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    Traditionally the Dee Richards Pride Awards programme recognises individuals who have excelled in their roles within our organisation; however as a Contract Manager Dee always recognised the importance of ‘Collaboration’ and ‘Team Work’ in delivering service excellence!

    With this in mind the 2022 Team Pride Award Winners are very much deserving of this prestigious award, standing out throughout the last 12 months, pulling together as a group and consistently going above and beyond!

    We are therefore delighted to announce that this year’s winners are the… Paradise Cleaning Team!

    Paradise is the biggest and most revolutionary commercial development outside of London with the seven-hectare site when fully completed in 2028 incorporating 1.8 million ft² of exciting new public space including high quality Grade A office space, a busy pedestrian walkway as well shops, bars, restaurants, and a UK-first ‘residential Octagon’.

    Our team of weekday and weekend Estate Cleaning Operatives are tasked with ensuring this premier mixed-use destination remains pristine at all times whilst working in challenging public facing conditions throughout the year!

    We Clean Ltd Directors David Harker & Paul Concannon alongside the Paradise Birmingham Cleaning Team and Mukesh Puri, Associate Director, Avison Young (far right).

    The on-site Cleaning Team is led by Sean Wright who is a longstanding member of the we clean family fully embracing our unique company ethos ‘to do the job right’ and this enthusiasm is perfectly complemented by the experienced support of Darren McLean who has a vast knowledge of Estate Cleaning Management.

    Over the past 12 months both Sean and Darren have evolved the cleaning team on site so that the ever-changing landscape at Paradise is constantly being maintained to the highest possible standard of cleanliness through the careful deployment of equipment and physical resource, as Sean notes:

    “The team here have gone from strength to strength, adapting brilliantly through the COVID pandemic and beyond, they are a genuine credit to we clean and are very much deserving of this prestigious award!

    I was fortunate enough to work closely with Dee, I knew exactly what her expectations were and I am fully confident that she would be very proud of the team here and the cleaning service that they consistently provide to Paradise day in, day out!”

    Paradise has firmly positioned itself at the forefront of mixed-use space within Birmingham and we have partnered closely with estate management and global commercial property agent Avison Young since 2017 following the reopening of the main Paradise Walkway.

    Mukesh Puri, Associate Director, Avison Young is full of praise for the team and delighted that all their hard work throughout the year has been recognised by this internal we clean Team Pride Award commenting:

    “The we clean team at Paradise are second to none and take pride in their work come rain, shine or snow and are maintaining the Paradise Estate to the highest of standards. From gritting to jet washing to litter picking, amongst many other things, you will always see the team with a smile and always willing to help.

    During 2022 we had several events at Paradise and in and around Birmingham that had a huge impact on our footfall, to name but a few the Queens Platinum Jubilee, the Commonwealth Games and ending the year with the German Market, however the team didn’t let that impact the cleanliness and condition of the Estate, and constantly kept on top of standards and focused on maintaining the high standard we have come to expect.”

    Finally we clean Director Paul Concannon added:

    “As only the second winners of the ‘Dee Richard Pride ‘Team’ Award’ our Paradise Cleaning Team know they have contributed something very special to we clean and gone above and beyond in every aspect of their service delivery. As a collective they have been truly marvellous ambassadors for the we clean brand on this prestigious contract right in the heart of Birmingham City Centre – many congratulations we couldn’t be prouder of you our Paradise Cleaning Team!”

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    The Dee Richards Pride ‘Champion’ Award is the highest accolade an individual within our organisation can receive.

    Now in its 7th year it stands as a lasting memorial to ‘Dee Richards’ who epitomized more than anyone the we clean ethos, providing an outstanding cleaning provision to our client base whilst displaying the utmost professionalism during her time as a fully committed Contract Manager.

    With this in mind, our 2022 ‘Pride Champion’ Pamela Walton is more than deserving of this Award, displaying a genuine desire to deliver service excellence to our longstanding client UK-NSI in her capacity as Site Cleaning Manager.

    Based in Redditch, Worcestershire UK-NSI Co., Ltd are the European manufacturing hub of Nippon Seiki, a Japanese company specialising in the supply of high-technology driver information systems to the automotive sector. This advanced and expansive site employs some 400 people, where we have provided cleaning services across their office space, production and assembly areas since 2007.  

