Month: April 2025

Our Outstanding Colleagues – Q1

Our people are what make us special. From saving lives and preventing crime to helping people in need and much more. Our Reward and Recognition scheme is our way of saying thank you to our Colleagues for the amazing work that they do each and every day, often going above and beyond in their role.

Our Executive Team including CEO Claire McKinley Smith, Managing Director Glenn Wilson, Technical Services Director Paul Booth, HR Director Harriet Oldfield, Head of ESG Mark Allison and Head of Health, Safety & Compliance Angela Crawford were pleased to present our colleagues and teams with their awards in our Quarterly Teams Presentation.  We had a record-breaking number of nominations and 36 screens worth of people on the online Presentation!

We were humbled by our colleagues and how they spoke of their outstanding acts and service excellence, stating that they were ‘just doing their job’!  It was amazing to see award winners from all aspects of the business; cleaning, security and maintenance as well as Head Office and site-based colleagues.

Well done to all our winners and everyone who has been nominated for an award this quarter – you are all amazing!

Our 2025 Quarter 1 winners are:

Team of the Quarter – The Moor

Site Manager of the Quarter – Jamie Gilbert – Lion Yard

Colleague of the Quarter – Daryl Wiltshire, Cwmbran Town Centre

Colleague of the Quarter (Head Office) – Tanya Baker

Newcomer of the Quarter – Andy Williams – Darwin Shopping Centre

Health & Safety Champion – David Field – Ryemarket Shopping Centre

ESG Social Value – Security & Cleaning Team – Spindles Town Square

ESG – Environmental – Peter Bouttell – Teesside Park

Outstanding Act

  • Jane Gerrard – Spindles Town Square
  • Cwmbran Security Team – Cwmbran Town Centre
  • Castle Quay Team
  • Asa Abraham – Queens Square Shopping Centre

Service Excellence

  • Maria Brett & Dawn Smith – Swan Centre
  • Nick Moss & Paul Barton – Grosvenor Macclesfield
  • Nicola Greatrex – Touchwood Shopping Centre
  • Gary Lucas – The Galleries
  • Liam Price – Morgan Quarter
  • Leander O’Dell – Kingfisher Shopping Centre
  • Paul Clarke – Kingfisher Shopping Centre
  • Nathan Claridge – Four Seasons Shopping Centre

New Director of HR appointed to The Westgrove Group Executive Team

We’re pleased to announce that Harriet Oldfield has joined The Westgrove Group in the role of HR Director.

Harriet’s appointment forms part of a wider strategic plan to strengthen the leadership team at Westgrove. Her role will be key in building on the HR foundations that are already in place and driving forward the people strategy in line with Westgrove’s values and our plans for the future as we continue to grow, expand and innovate.

Harriet brings with her a wealth of experience gained in a career which has always focused on HR. She has worked across a broad range of sectors, including retail, media, finance and logistics. So, whilst facilities management might be a change of industry for Harriet, a key role overseeing people, corporate culture and colleague engagement is familiar territory.

Since joining earlier this year, she has already been busy getting to know the business and understanding our culture, priorities and challenges.

We caught up with Harriet to find out more.

“It was the challenge!” she said when asked what drew her to a role in the Westgrove Group. “Having the opportunity to develop a forward-thinking people strategy that puts our colleagues at the forefront of our business decisions. Westgrove is growing, it’s exciting and a fast-paced environment. There is work to be done to take the HR function to the next level, and I’m looking forward to working closely with all my Westgrove colleagues to deliver on this and planning for the future.   

Great work is already taking place to engage colleagues across the business, genuinely recognising them and making them feel valued which is so important. The Reward and Recognition Awards are a fantastic example of this. Additionally, the significance placed on ESG is another point of difference. Some businesses quote values but it is clear that here, those values are real, tangible and can be seen in action.”

Harriet added, “I have already been made to feel incredibly welcome, and the culture has exceeded my expectations. There is a lot of work to be done and whilst so much is already in place, it’s now about being more strategic and proactive.”

