The new series of ceda Learning and Development Webinars, put together to support ceda Members during the COVID-19 crisis, is experiencing extraordinary success.

Providing an eclectic mix of topics, including ventilation and DW172, disposal and reuse services, hygiene and sanitation solutions, refrigeration, ventilation, health & safety advice, product presentations, mental health awareness in the workplace and discussions about The Future of Foodservice and Operator Confidence, the webinars are proving a hit for the ceda Membership. Since the program launched in the middle of April, the uptake has surpassed expectation with some sessions receiving in excess of 90 participants, forcing ceda to up its Zoom account capabilities.

The variation of what’s on offer has also grown. A number of ceda’s valued Partner companies have taken up the opportunity to present, and some have returned to deliver new topics and presentations. Expert speakers from across the industry have jumped at the chance to directly engage with so many eager attendees. Simon Stenning, expert market intelligence for the UK foodservice sector believes these webinars are really useful. He said, “Bringing the industry together at this time is crucial, even if through a Zoom call. I believe it really helps to share information, thoughts and ideas, and to have a platform to raise queries and get discussion flowing. There are no clear-cut answers to the challenges we all face, and so open discussions with our peers provides food for thought and inspiration.”

The topics on offer appear to be hitting the right tone. Two Health & Safety sessions are taking place each week, with an average of 30 attendees per session. This week’s webinar, dedicated to COVID-19: ‘Returning to the workplace safely’, had 50 attendees and a substantial Q&A section, all keen to understand and digest the Government guidelines and how to apply them to their own workplace.

ceda’s Director General Adam Mason is delighted with the uptake, as well as the variety of topics being covered. He said, “Since we launched our weekly webinar schedule 5 weeks ago, we have seen over 800 attendees across the 27 sessions that we have hosted and we now have up to 8 sessions every week. It’s great to see Members and Partners engaging and pleasing that we are getting the subject matter right.”

An important part of the webinar schedule is the weekly Members Connected session which allows ceda Members a platform to discuss issues, share best practice and ideas and support one another. Numbers grow week-on-week as more members look to ceda for guidance during these unusual working conditions.

Full details of the ceda Webinar program can be found on the ceda website.