Cleaning team defeats Anfield (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Cleaning team defeats Anfield

Picture Ref: 99836-20SWINDON AND PROUD OF IT: A TEAM of cleaners has helped a shopping centre win a national award.

The Brunel Centre won two awards for cleanliness in a competition held by the contractor responsible for cleaning shopping centres and football stadiums.

The Swindon centre defeated stadiums including Anfield in Liverpool and Molineux in Wolverhampton.

Nick Beaumont-Jones, centre director, said: "I'm delighted, especially as we were competing with some pretty important places around the country.

"It's refreshing that Swindon can do something right for once and instead of being criticised we can blow our own trumpets for a change.

"People criticise Swindon because of issues such as litter and graffiti, but at the centre we're doing or best.

"We provide cleaners who go outside the centre but we can't do everything.

"There is a lot of pride in Swindon and for once we're getting praise rather than criticism."

Westgrove Cleaning Services have been in charge of cleaning the centre for the last three years.

Mr Beaumont-Jones said: "We've always had a clean centre but as contractors go they are probably the most proactive at rewarding effort and performance."

The cleaners include workers from Somalia, Nigeria, Jamaica, Goa and Swindon.

Mr Beaumont-Jones said: "Our cleaners are always chatting to members of the public, especially the disabled and the elderly.

"Just today a lady in a shop mobility scooter who came over and said one of our Somali cleaners is very helpful, always opening the door for her."

Steve Fives, joint managing director of Westgrove Cleaning Services, said: "The Brunel has beaten 21 other sites within our portfolio, which stretches from the Lake District down to Kent.

"The centre achieved the highest score on record in our seven years of business.

"I think the standards of cleanliness are down to the relationship between our company and the centre manager, Nick Beaumont-Jones.

"He is a real ambassador for the centre and we work very closely together."

The Brunel Centre achieved an audit score of 97 per cent, which Mr Fives said is probably the highest score any centre has ever achieved.

Dave Andrew