Winners 2019

The Oscars 2019, 19 July 2019

Friday 19 July 2019 saw a sporting celebration of the past year’s achievements in HAS, and the individuals and teams who really make a difference.

With a Wimbledon theme, this year’s Oscars had a relaxed garden party feel. A brass band welcomed the excited nominees to the marquee in Chancellor’s Court for reception drinks. The Bramall transformed into Centre Court, complete with commentary box, Murray Mound and even some familiar faces in the royal box (though they looked a little wooden...). After the ceremony, guests enjoyed Farmer’s Market street food favourites, from freshly-cooked pizza and falafels to hot sweet pancakes.

The raffle’s grand prizes included an iPad and afternoon tea at the Ritz, with £673.20 raised going to Cancer Research UK.

Despite some very traditional British summer weather, it was the perfect way to celebrate all the successes of the year, and to acknowledge the special teams and individuals who always go the extra mile to deliver great results.

Thank you to the OSCARS 2019 Committee for all their hard work, and congratulations to all the deserving winners.

 

 

Red Carpet Star of the Year

Winner:

Niel Sheenan, Cleaning Services

The winner of this year’s shining star award regards going ‘above & beyond’ as his standard service, and is very polite, efficient and friendly in doing so. As a typical example, he was tasked with cleaning the oven in Security Services, and not only did he complete that task beyond expectation, but also cleaned the fridge too. When asked if he’d been asked to do so, he replied, ‘no, but I saw it needed a clean’ and he just got on and did it. Nothing is too much trouble for this HAS colleague, and he goes out of his way to work around those he is supporting in providing an excellent service.

 

Neil-Sheehan,-Cleaning-Services

Continued Excellence

Winner:

Debra Preston, UBSport

The winner of this award has worked for the University for over 2o years, and during that time has been a critical player in the department’s successful handling of a number of significant changes and challenges. As the department’s Finance Officer, in recent years this colleague has lived through some major changes in personnel, systems, new buildings, and more recently has been the lynch-pin and the go-to person for the department for New Core. She is efficient, accurate, dependable, flexible, positive, incredibly patient, and highly respected by colleagues. However pressured her workload, she always makes time to teach and support others, and provide valuable advice, however trivial a question may seem.

 

 

Debra-Preston,-UBSport

Newcomer of the Year

Highly Commended:

Becci Hodson, UBSport

This HAS colleague has done a fantastic job over the last year in leading the very impressive expansion of UBSport’s Learn to Swim programme.

 

Beccy-Hodson,-UBSport

Newcomer of the Year

Winner:

Helen Jones, Accommodation

The winner of the Newcomer award has, during her first year experienced lots of changes in the team including staff, service offering, policies and procedures. Despite being new herself, it is the way this colleague has led her team through a turbulent period. She empowers her team to try new things, encourages and supports them to work things out for themselves, and makes all members of the team feel valued. As a result, the team has grown in confidence and been able to implement new ideas and projects that have enhanced the performance of accommodation.

 

Helen-Jones,-Accommodation

HAS Professional

Winner:

Leigh Phillips, Hospitality & Catering

This year’s winner of HAS Professional has a real can-do attitude in how he has turned around the performance of the Duck & Scholar Bar by putting student experience at the heart of what he and his team delivers. He works collaboratively with Accommodation colleagues, Hall reps, the Guild and others to put on a range of new events for students, and takes an active role in Vale Fest. He is always looking for the best deals, and maintains consistently high standards of delivery, evidenced by his audit results. This colleague has really stretched himself in his job this year, yet always does so with a smile, despite also becoming a new Dad. He is a great role model for HAS.

 

Leigh-Phillips,-Hospitality-&-Catering

Customer Excellence

Highly Commended:

Curt Mucklow, Hospitality & Catering

Last year this colleague moved within HAS to become lead chef at the Med School Café, where he had led his team to introduce a more tailored and innovative food service and style, in response to customer needs.

 

Curt-Mucklow,-Hospitality-&-Catering

Customer Excellence

Winner:

UBSport Swimming Team

The winner of the customer excellent award goes to a team that has, over the last year transformed the programmes it delivers, whether measured in numbers, quality or financial. Over seven days a week this team reliably delivers high quality swimming lessons to adults, juniors and schools with passion and enthusiasm, and regularly receives positive feedback from swimmers, parents and schools. Many school children have never been in a pool before and through the encouragement and patience of the swim teachers all gain valuable skills and confidence in the water. The team has introduced lots of new junior classes and programmes including rookie lifeguard and lessons for physically disabled children.

 

 

 

Swimming-Team,-UBSport

HAS Supporter of the Year

Winner:

Central Printing Services

The winner of this award provides a critical service to HAS, in support of a range of HAS activities and events. This team is described by HAS colleagues as exceptionally friendly, helpful, efficient, flexible and reliable. No job is too big or too small for them, and they have often gone above and beyond to respond to urgent requests, and never complain. They have a brilliant can-do attitude, and in HAS we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs without them.

 

 

 

Central-Printing-Services

Excellent Student Services

Highly Commended:

Carl Roberts, Security Officer

The judges have awarded a highly commended certificate to a colleague whose handling of a serious incident at the UoB school typifies the values and behaviours this colleague displays in his everyday duties. In this case he intervened directly in a conflict between 3 teenagers with little regard to his own personal wellbeing, but prevented injuries to the students being much worse, thanks to his bravery.