    This purpose-built industrial facility contains numerous differing floor coverings that by their very design are intended to ensure dust particulate matter is kept to an absolute minimum and hence provides a challenging and demanding environment to keep almost hygienically clean.  As Site Cleaning Manager Pam has had to fully grasp the importance of implementing the appropriate cleaning methodology for each area of this cutting edge production facility whilst consistently working to rigorous health & safety procedures to achieve the best and safest outcome for our client.

    After being crowned Pride Award Champion Pam fully appreciates that by receiving this Award, she like Dee has contributed something very special to our business and is highly regarded by the Directors of we clean, Robb Paton, Contract Manager and our direct client contact for UK-NSI, David Somerville, Facilities Engineering Manager.

    L-R – Chris Coe, Operations Director, UK-NSI, Pamela Walton, We Clean Location Manager & David Somerville, Facilities Engineering Manager, UK-NSI

    Robb who works closely with Pam was delighted that she was chosen as this year’s Champion Pride Award winner commenting:

    “In such a short time Pam in role as Site Cleaning Manager at UK-NSI has performed wonders in enhancing the delivery of our core services with the daily management of the cleaning function going from strength to strength. Pam’s grasp of the unique operational demands of this contract together with her excellent working relationship with our client contact, David Somerville has played a huge part in her receiving this most prestigious we clean award.”

    David Somerville was equally as enthusiastic when hearing that Pam was set to be awarded the we clean Pride Champion award for 2022 commenting:  

    “Pam demonstrates integrity, passion and pride in everything that she does at the site. She has built an excellent cleaning team over the last 12 months demonstrating strong leadership qualities. She is not only very popular with her own colleagues but also with our onsite Management and Production staff who really appreciate the excellent level of service delivered across all facilities. Pam has a strong but friendly personality and we couldn’t be more pleased for her. Well done Pam!”

    Finally Director Paul Concannon commented:

    “It was clear that Pam was shocked to have received this award but she was very quick to acknowledge the role her Cleaning Team on site have played in allowing her to manage the contract at UK NSI so well. Pam didn’t know Dee but it was so satisfying to relay to her the qualities Dee brought to our organisation such as Passion, Integrity, humility and that wonderful desire to do the job right – everything that Pam has brought to UK NSI over the past 15 months or so and we couldn’t have a more deserving Pride Award Champion for 2022! Many congratulations Pam we are so very proud to have you in our team!”

    Keep a look out for our Pride Award Winners blog in early January, where we will be detailing our ‘Pride Winners’ as chosen by Contract / Site Managers from across our contract portfolios!

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    On Thursday 17 November we clean held its first Management Day ‘post-COVID’ at the Birmingham educational and arts venue, the mac, a long standing we clean contract who are celebrating their 60th Anniversary year and therefore it provided a fitting venue for this key day in our organisation’s diary.

    After a three-year hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic, our 2022 Management Day provided the perfect opportunity for we clean Directors David Harker and Paul Concannon together with key Head Office and Operational Staff to reflect on the past few years as well as provide some thoughts on the future strategic direction for the business.

    The cleaning industry and the landscape within which we operate has changed dramatically over the last 48-60 months and as a result the 2022 Management Day was that much more important, offering the ideal opportunity for the senior team at we clean to step back and analyse how we as an organisation have emerged stronger from the pandemic as well as delve into the pivotal factors that will enable us to continue pushing forward.  

    As always, Paul & David focussed on motivating and empowering the team to go above and beyond and continue to deliver the exceptional cleaning standards that has set us apart throughout our 19-year history with the aim to maintain steady organic growth, associate ourselves with like-minded companies into the longer term and thus further enhance the we clean brand through the delivery of service excellence!

    In addition three critical aspects of our business were then presented to the wider Management Team with David Holmes-McClure, H&S Manager updating everyone on the ever-changing H&S legislation, identifying key accident / near miss statistics whilst encouraging the Management Team to continue to embrace our unique H&S culture we clean safe!

    Jessica Powell, our newly appointed HR & Recruitment Co-ordinator covered off some of the key recruitment challenges facing the industry and how it is impacting upon our own frontline operations. Jessica was joined by Emma Clay from Life and Progress who discussed the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that has recently been launched by the Company to provide a fully confidential advice, support and counselling service to all staff across the business on a wide range of personal and work-related issues.

    Next up were Pat O’Mara and Marie Matthews from Environmental Excellence, the UK’s leading training provider who we have worked very closely over a number of years in developing the knowledge base of our operational management and frontline cleaning staff. Pat and Marie talked through upcoming courses and the benefits of continual career progression within the cleaning industry through the implementation of disciplined and structured classroom and onsite training.

