Author: Madeline Fox

As we close out another quarter, we are incredibly proud to celebrate the colleagues and teams recognised through our Q3 Recognition & Reward (R&R) Awards.

This quarter’s nominations once again highlight the incredible people we have across Westgrove. From outstanding teamwork and leadership to exceptional customer service, community engagement, environmental initiatives and colleagues stepping up when it matters most, each recognition reflects the commitment our people show every day.

Our quarterly R&R presentation gave us the opportunity to bring colleagues and teams from across the business together and celebrate the fantastic contributions taking place across our sites.

Beth – Wythenshawe
Site Manager of the Quarter – Recognised for her outstanding leadership, commitment to high standards and proactive approach to continually improving the site experience.

Lowry Theatre Team – Lowry Theatre
Team of the Quarter – Celebrated for exceptional teamwork, resilience and professionalism while supporting a busy programme of high-profile events and delivering an excellent visitor experience.

Dale – Darwin Shopping Centre
Colleague of the Quarter – Awarded for his dedication, initiative and positive leadership while embracing additional responsibilities and supporting continued improvement across his team.

Luke – Beaumont Shopping Centre
Newcomer of the Quarter – Recognised for making a positive impact through his leadership, hands-on support and commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for colleagues.

Josh – M Cwmbran
People Award – Honoured for stepping up to support the wider operation, embracing additional responsibility and helping to build a positive and collaborative team culture.

Tery – Swan Centre
Health & Safety Champion of the Quarter – Recognised for the compassion, understanding and support shown to a colleague during a challenging time.

Arc Team – Arc Shopping Centre
ESG – Environmental – Celebrated for their teamwork, compassion and commitment to animal welfare after coming together to safely care for and reunite a lost pet with its owner.

High Chelmer Team – High Chelmer
ESG – Environmental – Recognised for their compassion and environmental responsibility while caring for local wildlife and working with a specialist organisation to ensure it received the support needed.

Security and Housekeeping Team – Telford Centre
ESG – Social Value – Awarded for combining teamwork, sustainability and community engagement to support a fantastic local charitable cause.

Service Excellence

Our Service Excellence awards recognise colleagues and teams who consistently go the extra mile to support customers, colleagues and their sites. This quarter, we celebrated some fantastic examples of teamwork, professionalism and a commitment to delivering the very best service.

Amar, Daanyaal & Craig – Touchwood
Service Excellence – Commended for their calm, coordinated and compassionate response during a challenging situation, working together to provide support and reassurance when it was needed most.

John – M Cwmbran
Service Excellence – Recognised for his consistently positive attitude, strong teamwork and unwavering commitment to supporting the centre and his colleagues.

Kevin – Designer Outlet York
Service Excellence – Recognised for showing initiative and a proactive approach to identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and deliver greater value for the site.

Martin, Tommy, Martin & Ben – Festival Place
Service Excellence – Recognised for their professionalism, teamwork and support while assisting with a specialist exercise taking place on site.

McArthurGlen Ashford Team – McArthurGlen Ashford
Service Excellence – Celebrated for their exceptional teamwork, dedication and professionalism while supporting a busy programme of events and activities and ensuring the centre continued to be presented at its very best.

Quedam Security Team – Quedam Shopping Centre
Service Excellence – Recognised for their proactive approach, professionalism and continued support to a centre tenant during a challenging period.

Sabid & David – Ryemarket Shopping Centre
Service Excellence – Commended for excellent teamwork, communication and customer service when helping a visitor recover a lost personal item.

Stewart, Tony & Hassan – Birchwood Park
Service Excellence – Recognised for their professionalism, teamwork and proactive response during a challenging out-of-hours incident.

The Galleries Security Team – The Galleries
Service Excellence – Celebrated for their adaptability, positive attitude and commitment to maintaining an excellent customer experience during an unexpected operational challenge.

Outstanding Act

There are also moments when our colleagues are called upon to respond to particularly challenging situations. Our Outstanding Act awards recognise those who have shown quick thinking, professionalism and compassion when it mattered most.

Dean & Ethan – Kingfisher
Outstanding Act – Honoured for their calm, compassionate and professional response while supporting a vulnerable individual in a challenging situation.

Jack – Lion Yard
Outstanding Act – Commended for his professionalism and compassion when responding to an urgent request to support a vulnerable member of the public.

