborough shares how this year’s theme, ‘Cultivating belonging through built environments’, perfectly reflects the incredible work delivered by the facilities management team at the prison.
Having worked in prisons for more than 20 years, I can honestly say this is one of the most reliable and adaptable FM teams I have worked alongside. Their ability to deliver high standards, respond to challenges and continuously improve the environment for everyone at HMP Peterborough is exceptional.
On World FM Day, we recognise and thank all of our facilities management colleagues across Sodexo Justice for the vital role they play every day.
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At Sodexo Justice, our FM teams play a vital role across all six of our prisons in the UK, but HMP Peterborough presents a particularly unique challenge. As the country’s only purpose-built dual-gender prison, the site includes prisoner accommodation, healthcare facilities, education spaces, workshops, gyms, catering services and a mother and baby unit - all requiring constant maintenance, compliance and operational support.
Facilities management in a prison environment is about far more than buildings. It is about creating safe, secure, decent and supportive environments for staff, prisoners and visitors.
Over the past 18 months, the FM team has successfully delivered several major projects designed to improve safety, wellbeing and operational resilience across the establishment. This has included the creation of a specialist bariatric healthcare unit, replacement of ageing boiler systems to improve energy efficiency, installation of a new main water tank to strengthen supply resilience, and the replacement of site-wide fire hydrants to enhance life safety compliance.
These projects were delivered while maintaining the daily operation of a live prison environment, an achievement requiring exceptional planning, collaboration and professionalism.
Alongside major infrastructure improvements, the team has managed a significant rise in operational demand. Between May 2024 and April 2025, reactive maintenance jobs increased by 35%, while in-cell works and prisoner damage repairs rose by 76%. Despite this increase, the team has continued to deliver a responsive and effective service, helping to maintain safe and decent living conditions across the prison.
The contribution of the FM team extends far beyond maintenance. Catering colleagues ensure food provision meets cultural, religious and dietary requirements, including support during Ramadan and Eid, while also helping prisoners develop valuable skills for rehabilitation and future employment. Logistics teams coordinate the movement of essential goods and services across the establishment, and cleaning teams play a critical role in maintaining hygienic, welcoming and healthy environments throughout the site.
The team also continues to drive environmental improvements by reducing waste, improving recycling rates and monitoring energy consumption to lower the prison’s carbon footprint.
What makes this work even more impressive is the complexity of operating within a secure custodial environment, where every contractor, repair and project must balance operational need with strict security requirements.
The professionalism and commitment of the team has not gone unnoticed. Director Ralph Lubkowski praised the team’s ‘responsivity and work ethic’ as ‘second to none’, while highlighting their ability to maintain high standards despite increasing operational pressures.
