A Sunderland contact centre for online grocer Ocado has beaten national competition to be named the best in the UK.
Ocado Retail was this week crowned Contact Centre of the Year at the UK National Contact Centre Awards.
Taking place at Old Billingsgate in the City of London on Monday, June 20, the annual awards recognise exceptional and inspirational individuals and teams across the contact centre industry.
Finalists included some of the biggest names in industry, including McDonad’s, Vodafone, ASOS and Sky, but the overall winner was The Beam-based contact centre which relocated to the city in 2020.
The move saw the company invest in two floors at The Beam at Riverside Sunderland. Two years on the ecommerce giant, which is partly owned by Marks & Spencer, now employs over 400 people at its city centre base, with staff receiving benefits such as flexible working, employee rewards and private medical insurance.
Paul Greenwood, head of the Ocado Retail customer hub, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the entire team at Ocado Retail’s Contact Centre here in Sunderland - being crowned the Contact Centre of the Year is a fantastic achievement and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of each and every colleague. We’re a growing team of over 400 and are always on the lookout for new talent.”
Staff from Newcastle law firm Hay & Kilner battled through freezing gales and hailstorms to take their fundraising target for a city foodbank to new heights.
A 16-strong team from Hay & Kilner took on a sponsored climb of Helvellyn, England’s third highest mountain, to raise money for Newcastle West End Food Bank, which has been adopted by staff as their dedicated charity for 2022.
And as a reminder of the project that they’re supporting, the Hay & Kilner hikers took five rucksacks filled with tins and packets of food with them to the top of the mountain. The £1,509 raised so far more than doubles the £1,200 that has already been brought in for the Food Bank through activities including bake sales, a raffle, a Grand National sweepstake and a quiz.
Hay & Kilner staff have also recently begun a series of volunteer days with the Food Bank, helping to collect stock and organise the hundreds of deliveries that it makes around the west end of the city every week.
Trainee solicitor Lydia Sevenoaks, who was one of the organisers of the climb and a Food Bank volunteer, says: "We had a real mixture within our team, from experienced mountaineers to people who’ve never taken on anything like this sort of climb before, but we all worked together to make sure everyone got to the top and back down again safely."
John McCorry, chief executive, Newcastle West End Foodbank, adds: “More people than ever are visiting our Foodbank as the dramatic rises in the cost living pushes some households further into hardship and destitution. Being adopted by Hay & Kilner as their dedicated charity for 2022 is a great example of the business sector’s positive contribution to supporting organisations like the Foodbank to help local communities and the families who live in them."
Newcastle-based sales and marketing specialists durhamlane has won a Global Sourcing Award (GSA) for Excellence in Partnership Collaboration.
durhamlane won the Excellence in Partnership Collaboration award for its ongoing work with Konica Minolta Business Solutions at the UK ceremony that took place on Thursday, June 16, at Park Plaza Victoria in London.
The UK Global Sourcing Awards recognise and celebrate the efforts of companies who have demonstrated best practice in strategic sourcing.
Managing director, Jake Spence, said: “Building long-term partnerships with our customers has always been a core priority, as it enables us to truly get inside their worlds and helps us create strategies that generate longstanding return on investment.
“It’s our people that run the daily operations, working hard to onboard and manage our clients. Our collaborations and partnerships with companies help to strengthen the business, so this award is not just important to me and the senior leadership team, but the company as a whole and showcases the hard work the teams put in day in and day out. It’s exceptional to be publicly recognised for the work that we do.”
Social entrepreneurs across the North East are being invited to join a new networking event, designed to connect people with with a passion for making positive change.
The Connecting for Good Network, set up by the North East BIC, is a networking opportunity for established social enterprises and those just at the start of their business journey, which will take place monthly at venues across the region.
The first event on Monday, June 27, will take place from 10am to 12pm and will be hosted at the BIC - which is itself one of the region’s longest-established social enterprises. The event will be facilitated by its team of expert advisers who provide guidance, support and advice to those starting or growing a social enterprise, co-operative or not-for-profit business.
Attendees will also have the chance to expand their professional network and make new connections with people doing business for good across a broad range of sectors.
Kevin Marquis, social enterprise manager at the BIC, said: “We’re delighted to launch The Connecting for Good Network, which will be an invaluable opportunity for social enterprises and entrepreneurs to meet likeminded individuals, develop their knowledge and raise the profile of the work they are doing. We share the ambition to make change happen and this informal event will not only strengthen business connections and provide access to new information, but it may just spark new ideas and help people gain a new perspective on the important work they are doing in the world.”