Jamie – Quedam Shopping Centre
Outstanding Act – Recognised for his calm and compassionate response while providing assistance, reassurance and support to a member of the public.

Jit & Santa – Wellington
Outstanding Act – Recognised for their swift, professional and compassionate response to a safeguarding situation, helping to ensure a vulnerable member of the public remained safe.

Joe – Beaumont Shopping Centre
Outstanding Act – Recognised for his quick thinking and decisive action during an on-site safety incident, helping to protect the site and those around him.

John – Clayton Square
Outstanding Act – Commended for demonstrating patience, professionalism and empathy while supporting a vulnerable member of the public during a difficult situation.

Philip – Birchwood Park
Outstanding Act – Recognised for providing calm, professional and practical support during a particularly difficult incident.

Willow Place Team – Willow Place Shopping Centre
Outstanding Act – Awarded for their calm, coordinated and professional response to an emergency situation, supporting the safety of those on and around the site.

Many of this quarter’s awards highlight moments where quick thinking, professionalism and teamwork made a real difference. Others recognise the quieter but equally important contributions, from supporting colleagues and stepping into additional responsibilities to improving services, caring for the environment and creating positive change within our communities.

Together, these stories demonstrate what truly sets Westgrove apart: our people. Whether delivering excellent customer experiences, taking on new challenges, strengthening our communities or simply being there to support others, our colleagues continue to demonstrate the values that sit at the heart of our business.

At Westgrove, our Recognition & Reward programme is about more than awards. It is about shining a light on the incredible work taking place every day across our sites, reinforcing a culture of appreciation and recognising the difference our people make to customers, communities and one another.

Our Founders built Westgrove on the principle that People Come First, and this quarter’s winners are another fantastic example of that value in action.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination, and congratulations to all the colleagues and teams recognised this quarter. We are incredibly proud of everything you continue to achieve.

We caught up with James Francis, Director of Security, to talk about our security colleagues, career development, communities and how the industry is changing.

Supporting colleague development

From day-to-day training and toolbox talks to apprenticeships, there are lots of opportunities for our security colleagues to continue learning and developing.

“One of the things we’re really proud of at the minute is the uptake of apprenticeships across the business. We’ve seen a significant number of colleagues taking apprenticeships on and we’re supporting them to do that. Particularly from a security perspective, it’s a great opportunity to gain qualifications and take that first step on the ladder when it comes to career progression.”

With the security industry continuing to develop, James believes giving colleagues the opportunity to keep learning is more important than ever.

Recognising the everyday

While awards and industry recognition are always something to celebrate, it’s the work happening across our locations every day that makes James particularly proud.

“For me, it’s really about the day-to-day. It’s seeing how our security officers deal with issues, whether they’re big or small, how they deal with incidents, manage people and show brilliant customer service. They might not always get the big recognition they deserve, but our reward and recognition is a big part of what we do. It’s important that our colleagues know they’re appreciated.”

Supporting our communities

Our security teams are an important part of the communities they work within, often coming from those communities themselves.

“It’s really important that our security officers understand the challenges within their community and build partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders. That way, we’re able to make the right decisions, have an impact and improve things, whether that’s from a security perspective or through wider areas such as social value and ESG.”

They also play a big part in creating a welcoming environment, often being one of the first points of contact for people visiting our locations.

What makes a great security officer?

For James, some of the most important skills aren’t necessarily technical ones.

“Being engaging, inquisitive and having that curious and vigilant mindset are really important. There also needs to be a willingness to listen, develop and learn because things are moving at such a rapid pace. Security officers need to be able to adapt, embrace new technology and new ways of working.”

Looking ahead

The security industry has changed significantly over the last decade, with social media, new technology and legislation all having an impact on the role.

“The influence of social media and technology has been a massive change. Every interaction can potentially be filmed or make it onto social media, so it’s really important that people understand how they communicate and deal with issues, and that we give them the training and support to do that.”

Looking forward, James sees Martyn’s Law and AI as two areas that will continue to shape security.

“We’re already seeing a significant influence of AI within security and technology innovation. These are important areas that we can’t ignore. It’s about making sure we get them right and making them part of what we do moving forward.”

As the security industry continues to evolve, one thing remains clear: our colleagues are at the heart of everything we do. By continuing to invest in development, embrace new ways of working and recognise the important role our security teams play within their communities, we can ensure they feel supported and ready for what comes next.

A big thank you to James for sharing his insight and to all our security colleagues for the work they do every day.