Deborah Rowland Scholarship announces its largest cohort yet 

News

 

The recipients of the 2026 Deborah Rowland Scholarship have been announced at a ceremony held at Sodexo's London head office on 30 September, marking the largest cohort since the programme launched. 

Now in its third year, the scholarship provides fully funded IWFM-regulated qualifications at Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, supporting emerging talent into the facilities management profession. Established in collaboration with the IWFM Foundation, the scholarship was set up to widen access to professional development for those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue or progress a career in facilities management. The programme has grown steadily since it started – from two scholars in 2024, four in 2025, and now seven in 2026. 

This year's places have been made possible through funding from Deborah Rowland and IWFM, with training provider Xenon Group providing two fully funded qualification places and building operations platform Kitt a further two. A seventh place has also been personally funded by Oliver Jones, a facilities management leader who has spent more than four decades shaping the profession and is a recipient of the IWFM Lifetime Achievement Award. Study for an IWFM regulated qualification takes up to 24 months and includes free studying membership for the duration of the studies. This provides additional support for the individuals who will also have access to mentoring with experienced professionals. The 2026 recipients are: 

• Kome Jones – IT and facilities coordinator, EF Education First 

• Micheal Omoniyi – estates and facilities officer, NHS England 

• Tina Kramarić – facilities & compliance coordinator, LRM Prime Thames City  

• Arthur Garlick – operations manager, Hollin House Hotel & Restaurant 

• Emma Mitchell – reservationist, Tablebook Me 

• Miranda Ferreiros – a facilities administrator  

• Menelaos Dyrakis – a facilities and estates leader with 15 years' experience across VIVO Defence Services, The Open University and Budweiser Brewing Group 

Deborah Rowland, Founder of the scholarship and Director of Public Affairs at Sodexo UK, said:  

‘Seeing seven scholars come through this year is a genuinely proud moment. It was always about growing the scholarship and making this a sustainable platform for the future, along with promoting the profession to those that don’t yet know about what a rewarding career FM can be. At a time when social mobility, skills gaps and access to secure employment are such pressing challenges across the UK, this scholarship shows what's possible when the profession invests directly in people who might otherwise be overlooked. Every one of this year's scholars has taken a leap into FM, often alongside jobs, caring responsibilities and other commitments, and that drive is exactly what this programme was built to support. Hearing their personal ambitions and what they hope to do with this opportunity is why I started this in the first place.’ 

Linda Hausmanis, CEO of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management, said:  

‘Growing from two scholars to seven in just three years shows how much appetite there is for this kind of investment in the profession. Facilities management depends on bringing in people from a genuinely wide range of backgrounds, and this scholarship is a clear, practical example of the sector doing exactly that. We're proud to keep backing it as it scales.’ 

Full details on the scholarship can be found via IWFM. 

If you would like to help fund the Deborah Rowland Scholarship through a donation, please click here.