Juniper Ventures marked its first ever Awards for Excellence on Friday 17 July, bringing together 200 colleagues, guests and sponsors at The Old Town Hall to recognise the people behind its catering, cleaning and health and safety services across schools and public buildings.
The evening celebrated achievement across 11 categories, from Cleaning Team of the Year and Catering Team of the Year through to Health and Safety Compliance Champion, Unsung Hero, Making a Difference and Colleague of the Year. Each award recognised colleagues who go beyond the everyday demands of their role, whether that’s running a busy kitchen, keeping a building safe and compliant, or simply being the person others rely on.
Among those celebrated was Jackie Patterson, Acting Chef Manager at Calverton School, who took home the Unsung Hero award for the quiet reliability and care she brings to her role every day. Anna Iluta, Chef Manager at Central Park Primary School, was named winner of Outstanding Contribution to Juniper, recognised for the lasting impact of her work across the organisation. The Results Rockstar award went to Rachel Hamilton and Kerry Powell of the Training and Development Chef team, whose work has helped drive measurable improvements in catering standards.
Michael Hales, Chief Executive Officer at Juniper Ventures, said: “Our first Awards for Excellence was a chance to properly celebrate the people who make Juniper what it is. Every day, colleagues across the business go quietly about the work of feeding people well, keeping buildings safe and making sure standards never slip, and it was fantastic to bring 200 of them together to say thank you.
“What struck me most on the night was how many of these stories are about teamwork and care, rather than individual achievement. That is exactly the culture we want to build on.”
