The Winners for 2006 

John Coleman - MPC John does not turn any job down and is often called at home at strange times of the night to take on a job which he undertakes with a smile on his face. But how do we know he has a smile on his face? John is not used to technology but overcame his gremlins to use our Xda’s and now helps other drivers get over theirs. To summarise his dedication on one job after having gone down a dirt track next to a golf course and over a stream. It was dark and raining hard. As he went down the track his bike got stuck in the mud and to his amazement, when he dismounted – the bike stayed up right. John walked the rest of the way to deliver the package and when the recipient discovered his plight, he organised the local farmer to pull the bike out of the mud with his tractor and John set off for home and work as usual the next day.

Paolo Guida - TNT Express "He is the best courier we have had in the 22 years I’ve been here" said a client.   Paolo keeps his motorcycle clean and well maintained, always wearing corporate uniform and always carries his id card and as we know weather can play a major role in affecting the ability to deliver on a motorbike however, Paolo has never let this get the better of him. In February 2006, confronted by very bad snow and high winds he not only completed his day’s work but also returned to a collection that had phoned him as they had forgotten to put some important paperwork in the package. The customer was amazed and said "I didn’t think a van would be able to get back to us let alone a bike!", and it is this ‘must get through attitude’ that highlights his professional attitude. He is always willing, doesn’t shy away from added responsibility, he brings a good sense of humour to a stressful role, combined with his professionalism makes him very highly regarded by both internal and external clients.

Mike Daniels  - UKToday. Mike is one of our longest serving employed drivers with 16 years under his belt. His extensive knowledge of all our Ad-hoc and Contract client requirements makes him an invaluable asset. Always willing to give that little bit extra to make all the difference; literally in many cases going that extra mile or ten depending on the job! Mike is always ready to help and you can always rely on him too when resources are under pressure. He volunteers to train new drivers on the varied contract work and the measure of his training can be judged by the high standard of customer satisfaction commented on.

Steven Graham - DHL. Steve showns first class ingenuity in his role as a driver and when special attention is needed for a particular job. It was Steve who took on the role of contact, chief organiser and motivator when we were required to collect a volume of parcels that seem to grow by the hour. In short he had to arrange a bulk collection mid afternoon and then a further collection later that day. Steve took control, even out of hours he ensured the delivery of the packages arranging runs and organising available couriers, in such a way that it would not impact on the week end work. It didn’t stop on Friday either but Steve was a willing helper to continue the orgainisation into Saturday. Ultimately being a point of contact for the customer as well as our company. Organised all the drivers and set 6 runs to all points of the compass, POD chasing and informing the client all along the way.The client said many kind words ultimately for the team but knowingly for the man who lead them. Steve has many of these examples to add to the everyday high standard of service he is intent on delivering for the customer and the industry.

David Watkins - MPC. Dave is a well rounded professional courier who loves his job. Having had many years as a ‘roadie’ for many rock bands, he took up couriering to fill in time between tours but ended up as a full time professional. Dave has become a firm favourite with our clients who according to our van control, is often requested by name. One episode, which sums up his ingenuity, was that a delivery of an entire summer collection to be modelled on the catwalk in Milan was not a delivery that could be late. Dave took the shortest route to make the tight deadline, but was faced with problems at the Swiss border, Dave had to wait for 3 hours at the customs whilst matters were resolved, however, whilst the powers to be were waiting for a solution, Dave calmly got back into his van, turned around and drove back into France, drove around Switzerland and into Italy before the customs had noticed. Dave made the deadline just in time for the models to be dressed and take the cat walk. Dave is prepared to undertake any job and has built his reputation as MPC’s number one European driver. Just one example of his capabilitites.

Tony Worley - City Sprint. Tony is totally committed to his role as a professional courier and has always been a strong supporter of the business. He has worked in the industry for 5 years. Before that he spent 25 years in retail management. It is probably this experience which provides him with his customer service insight which is second to none. Tony always puts the customer first and is always thinking of ways in which the customer experience could be improved. Tony is also a supportive colleague and a real team player. There have been a number of occasions when Tony has taken it upon himself to help out the other drivers. On one occasion a large consignment of hampers were received which needed to be distributed. Without being asked Tony started stripping the pallets and sorting the cartons out for the other drivers. Tony is also very safety conscious. He does a daily safety check on his vehicle and is a very courteous and experienced driver. He would never consider taking any risks which could endanger himself or the people around him.

