Annual awards
A huge congratulations to all our winners at this year’s Reward and Recognition Award Ceremony.
We gave out a record number of awards and were delighted to see the room packed with so many people.
We had some great speakers, including Karl Clawley, Centre Manager of Runcorn Shopping City. He explained how his team has transformed empty units into successful community led spaces including youth zones to tackle anti-social behaviour and a church service which attracts over 100 people on a Monday morning. We heard from Hayley Thomas, Fundraising Manager of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, about how our fundraising efforts are making a difference to children in the hospital.
It was good to get the latest update from Alex Staniforth, our Brand Ambassador and Adventurer, who is working on his brand new book.
And there was barely a dry eye in the room after Paul Ogden talked about overcoming his mental health issues has led him to, today, being Westgrove’s first Mental Health First-Aider.
A big thank-you to everyone who took part in the day.
Launch of our Specialist Cleaning Division
Photo: From left Craig Robinson, Specialist Cleaning operative, Daina Parker, Specialist Cleaning Manager, and Lee Wilkinson, Specialist Cleaning Supervisor
Appointment of our first Mental Health First Aider
Photo: Paul Ogden Westgrove Group’s first Mental Health First-Aider
Our commitment to the Living Wage
Jamie Lawson visits Market Place to film new video
Singer Jamie Lawson has filmed his new music video at Market Place Shopping Centre in Bolton.
The singer, who is signed to Ed Sheeran’s record label, spent the day with shoppers on Space Hoppers.
The production company, Sitcom Soldiers, who made the video suggested the Market Place as they knew it was a good light space that would look great on camera.
People featuring in the video included Pat Grogan and Bev Jones, two cleaners from facilities management company The Westgrove Group. The company provides Market Place with cleaning and security services.
Jamie is best known for his 2015 hit single ‘Wasn’t expecting that’.
The video features Jamie bouncing around the shopping centre on colourful space hoppers with a number of people. It followed an appeal on Jamie’s social media for a wide range of ‘physically fit’ people to get in touch to be cast for the video.
Jamie said: “It was great to film at Market Place with its stunning architecture, ornate Victorian roof and basement vaults which provided a beautiful and interesting backdrop to our quirky space hopping video concept.
“We wanted to show how love gives you this happy, walking on air, bouncing feeling… so we came up with either trampolining or space hopping. My trampolining skills are not all that good, my space hopping skills on the other hand are second to none! So the idea was that I would bounce around a shopping mall spreading love and having couples join me as I go.
“The staff were amazing, all very kind and helpful, the cleaners were ace and did a great cameo in the video, helping to set the story up.
“The strangest thing was how most customers seemed to walk straight by without batting an eyelid whilst I bounced past them on a space hopper, as though a man on a space hopper in the middle of town is an everyday occurrence…which maybe it is in Bolton!”
Jamie’s new single is called ‘The Answer’, from his new album ‘The Years in Between’ and the accompanying video can be watched here:
