It’s celebrations all round at Cheltenham’s Beechwood shopping centre after its 15-strong team of cleaners and security staff received a coveted Contract of the Year award from top UK company Westgrove Group.

Beechwood beat competition from more than 50 shopping centres and other blue chip companies for the high profile award. The Beechwood team, led by operations manager Richard Wright, was praised by Westgrove managing director Steve Fives for achieving what he described as a ‘remarkable level of performance consistency’.

Mr Fives said the team won the award for centre of the quarter for the last three months of 2011, and was the outstanding team over the whole 12 months resulting in the Contract of the Year award. They recorded an average score of 95 percent throughout the year. Mr Wright, who heads a team of five security staff, including supervisor Mark Driscoll, eight cleaners including supervisor Matt Upton and maintainance operative Graham Herring, plan to go on a night out on the town in Cheltenham.

The Westgrove Group is a dual service provider of professional cleaning and security services across the UK and its clients include shopping centres, football stadia, corporate headquarters and public sector businesses.

Mr Wright said he was proud to receive a cheque on behalf of his colleagues who had worked hard to maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety in Beechwood.
Westgrove’s regional manager Andy Farley presented the £200 cheque and a plaque will be put up in the centre later. Mr Fives congratulated Beechwood centre manager Owen Acland for his positive feedback and for playing a pivotal role in creating the one-team ethos among his staff.