Published
By CPC Helpdesk
TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation) has announced the launch of The TUCO Foundation; a wholly owned charitable institution which will provide subsidised training opportunities, free-of-charge networking events, bursary placements and more, to both its members and non-members.
The TUCO Foundation was created to provide additional support to those working in the public sector. The award-winning TUCO Academy will offer subsidised training opportunities, courses, study tours and professional development events to both members of TUCO and non-members through The TUCO Foundation. Bursary placements will be available as well as free-of-charge allergen and food safety training.
Although TUCO itself operates for members within the catering and hospitality sector, The TUCO Foundation will provide training for those outside of the industry, meaning staff from all departments can undertake courses including finance, marketing, management colleagues and more. Some of the courses on offer cover skillsets such as chef’s skills, team-building, leadership, customer service, compliance, mental health, food photography. Many study tours - organised trips to food and drink establishments around the world - will offer bursaries, giving staff the opportunity to learn first-hand about a country’s eating habits, to experience a city’s food service trends for themselves, or to directly observe the practices of a well-known food brand or outlet.
As well as the subsidised professional development opportunities, The TUCO Foundation will provide thought leadership in the form of research and reports, available to download free-of-charge, giving those in and outside the industry the professional insight needed to stay one-step-ahead. Networking events will also be available at a discounted rate, and following these, surplus food will be donated to local charities or shelters via the Foundation.
The TUCO Foundation will also donate on an ad-hoc basis to worthwhile charities worldwide and conduct fundraising for various good causes.
Mike Haslin, CEO of TUCO, said: “We are delighted to have launched The TUCO Foundation. TUCO has long supported its members through trying times, especially over the last four years, and we felt it was now time to extend that support to the wider community. To be able to offer grants and bursaries towards the award-winning training courses will allow colleagues to flourish without additional financial hurdles that we know many face.”
Matthew White MBE, Chair of The TUCO Foundation, said: “As previous Chair of TUCO, to have come full circle to chair The TUCO Foundation, is an honour. The Foundation will strive to support great causes worldwide, as well as those closer to home. To help drive its work both within the hospitality industry and outside of it, alongside my fellow trustees, will be a privilege.”
The trustees of The TUCO Foundation are:
Matthew White MBE (Chair), Director of Student Experience and Education at The University of Reading
Annabel Hurst, Head of Catering, Conferences and Events, Cardiff University
Phil Rees-Jones, Director of Campus Services at Cardiff University
Mike Haslin, CEO at TUCO
Click for more information about The TUCO Foundation or contact Mike Haslin.
To discuss training requirements, contact Head of Academy, Sarah McLoughlin.
TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation) are close partners of CPC and are experts in the field of UK catering procurement. While CPC offers compliant purchasing framework agreements that span a wide and diverse range of areas and disciplines, TUCO’s focus is exclusively on the catering trade and its associated goods and services, from kitchen equipment to waste management to vending provision. As a leading membership body for the education sector’s in-house catering staff (as well as those in the wider public sector), TUCO are connected to professionals across the sphere of UK primary, secondary, further and higher education institutions and all TUCO frameworks are member-led. Moreover, like CPC, TUCO operates as a not-for-profit organisation, providing its members with access to purchasing frameworks that are compliant with the present procurement regulations and taking some stress and strain from staff looking to fulfil their institution’s catering requirements.
Existing CPC members are eligible to join TUCO free of charge, enabling access to a host of dedicated catering frameworks and associated suppliers. Any readers wishing to become a TUCO member are advised to ensure they are registered with CPC first, before then completing their online application form.