UK OSPAs recognise the security industry’s finest
The third UK Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) event took place at the Royal Lancaster in central London on 28 February.
Over 450 security professionals gathered to celebrate the very best from across the sector with dinner and a presentation event hosted by Susannah Fish OBE QPM – former Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police; national gun crime lead and national lead for Business Crime, Private Security Industry Liaison, and Information Sharing.
OSPAs founder Professor Martin Gill commented “The OSPAs provide an independent platform to showcase excellence and outstanding performance across the sector ensuring that those who contribute to maintaining high standards are recognised and rewarded.”
He continued: “Each year the calibre of the nominations exceeds expectations and makes the job of selecting the winners particularly challenging for the judging panel. All those that were selected as finalists and winners demonstrated that they really are the very best and should feel extremely proud.”
The 2019 UK OSPA winners are:
Outstanding Contract Security Manager or Director
Robert Woodward – Sodexo
“It is a great honour to have my work recognised by my employers, clients, colleagues and peers, and I can’t thank them all enough, but I think as a parent the best feeling in the world is when your child is proud of you. I went home on Friday and picked my 7 year old son up from school and my wife had that morning already told him that I had won the award, explaining that it was a national industry award, not something that my own company had given me but something that was decided upon by independent judges who know our industry and that my nomination came from a countrywide pool, his response; ‘so some clever people think you are one of the best at what you do for your job in our country? Actually Dad that’s pretty cool’ and my heart just burst with pride! Thank you OSPA judges.“
Outstanding In-House Security Manager or Director
Lisa Corbridge – Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
“It was a great privilege to be a finalist in the 2019 UK OSPAs. I am still in shock after winning the In-House Security Manager category. I have been honoured to win a number of awards over the last year and proud to have achieved the OSPAs award. I would like to thank colleagues/friends support & encouragement as I couldn’t have got this far without them. Congratulations to everyone nominated and all the finalists and winners you all should be proud.”
Outstanding Security Team
CriticalArc – The Heriot-Watt University Safeguarding Team
Outstanding Security Consultant
Mike Bluestone – Corps Security
Outstanding Contract Security Company
CIS Security
“This OSPA for Contract Security Company of the Year is “the one” we wanted. We have been honoured to receive a number of awards in our time, especially in recent years. When the OSPAs came online in the UK, they quickly became an important annual goal for us as we endeavour to lead the sector as best security provider in the UK. We are so proud to have been presented with this top company award by such a respected organisation which we feel, prioritises genuine merit over all else.”
Outstanding Customer Service Initiative
Project Dixon – Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Outstanding Security Training Initiative
Stephen Beels – Auxilia Consultancy
Outstanding Security Installer/Integrator
Mitie TSM
Outstanding Security Partnership
Croma Vigilant in Partnership with London Borough of Camden (RSP)
Outstanding Event Security Team
FGH Security – Events Division
Outstanding New Security Product
Thruvision with Thruvision TAC people screening camera
“Thruvision is delighted to have been awarded OSPA’s New Security Product of 2019. This recognition of the maturity of our technology will help build awareness of how Thruvision can be used to security screen people in a fast, safe and effective way.” – Colin Evans, Managing Director
Outstanding Security Equipment Manufacturer
GJD
Outstanding Security Officer
Stephen O’Conner – VSG
Outstanding Young Security Professional
Nikki Boakye – CIS Security
“I am incredibly proud to be recognised with an OSPA award at this stage of my career. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and I hope this award inspires others to believe that they too can achieve great things if they push through with hard work and innovative ideas. With so much more potential in our sector, this award inspires me and others to be the change I want to see.”
Lifetime Achievement
Carl Palmer – CIS
“I am humbled and honoured to receive this lifetime achievement award, as I am one of those lucky people who loves what they do. Being surrounded by so many talented people has made my career in security an enriching one and I have learned so much from others who I want to thank for their contribution to this win. The OSPA platform is, to me, the awards programme which has the most incredible integrity so it makes this win even more satisfying. I feel more inspired than ever do everything I can to be a force for good in our industry and our society.”
The OSPAs supported charity is The Clink Charity; with guests at the London event making donations to help channel offenders into meaningful work streams helping them to desist from crime.
The event organisers would like to thank all those who have helped to make the third UK OSPAs event such a success including: sponsors – Innovise (headline sponsor); Edith Cowan University (trophies and certificates); Audax (drinks reception); ADS, Axis Security, NSI, International Security Expo, the Security Institute and TrackTik (category sponsors); ICTS UK & Ireland (menu sponsor); supporters – ASIS UK Chapter and the Security Commonwealth; and media partners – AllSecurityEvents.com, Infologue; Professional Security and Risk-UK.