Her plan will now involve creating and implementing a people strategy; one that will make a real impact, with clear business outcomes to show what Westgrove is aiming for with our colleagues – one that feels like a growing force and makes a difference.

Outside work, Harriet is an avid theatre goer. She’s also a musician, playing both the cello and piano and studying music at university before embarking on her HR career. When she isn’t at work or the theatre, Harriet enjoys keeping fit and is a keen walker.

Westgrove reward & recognition award winners

Our reward and recognition awards are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the amazing work and achievements of our colleagues across the country.

The success of any organisation is down to the combined efforts and dedication of its people. From going the extra mile to implementing changes that make a real difference, these awards showcase the incredible dedication and actions of all our outstanding individuals and teams.

Our 2024 winners:

The Chairman’s Commendation Award, sponsored by Ideal 365

Awarded to Kat Gillibrand of St Johns Shopping Centre, Liverpool in recognition of her dedication, knowledge and continued support since joining the team in 2023.

Colleague of the Year, sponsored by Nilfisk

Awarded to Alex Daisey from The Moor, Sheffield for his hard work ensuring the resounding success of a number of recent onsite events.

Site Manager of the Year, sponsored by Overtec

Awarded to John Duke, of Cwmbran Town Centre for being a real ambassador for our business systems.

 

Team of the Year, sponsored by Nilfisk

Awarded to Touchwood Shopping Centre, Solihull for navigating an exceptionally challenging period with tenacity, professionalism and unwavering commitment.

Health & Safety Champion of the Year, sponsored by Overtec

Awarded to Carl Fox of St John’s Shopping Centre, Liverpool in recognition of his impact, dedication and hard work in a voluntary role as a H&S rep.

Newcomer of the Quarter, sponsored by Nilfisk

Awarded to Maria Bell of Tata for demonstrating exceptional leadership, boosting morale and creating a positive team environment.

ESG – Environmental, sponsored by Mayflower

Awarded to Daniel Barton of Handforth Dean Retail Park, Wilmslow for engaging with our local community on planning and ‘bug hotel’ initiatives.

ESG – Social Value, sponsored by Nilfisk

 Awarded to the team at Telford Shopping Centre, Shropshire for celebrating workplace diversity.

Special Recognition for Exceptional Incident Management, sponsored by Trio

Awarded to John Riley, David Keeton & Ryan Nuttall of Clayton Square, Liverpool, the team at Houndshill Shopping Centre, Blackpool and Lisa Earl, Ste Barrow & Luke Elliott, St Johns Shopping Centre, Liverpool.

Outstanding Act of the Year, sponsored by Bridge Recruitment, Overtec and Nilfisk

Awarded to Nigel Gwillym of Cwmbran Town Centre, the Swan Centre Security and Cleaning Teams, Jack Davenport of Templars Square Shopping Centre, Matt Roberts at The Moor, the Castle Quay Shopping Centre Security Team and Jamie Preston Sellors of Houndshill Shopping Centre.

Service Excellence Award

Awarded to Jacob Price of Four Seasons Shopping Centre, Mark Bolsover of the Moor, Grant Boyle at Westgrove Technical Services, Abu Conteh of The Oaks, the team at Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Paul Lavery of St Johns Shopping Centre, Julie Deeming at Touchwood Shopping Centre, Oliver Crawford, at Westgrove Head Office and Andreas Anastasiou of Broadway Shopping Centre.

Congratulations to our winners!

From the senior leadership team at Westgrove, we’d like to offer our congratulations to all winning colleagues and to everyone who was nominated for an award.

The stories behind these awards range from innovative ideas to great examples of professionalism. They shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond every day and recognise those who have used their skills and professionalism to help others in their most vulnerable moments. From consistent contributions to the smooth running and security of sites to quick-thinking life-saving heroics, these teams and individuals have made a huge impact on our business and in some cases, an even bigger impact on the lives of individual members of the public.

We’d also like to offer our thanks to everyone who took the time to put forward a nomination, our brilliant business managers and of course, our award sponsors.

Stay tuned for news of our Q1 Reward & Recognition award winners, coming soon!