Peter Harris - UK Today.  Peter is a valuable member of our team, with an exemplary attendance record, he has proven his flexibility and reliability consistently and his experience is an invaluable asset to our whole operation. Probably his best skill is his ability to work to tight deadlines, Peter will move heaven and earth to satisfy a request; his problem solving skills and positive attitude to every task is refreshing and much appreciated by his colleagues and customers alike. During the last 12 months Peter has taken on the challenging task of managing the large accounts, managing 1500 orders equating to 5000 items picked, processed and delivered daily. Peter operates efficiently complemented by his ability to keep a motivated team. On various occasions Peter has worked through a problem, ‘not aware of his hours or not his turn’. He is focused on providing a service that responds to the client’s request, when or wherever they need it. Peter not only made significant operation changes and through his hard work and dedication he inspires his staff and colleagues. Our only disappointment is that Peter is an Aston Villa Fan.

Rosemary Smith -TNT First impressions of meeting Rosemary are professional, friendly and her commitment as a courier. Rosemary takes her responsibilities very seriously and believes in high standards and professionalism at all times, which is apparent in the way she conducts her job. Courteous and helpful are just a couple of Rosemary’s attributes which she portrays daily. Rosemary is driven by her continued focus of consistently going that extra mile to ensure a fantastic customer experience. Always smartly dressed in uniform and maintains a spotless liveried van. Rosemary’s dedication is outstanding and her ability to give 100% never fails. A recent implementation by one of Rosemary’s customers was a direct result of her efforts to improve the service she provides. To minimize any confusion over customer requirements on a daily basis Rosemary created a workable document that confirms the customer’s requirements and which is now in operation. She has a reputation among the other drivers as the one to aspire to, her level of commitment to her job is undisputable.

Laura Knight - Lewis Day Laura joined Lewis Day when she was only 17 years old and has grown with the company, learning about both the industry and the company from nothing. In only 4 years she has successfully transformed fleet operations and now runs a whole Motor Fleet department. Laura relishes a challenge and never leaves a stone unturned. She realises the importance of her role and resolves problems with customers in a very mature and diplomatic manner but most of all it s the consistency of her clarity and presentation of work that makes you realise her professionalism. Always helpful, courteous, friendly and has a way of holding her own even in a very male dominated environment! Her rise within the company has been phenomenal as she continues to prove her abilities and worth.  Laura has an excellent future ahead of her and has proven herself to be a most valued member of staff going out of her way to implement new and better procedures and going beyond the call of duty in all instances.

Bobby Miles-Kingston -  Pink Expres. Bobby started in the industry in 1978 as a Despatch Rider and moved to Pink Express in 1998. Over the past 7+ years he has worked in a variety of roles but all with a customer service focus. He is liked and respected by customers and is and is ultra reliable and 100% commitment to his customers and staff. Always cheerful and positive in his outlook always willing to put in extra hours when needed and routinely goes the extra mile on a customers behalf. The instance below is typical ‘Bobby’. A job which occurred in early Dec 2005. A pair of train tickets that were part of a prize in a children’s competition were lost, Bobby not wanting the winning child from Cardiff to miss the premiere of Narnia, arranged for new first class tickets for the girl and her Mother. On their arrival in London, he then got on his motorcycle and went to the hotel where they were staying and gave them a weekend travel pass for there stay in London. Bobby won Employee of the year in 1999 and frequently received commendations from customers for attending to their specific requirements.

Steve Purkis -Reuter Brooks Over the last year Steve has presided over our company’s migration from a bespoke DOS-based despatch programme to DA System’s ACI – proving how invaluable he is as an Operations Manager honing and fine-tuning the new software to provide an excellent platform from which can developed further, the success of which is a direct result of his hard work. Steve is well-known in the London despatch community and would be the first choice of many courier bosses to head their Operations Department. He leads a team of 40 and has been the most significant factor in helping the company grow. Steve is well respected by his contemporaries and is always helpful, reliable and has a wonderful sense of humour. Steve always maintains a professional but friendly relationship with customers and can be trusted to deal with sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy, working tirelessly to uplift the courier industries image and is very pro-active in his approach. Steve has a supported nomination testimony by one of our competitor’s Operation Director.

