The Barking and Dagenham Pension Fund has welcomed seven new organisations, including cleaning and catering companies, as admitted bodies. This expansion of the fund's membership was approved at a recent Pensions Committee meeting, marking an increase from the five admissions agreed at the previous meeting.
The committee agreed to admit Birkins Cleaning Services Limited, Purgo Supply Services Ltd, Olive Dining Limited, Atlantic Cleaning Services Ltd, KGB Cleaning South West Ltd, and Stir Foods Ltd. These companies will bring a total of 33 staff members into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) following the outsourcing of cleaning and catering contracts at various schools and educational institutions across the borough.
Specifically, Birkins Cleaning Services Limited was awarded a cleaning contract for Jo Richardson Community School, adding 10 staff. Purgo Supply Services Ltd secured a cleaning contract for All Saints Catholic School, bringing 5 staff, while Olive Dining Limited was awarded a catering contract for the same school, admitting 2 staff. Creative Barking and Dagenham Limited will add one staff member from Barking College following the outsourcing of a community arts provision contract. Atlantic Cleaning Services Ltd will bring 4 staff from Genesis Education Trust after being awarded a cleaning contract, and KGB Cleaning South West Ltd will add 11 staff from Eastbury School for building cleaning services. Stir Foods Ltd will also admit one staff member from John Perry School, having been awarded a catering contract.
To be considered for admission as 'admitted bodies', companies must meet specific criteria. These include taking on staff from a scheduled body as a result of an outsourcing of services, and ensuring that the transferring employees have a right to remain in the LGPS or a 'broadly equivalent' scheme. The typical process involves applications for admitted body status, which are then considered by the committee. Legal agreements are not sealed until they have been agreed by the committee, which cannot refuse them.
Under LGPS regulations, these admissions do not require a bond. This is because the liability risks, including investment risk, bond yield risk, inflation risk, pay award risk, longevity, and regulatory risk, remain with the 'letting bodies'. In this context, letting bodies are the organisations that award contracts for outsourced services. Their responsibility for these liabilities means a bond is not required from the admitted body.
Further details on the committee's proceedings can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet for the meeting held on 30 June 2026.