 

Carl Roberts

Excellent Student Services

Winner:

Student Accommodation and Community Living Team

The winner of this award goes to a team which has experienced the most challenging year since 2012, yet still exceeded expectation and results. Despite significant changes in personnel and systems, the team has made some fantastic enhancements to the student service, including a new accommodation portal to make the application process easier, enhanced the support for disabled students, launched an improved on-line induction, and achieved 100% occupancy under very challenging circumstances. The team also launched a new Community Living Hub for students in private sector housing, from which a whole range of new support initiatives have been launched. Amongst other accolades the team is ranked top accommodation service on Facebook.

 

 

 

Student-Accommodation-&-Community-Team

Most Inspirational Leader

Highly Commended:

Naveed Naquil, Hospitality & Catering

The judges have highly commended a person whose team feel inspired, valued and respected by his leadership, a colleague who trusts, supports and empowers his team to be the best they can be.

 

Naveed-Naqui,-Hospitality-&-Catering

Most Inspirational Leader

Winner:

Sarah Wood, Cleaning Services

The winner, in her first 2 years in post has had such a positive impact on her peers, colleagues and her large team of around 300 staff. Staff morale, recruitment and retention have all significantly improved, and sickness absence significantly fallen. She has restored pride in the service and its workforce for the important job they do for the University community. She has also worked hard to ensure new building projects include appropriate resources for this essential service, whether storage, equipment and properly trained and supported staff. This colleague’s drive, energy, commitment and motivational skills are helping to make her vision become reality for the University’s cleaning service.

 

Sarah-Woods,-Cleaning-Services

Outstanding Achievement (Individual)

Highly Commended:

Jenny Lance, Culture & Engagement

The judges have highly commended a colleague who made a successful funding application to the Arts Council, and developed and managed the project, to commission a new public sculpture and the public programme around it. It will attract new audiences onto campus associated with the Green Heart Festival and the Arts & Science Festival.

 

Jenny-Lance,-Culture-&-Engagement

Outstanding Achievement (Individual)

Winner:

Rosie Birch, Worklink

This year’s outstanding achievement winner absolutely embodies the values of HAS, and over the last year this is particularly relevant to the way she has managed 2 major disruptions, firstly the extension to Worklink’s remit to include all casual workers, whilst at the same time grappling with the application of New Core to this new wider portfolio. A highly challenging task which impacts across the University, this individual has led the team to anticipate issues and find solutions. Most critically, Worklink has provided essential support to client departments across the University, minimising disruption to their operations during planning and transition. By the way it has been led, Worklink has demonstrated how a small team can work together to deliver their part of a major new transformational system across a large and complex university.

 

Rosie-Birch,-Worklink

Outstanding Achievement (Team)

Winner:

World University Squash Championships Delivery Team

The winner of this award was led by one part of HAS, and supported by other HAS colleagues. It is the first time the University has delivered a World Championship in its entirety, and it show-cased our fabulous campus, its facilities, the city and what HAS can achieve. The Biennial World University Squash Championships which took place last September involved not just the provision of sports facilities and accommodation, but the management of entries from across the world, organisation of the competition, transport to and from the airport, accommodation, catering, marketing & communications, volunteers, opening & medal ceremonies, referees, medical support, dope-testing and much more. The Championship is regarded by the World Body as an exemplar event in its set-up and delivery, thanks to our fantastic facilities, the huge commitment of the UBSport team, and critical support from colleagues across HAS.

 

 

 

FISU-World-University-Squash-Championships-Delivery-Team

Unsung Hero

Highly Commended:

Kevin Field, UBSport

The judges have highly commended a colleague who is largely invisible, but whose impact is immeasurable. His pride, passion and commitment is exceptional in keeping one of our prestigious facilities operating effectively, and often involves working overnight to carry out essential maintenance on the pool.

 

Kevin-Field,-UBSport

Unsung Hero

Winner:

Sally Badham, Conferences & Events

This year’s Unsung Hero is the backbone of her team, and leads by example. She builds great relationships with clients and leads her team to get the most from them and deliver highly professional events. She works long hours when needed, and makes sure important details and any gaps in provision are covered and checked. More recently, she has operated with 2 staff down and picked up the gaps to ensure it remains unnoticed, other than to her own team who have rallied around to support each other. Sally tends to lead from behind, and is rarely the face of the events team, hence her hard work is usually invisible and unrecognised, but has major impact on HAS’s outcomes and reputation.

 

Sally-Badham,-Conferencing-&-Marketing

Directors Award

Winner:

Angela Smith

Our Directors’ Award goes to someone who has been a pillar of HAS for over two decades. They have very much been at the heart of HAS, and in a lot of respects hold in their head the archive of the department: they have seen it, done it and got the T-shirt, but they use this knowledge positively to steer and advise. They very much are the Director’s right arm. 

From my perspective as an interim, you have to hit the floor running. You don’t get that settling-in period and long induction. This person through her efforts and commitment made me feel at home from day one, and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to allow me to focus on the job in hand – something she has done for many years for both Geoff and Stuart, and I know how well they both appreciate how much she does. 

For her personal loyalty, dedication, hard work and attitude, we are absolutely delighted to say that the 2019 Directors’ Award goes to our Personal Assistant, Angela Smith.

 

 

 

Angela-Smith

 

Colleges

Professional Services