FedEx’s largest corporate social responsibility initiative in Europe is the FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy. Led by Mr Trevor Hoyle, FedEx UK Managing Director, Operations and Mary Williams, OBE, Chief Executive of Brake, FedEx pays for the operation of the academy, including the training of community volunteers (including FedEx staff) across a range of road safety modules, who then deploy their skills within their local communities.

The Modules include: Company driver safety, Young driver safety, Family road safety, Community road safety and Get road safety in the news

FedEx couriers travel more than 1 million miles every year on UK roads. Our sales teams visit customers throughout the UK and realizing this FedEx has a vested interested in seeing safer roads for all UK users and inculcating this responsible attitude to road safety among its own staff. Beyond our fleet, the academy’s aim is to raise the profile and awareness of road safety issues in the community across age and experience groups – from young, inexperienced drivers to families to other experienced fleet drivers and managers. The academy is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. Created to tap into the community’s growing awareness of road safety issues and to fill a gap in training and education options, the academy is very much an innovation in UK road safety.

Past History of the Awards

VIPs who have made previous presentations at the awards include. Tony Blair, Dr Stephen Ladyman, David Jamieson, Geoff Duke, Glenda Jackson, Steve Norris, Sean Woodward & Lord Falkland. The 2006 June mid week evening in the City of London was the best networking opportunity of the industry. Courier companies from across the UK   attended, from all of the associations, large and small, from Scotland to the South Coast.

2005 The Ten year Celebration.

For the 2005 event, Six times World Champion motorcycle racer and ex army dispatch rider Geoff Duke was there.

The tenth anniversary bash was held in the shadow of St Paul's cathedral at Sationers Hall, to set the scene almost three hundred guests found a race paddock laid out before them in Stationers yard, Hawk Kawasaki  presented their 2005 British superbike alongside a ZX10 road version of the mean green racer. Pink Express  presented their national championship superstock Yamaha and race ridders where on hand to discuss high speed track handling. Camelot Training will took guests down memory lane with an original Honda CX500 presented from their training school museum. With a count down from ten and the howl of race bike engines, Lord Falkland  unveiled the CX 500 to the public for the first time since its restoration. With the tenth year marked as a very special one past winners were named individually on a role of honour to mark a decade of excellence in the same day courier industry.

The 2005 National Courier awards was an event not to be missed. The industry took it to their hearts and it sold out late May.

Ex Conservative Transport Minister Steve Norris and Carl Lomas MBE made key note speaches.

Minister for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman commented, 'I fully support the steps the courier industry is continuing to take to raise the profile of safety and I would like to congratulate all the winners of the awards. - I am pleased that companies are continuing to put road safety awareness on the staff and boardroom agenda. I understand nominations for these awards are taken seriously within the industry. Therefore, I welcome the contribution that the awards such as these can make in raising awareness and encouraging friendly competition. This helps drive up standards, which can only be good for road safety.'

Almost 300 guests  celebrated courier success  at the event sonsored by Skills for Logistics, Camelot Courier Training, Ears Radio and Professional IT in what was the best same day courier event of the year. Courier companies large and small, town and city were represented from across the UK they enjoyed a gala evening  at Stationers Hall in the City of London. Amongst the VIPs were Ian Hethrington chief executive of Skills for Logistics, Roger King chief executive of the RHA, Ian Mutch President of MAG, Alan Savage National Courier Association chairman,  Kevin Walsh DA Chairman, Carmen Livery Master, Trevor Magnor BMF & Major Paul Holden Royal Corps Logistics.

The ten year celebration event will be the  gala courier evening to remember. Motorcycle News was  there to report the action and bag some editorial on the famous red sofa. Want tomorows news today? As a very special gift EMAP MCN  handed out the Wednesday papers in goody bags to everyone leaving the awards on the Tuesday evening.