    Finally Jack Dowdeswell, Sales & Marketing Manager and Matthew Wheeldon-Trigg, Internal Sales Executive gave an upbeat overview of the recent significant contract wins for the business whilst encouraging all management staff to support the wider sales strategy of increasing the ever growing client prospect bank with targeted leads and engaging with the various marketing channels used to promote the we clean brand.  

    The day was rounded off with an inspirational speech from Charlie Fogarty MBE, a talented teenager who aspired to be a professional football player who was left in a coma for four months after being hit by a car overtaking a bus when he was crossing the road resulting in him suffering a brain injury that led to Charlie spending six months in a children’s rehabilitation centre in Surrey.

    We were very fortunate to have Charlie join our Management Day as he now tours English football clubs, schools, universities and corporate events across the UK as an inspirational speaker. Before the road accident in 2012, Charlie had just finished a four-year stint at Birmingham City FC’s Academy and was trialling for a professional playing contract with Milton Keynes Dons, but his life was turned upside down by the accident. Charlie had to learn how to talk, walk, dress, and perform basic tasks all over again.

    His sheer grit, determination and passion to live life to its fullest, even after everything he has been through was hugely motivating and certainly put into perspective the current struggles we all face in the light of the economic, political and global turmoil affecting our lives.

    Director Paul commented: “the journey Charlie and his family have been on since his tragic accident just over 10 years ago is truly inspiring – Charlie’s story clearly showed that through unwavering resilience, hard work, togetherness and genuine positivity ‘anything is possible’ and when Charlie finished his speech every single member of our team rose to their feet to applaud him wholeheartedly such was the feeling of admiration for what he has achieved in the face of his initial adversity“

    Once again the Senior Management Team at we clean would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Damien Vincent, Head of Customer Services at the mac, and his team for looking after us so impeccably well throughout the day!

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    Integrity has been at the heart of we clean since our inception in 2003, we take great pride in our staff operating with the utmost integrity and it has been the backbone upon which our organisation has evolved over the past 19 years!

    If there is an incident out of hours within a work environment, an item goes missing, or a glass is broken, frustratingly the on-site cleaning team are usually the ones who come under immediate suspicion – a perception not helped by the recent ITV Series ‘Cleaning Up’, in which a cleaning operative in a corporate banking environment begins stealing from her client!

    We can genuinely say that in our experience over 19 years of trading 99% of such incidents never involve our cleaning staff at all – a display of ‘integrity’ that is critical when supporting a contractual portfolio that includes a number of prestigious law firms, banking institutions and corporate office facilities where there is an array of sensitive documents and data.

    Recently one of our Cleaning Operatives Fatoumata Minteh – Jadama went above and beyond with a sensitive on site situation displaying outstanding integrity at our longstanding client, the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce’s offices in Edgbaston.

    IMG 5690 min
    Pictured: Paul Concannon Director with Fatima, Kate Warnaby (Client) and Maureen Francis.

    An employee of the Chambers misplaced her wedding ring within the office setting which caused particular emotional distress as the employee had unfortunately recently been widowed and she with the rest of the staff frantically turned the office upside down in a bid to locate it with no success.

    Upon arriving for her cleaning shift Fatima as she is known on site not aware of the situation began her shift as normal, but as she was carrying out her cleaning duties she came across the said wedding ring and the following day when starting her shift immediately handed it in to our client contact on site Kate Warnaby Executive Assistant to the CEO of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

    Kate noted:

     “I cannot tell you the relief within the office when Fatima handed me the wedding ring, Jane who had lost the ring was reduced to tears and couldn’t thank Fatima enough so much so that she wished to give Fatima a monetary reward there and then but Fatima gracefully refused stating that she only did what any good person should do! I felt it only right to inform Maureen Francis Contract Manager of the situation and the wonderful integrity Fatima had displayed.”

    Maureen duly informed Directors David Harker and Paul Concannon of the events at the Chambers Offices and with Integrity at the very core of the we clean operation the latter ensured that he attended site in person to meet with Fatima and present her with some flowers to highlight their appreciation of her outstanding display of everything that is good about the organisation!

    Our company mission is to enhance and raise the profile of the cleaning industry and particularly our cleaning staff, this fantastic act of trust reassures us that our management and staff are buying into this mission and operating with the utmost integrity, day in, day out!