The  winners in 2005

2 wheels

Name: Stanley Andrews –Lewis Day Transport Stan is the ultimate professional. He works every day without fail – whatever the weather and road conditions and he does it with total enthusiasm and passion for his work. He is helpful and hard working, he makes sure his bike is always up to scratch and he or his bike has never let us down. He sets a true example to everybody at Lewis Day and to the industry. Everyone at Lewis Day unanimously aggress he is a pleasure to work with.

Name: Max Liberson – Reuter Brooks Max started his working life as a trawler fisherman before becoming courier in 1984. Max is a rock and is always there. He never lets us down. He is happy, cheerful and nice to everyone. An example of the character of Max was when he saw a Securicor Employee being viciously assaulted. He decided to intervene and quickly realized he was witnessing a robbery, and tried to stop the assailant inflicting further injury to the Securicor Employee. It is believed that the robbers only failed because of Max’s intervention, and without this the injuries to the Securicor Employee would probably have been far greater. As well as this achievement, it also has to be noted that the delivery was still made on time!

Name: Gary Ormesher - TNT Gary is a great ambassador for TNT Sameday. He only delivers to private addresses, sometimes in very isolated areas, and the weather can play a major role in affecting the ability to deliver on a motorbike. Gary has never let this get the better of him, including one example when he ploughed through bad snow and high winds to get through to a small village in the Peak District. The recipient was amazed stating that "I didn’t think a van would be able to get down the lane let alone a bike", and it is this ‘must get through’ attitude that has helped Gary to maintain his 100% delivered on time key performance indicator.

Name: Tony Turbin - MPC Tony has remained our best rider over the years as others may have come and gone. An example of Tony’s dedication was last winter during the heavy snow Tony was in every day. We never gave it much thought until his partner called one day to say that he maybe a little late due to the fact he had to literally dig his motorbike out of a few feet of snow. Tony got himself to work safely and without any fuss; we have riders who live locally that never made it. Tony is a cool and skilled driver. I believe that Tony’s skill, attitude, loyalty and professionalism has continued to shine through and has got brighter every year he has remained at this company.

4 wheel

Name: Kulbir Bachra - TNT When you first meet Kulbir the first thing that stands out is his glowing personality. He treats everyone with respect and likes to see a job well done. Getting to know him you can see everyone loves him, fellow drivers, teams working in the office, and customers alike. His commitment and personal interactive skills are demonstrated daily. He always aims to deliver a five star service focusing on exceptional customer care with the Kulbir personal touch. Kulbir always sees the positive side to any situation. Kulbir’s dedication is outstanding. He has purchased a private number plate for his liveried vehicle to represent the company he works with. His ability to give 100% never fails.

Name: Andy Patrick - UK Today Andy was the first ever UK Today Courier owner driver. As the person our customers meet regularly, Andy is the ultimate Ambassador for UK Today Couriers and is highly regarded as one of the best drivers. On occasions goods need to be taken to the offshore islands, Europe or the USA, and to be delivered ‘yesterday’. Whilst not core business for a same day courier or driver, Andy carries his passport at all times. This came in very useful when he had to deliver DNA toWashington DC in the USA. He has been nominated following an internal initiative where all employees could nominate there fellow colleagues. The Managing Director says "No task seems to be too much for Andy"

Name: Yassar Sharif - Citysprint Although Yassar has only been with CitySprint Leeds for the last year he is an invaluable asset. From 8am until 6pm Yassar is constantly working non-stop, going from one pickup and delivery to another. If there are any problems, Yassar will always try to sort them out himself and find a solution. Yassar can always be depended upon. We are proud to put Yassar forward; his colleagues know that he is a winner because he never lets the company or the client down.

Contract

Name: Dan Leahy – UK Today

Name: Mark Fisher – GLH

Office

Name: Kay Baker - DHL Kay is the Operations Manager at Birmingham branch, but often takes on many other roles. During a recent branch move she held everyone together, and it went without a hitch.  Without Kay’s constant attention and assistance it could not have gone this smoothly. She also has the responsibility of the Security, Health and Safety of the branch. Many times over Kay has proven her worth, from the ability to solve issues with a calm and soothing manner to her attention to her team; ensuring they can do their job properly and supporting them appropriately. She never leaves anything to chance and the customer sees that in the delivery of the service her branch offer.

Name: Lisa McManus - MPC Lisa was nominated by an employee of Quicksilver, the first cross company nomination of the awards. Congratulations to Lisa! During the lead up to the merger between Quicksilver and MPC, Lisa rapidly became the focal point for preparations. From the moment the merger plan was put into place, right up until the final day, Lisa was a major influence in proceedings. She worked tirelessly in preparing customer databases, pricing and staff rota’s whilst still performing her own duties. From the day the Quicksilver staff moved to MPC, Lisa was one of the first on hand to make them feel welcome. She unselfishly gave her time to train and assist staff and she never showed anything but a smile and a willingness to help. This nomination was a pleasant surprise to MPC.

Name: Russell Reid - Quicksilver  In October 2004 Quicksilver merged with MPC. Russell has always shared the controlling with Steve House and the two have managed the Quicksilver control room for more than 10 years. The merger didn't go right from an operational viewpoint from day one, with BT making a complete hash of the radios and phone lines. Added to learning new control systems, the boys had their work cut out. Sadly two days into the merger Steve called it a day. Russell relished the responsibility and showed true character and company loyalty. His ability to continue to maintain a high standard of service under such constraints has proven yet again that Russell never lets the company down. He kept everything together and kept both the customers and drivers happy. Russell was complemented on, the manner in which he took the customers into the merger and then back out again with dignity and guidance. Russell has our full support as he has proven to us and is a worthy credit to our industry.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO THE INDUSTRY

Name:Jeffrey Ritterband – Lewis Day  Hilton Lewis - Managing Director comments: In an industry that demands perfection each and every time a delivery is completed, Jeffrey has an ability to keep his finger on the pulse.  With one of the largest control centres in Europe, I have absolute confidence in Jeffrey's ability. His good humour maintains the high level of morale that has helped to make Lewis Day successful, and this sense of belonging to the company has filtered through to the drivers and riders on our fleet. His peers and colleagues say: Jeffrey’s journey into the industry started 30 years ago when he worked as a mini cab driver for Greater London Cars (call sign Fortune 90 he recalls with fond memories!). The rest, as Jeffrey says, is ‘really history!’ He embraces the day to day running of our company with total enthusiasm and a passion for what he does, and this shows across the board. His door is always open to any staff where he is welcoming, frank and honest at all times. His approach is hands on and he works excellently with staff, riders and drivers and customers alike to provide the best service.

The 2005 pannel of Judges

Tracey Worth  an ex chairman of the National Courier Association and Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport  again headed the co-ordination of the pannel of judges. They were announced shortly after Easter In a House of Lords reception, Lord Falkland alongside Steve Norris and Tracey Worth announced the 2005 panel of Judges for the National Courier Awards. In alphabetic order they are, Jon Barber - Scarlet Couriers, Judy Benn - Arrow Express, Tricia Bing - Connections, Marc Cheauveux - MPC, Mick Davies - Ears, Carl Lomas MBE - Camelot Training, Trevor Magner - BMF, Ian Mutch - MAG, Alan Savage - London Lonk, Steve Smith - Professional IT. Individuals generally take a two year role in the hot seat. Their task to judge the bet of the best same day. New boys on the list for 2005 are Jon Barber of Scarlet Couriers in Slough and Alan Savage of London Link in Milton Keynes. Instigator and mentor Carl Lomas has done the full ten years. Trevor Magnor and Ian Mutch bring a strong independence to the panel representing the UK rider groups, BMF and MAG

2004 National Courier Awards

Growing from strength to strength the awards moved to a new and bigger venue for 2004. The event was held in the Painters livery hall, City of London. The awards in their nineth year were again a sold out success, companies from across the uk celebrated same day courier excellence, Minister for Transport, David Jamieson returned to present the safety award Driver Hire Nationwide winners in 2003 were back again having built on the 2003 nomination with safety quizzes, poster campaign and vehicle safety cards.They gained special praise from David Jamieson. The 2004 winner was Andrew Barnard of City sprin. In the two wheel bike section the army bagged a winner with a dispatch rider from the Gulf war and John Miscal of GLH took a top office prize. Steve Norris delivered the key speach to guests. Tables were numbered in postcodes and the courier industry had a ball at an event the celebrated excellence in every form of the same day courier industrty recognising, bikes, vans, overnight and office.

Winners of the 2004 National Courier Awards.

Corporate Safety Award Commendation - Driver Hire Nationwide. Winner - Citysprint / Andrew Banard. 2 Wheels - Moynul Ahmed MPC, Jenny Long RLC. 4 Wheels - Mark Gernon Lewis day, Pat Oliver DHL, Danny Ernst Citysprint. Contract - Dave Cox (London marathon) TNT. Office - John Miskell GLH, Bill Butler Reuter Brooks, Charlotte Baverstock Point to Point

2004 Judging Panel announced by Lord Falkland & Lord Jopling

2003 National Courier Awards

The Institute of Directors   again  hosted the National Courier Awards for a gala sit down dinner event on the evening of 24th June 2003 Minister for Transport David Jamieson returned for 2003. David Jamieson had launched a specific safety award in 2002, he returned to present it to the company Driver Hire for making significant impact to safety in same day transport.

Amongst the 2003 VIPs were Roger King chief executive of the RHA, Ian Mutch President of MAG, Ian Hethrington chief executive of RHDTC, Kevin Grey National Courier Association chairman, Simon Bliss National Courier Network Chairman, Colin Barrett Carmen Livery Master, Sharon Nash BMF Chairwoman, Philip Stone Chief Exec Despatch Association, Graham Westcott RHDTC Chairman, John Benchley OCR, Colin Reeve Dfee

Winners for National Courier Awards 2003

Four Wheels - Securicor - Milton Keynes Paul Bishop – Transit Van Driver   After many years as a publican landlord Paul decided he wanted a change. So for the last eighteen months Paul has been working as a van driver in our Milton Keynes office of Securicor. When you first meet with Paul he is a serious person treats everyone with respect and likes to see a job done well. Once you get to know him you see he is a bit of a comedian. In the role of transit driver there is always lots of waiting, unloading and awkward packages to deal with and Paul never gets flustered. He always sees the positive side to any situation and is very pragmatic. Over this last year Paul has been a key player in the Securicor team of van drivers. He is happy to follow the orders of the customer even if they change their mind several times over. In short he is adaptive and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. An example of this was when Paul after a long wait said they couldn’t get the parts from the warehouse to him for delivery. There wasn’t a forklift truck driver on site. So Paul with fork lift truck licence set about getting the parts for them. The client was delighted and sent in a letter of thanks saying ‘Fantastic - so very pleased with his attitude and helpfulness. With all the set backs we had he was always there with his sense of humour and van’.

Contract - DHL Express Preston Dave Lee – Branch Manager  - In April 2003 Dave was appointment as the Contract Manager for a new client as well as running his own branch. Dave has a manner with which he is able to draw the client in to his way of thinking and guides the client through the many pitfalls of a startup contract. He is open but directional and works hard to meet the client’s demands and on time. His ability to concentrate on giving 100% to a client but at the same time not neglecting his own staff is the way Dave has always worked. The Contract has passed through to the final phase The client, very confident and happy to inform me that Dave has been superb throughout the negotiations, start up and final phases. When a contract is won it is only the beginning and it is in the hands of those who implement the contract that influences the client’s opinion about a company. In Dave’s case he has surpassed all expectations and what he has promised and delivered has left the client delighted with the results. Dave is seen as a person who ‘can fix it’ and ‘resolves issues before they escalate’ and he never stands still always looking to improve on things. He has started a new project to bring together and improve on the synergies of internal suppliers and processes. His aim once again is to improve the service he offers to his customers

Office - GLH Bernard Case – Operations and Facilities Manager. Bernard known to us as "Taffy" has worked for GLH for 21 years, starting out as a courier. He then progressed to become a van controller and made the leap to assist Brian Kiddell in Operations and facilities department. He succeeded Brian in 2002 as manager of the department and has since underlined his reputation with his attention to detail in the fields of mechanics and vehicle maintenance. He can only be described as ‘the vital cog in the wheel’. Engineering has always been in Taffy’s blood. He holds a City and Guilds certificate in motorbike engineering and is also a qualified fitter and welder and we at GLH have heard of his adventures with racing bikes and ditches! Being responsible for the company’s fleet of vehicles, premises and telephone lines is a strenuous job, requiring one to be available 24 hours, seven days a week. His dedication to ensuring nothing is left to chance means that we can be sure of the service we can offer the customer because of Taffy’s exacting standards of support. Taffy seems to amaze us all and with such a demanding job we would have thought that he would have had little time for anything else, but we are wrong. Taffy is a registered foster parent and regularly cares for children during difficult times in their lives and he is an active fundraiser for the blind association. Taffy rarely lets anything get him down. His outgoing, easy and relaxed personality should not be taken for granted though because he is of the old school and is very disciplined in his approach to work. The standard’s he expects of everyone not at least of himself is never relenting and it is this approach to his work that makes him such a special person.

 Office - Christopher Matthews – "The Lone Ranger" Sales Executive. 20 years + in the industry and the last 7 with Mercury. Chris has a catalogue of experiences within the industry. He started like most as a despatch rider and after many years on the road Chris’s inquisitive nature drew him towards sales where he felt closer to the heart of the industry. Chris is a genuine honest person who will do anything for anyone. He has developed very special relationships with our clients, not because he has, like most the gift of the gab but because he has a genuine desire to understand their needs. When a client asks for special attention Chris ensures they get it. He follows the clients request but also making sure that this is acceptable to the controlling team. His colleagues like and respect him as they know that Chris never dumps a job on them or make’s wild promise’s that the team can’t match. He dedicated himself to selling the service and is proud of the company and the industry. His loyalty, his honesty and devotion are very often way beyond normal call of duty. At every opportunity he spends his own time meeting others, promoting not only our company but our courier industry too. He regularly meets with other business representatives at forums and commercial business meetings flying the flag for the courier industry. His contribution to the industry and certainly to our company has proven invaluable.

Office - Gary Vann – Customer Liaison Lewis Day Plc.   Gary has worked in the industry for the last 10 years he is a bubbly chap whom you instantly like and has a positive effect on everyone he meets. Lewis Day wanted to nominate him because he has been employee of the month for two month’s out of twelve and he was even put forward from one of our clients as their ‘Suppliers Employee of the year Worldwide’. He has to deal with demanding individuals who need ‘a particular invoice – a personal telephone call on delivery – a blow by blow account of a delivery – monthly monitoring reports – facts and figures for customer budgets’ the list goes on. A lot of this of course is part of his job but that is where we see Gary as different. He is patient, bubbly always willing and never lets the customer get him down. No matter how many times someone asks for the same thing off he goes and does it without complaint. Customers shout in the beginning but by the end of the telephone call they are being reasonable and even thanking Gary for sorting things out. He isn’t a quiet person, thoughtful and always willing to give you a second chance. We think it’s great that not only do we know he is fantastic but also we have proof from our customers that they do to. We believe that Gary is the best you can get, a true professional and someone everyone looks up too. He represents our company and the industry brilliantly.

Two Wheels - Errol Macdonald Reuter Brooks. Errol has been with the company for 4 years now and without doubt he as turned up of work at 7am everyday. Errol is a very cheerful person and his happy disposition, always smiling and seeing the good in everything he does is reflected in the respect his colleagues and peers give him. Errol never lets anything get him down come rain or shine and he loves to get on with the job. His controller’s always know where and how he is doing as he ensures constant and appropriate communication. Errol is committed to doing a job well as he believes that his delivery represents himself, his family and his company to the client. Customers like Errol and we know this as we have received several compliments by name and by his number. Errol is known to clients by his name as he is always taking care to be respectful by taking his helmet off, introducing himself and making the client feel special about their delivery. It is Errol’s attitude to problem solving, cool headedness and the care of making each and every customer feel special that makes Errol stand out from the rest. Errol is a fine example of how a professional courier should conduct himself and we see this through the care of his machine, his attitude to attendance and communication and his ability to do the job well for the customer. He has the support from all the riders, drivers and management staff and they wish him well in this nomination.

Two Wheels - Henry Quinton Quicksilver. Henry has been with the company since he started in the industry some 15 years ago. Henry took a little time out to train as a taxi driver but soon came back to what he knew best. Henry is a life long Arsenal season ticket holder and probably spends the large majority of his wages on following the gunners over land and sea. This however never stops him from presenting himself for work on time the following day. Henry has had a weight problem and with support from his friends and colleagues at work is overcoming this now through weight watchers. For the last 10 years and up to her recent death Henry has had to be the support for his infirm and elderly mother, earning the income and nursing her at the same time. He has proven time and time again that his work never suffered and is always professional in maintaining attention to detail. Henry is a likeable chap and a devoted courier. He is a valuable employee of the company and provides and excellent service.

 Two Wheels - Chris Whitethread Citysprint.   Y43 Chris has been a courier for 15 years, Crosstown couriers then WestOne and now Citysprint. He is a firm favourite with the control staff as an extremely reliable member of the team. He is known for his integrity and dedication to the job and for the care he takes when out delivering. As a result he carries out his duties to the highest of standards ensuring that his paperwork is correct, always calling in and making sure the job gets done right first time. Chris believes that getting the basics in the job spot on makes his and everyone’s else life much easier. As a modest and unassuming person, it is typical of Chris to always shrug off any praise for the work that he does on a day to day business as he believes that he is just doing his job. He is a great example to everyone in the industry on how a professional courier should behave both in the office and with customers. Chris lives in Burton on Trent a mere 120 miles away from the office its lucky he loves riding his motorcycle.

Corporate Safety Award - Driver Hire Nationwide Drivers Pledge.  The drivers pledge was initiated by BRAKE as part of the road safety awareness of 2002. Driver hire took this to heart and over the last year 80% of drivers have committed to the pledge. At the launch of the initative Driver Hire donated one pound per person to charity on taking the pledge. The driver was given the certificate to say he had taken part, lapel badge and rules of the pledge. This pledge raised awareness of personal and other road users safety whilst out on the road. The pledge was to help experienced drivers break bad habits and draw their attention to best safe practise. Driver Hire who are suppliers to the courier industry of temporary drivers have put their drivers into both large and small courier companies. TNT, ANC, NCN, Swift, Citylink.   When a new driver joins the team they are given the choice but more importantly given the training to accept safety on the road as the first priority. Driver Hire then took the step to ensure all their clients were fully aware of the drivers pledge and what was expected of them. Clients took to it very well some even adopting the practise for themselves. Driver Hire have now gone another step further and piloted by Andrew Padgett of the Ashford depot a pledge for the use of mobile phones has been put in place. Again in consultation with the client to make everyone fully aware of the problems and possible dangers that can be avoided if care and attention to safety is taken first. It is a brave step taken by Driver Hire to commit their drivers to a standard that may be seen to impede the work the driver is expected to do for a client. This however shows that it can be done and Driver Hire are leading the way in promoting road safety for all road users.

2002 National Courier Awards

Key note speeches in 2002 came from Transport Secretary of State David Jameison, ex Conservative Transport Minister Steve Norris and All Party Motorcycle Group Lord Falkland. Almost 200 guests  celebrated courier success  at the event sponsored by Camelot Courier Training, Ears Radio and Professional IT in what was the best same day courier event of the year.

Paul Bevan MPC.  Paul has worked with our company for 6 years. He started as a van driver working on both day and night shifts before moving into the office four years ago as a trainee controller on the van circuit. As the company has grown rapidly over the last four years so have Paul’s responsibilities. His natural ‘can do’ attitude and positive approach to the many issues that challenge any courier operations desk on a daily basis act as excellent role model for those he works with.

Paul Brown/Nick Jewitt Prestige.   Paul and Nick are very much key factors in the success and growth of the company. By far their most important assets are intelligence and patience. They always work with the drivers and riders, anticipating problems before they arise. New arrivals, whether they are ‘seasoned pro’s’ or novices are molded into the firm and given plenty of help and encouragement to succeed. They are fair with the work allocation, giving all riders the chance to earn what they are capable of. They do more than just control; they help with pricing, fleet management and have even been known to change an odd toilet roll!

Angela Norman Citysprint.   Angela joined the company 4 years ago after a previous 14 years with another reputable London firm. She was eventually appointed as the Call Centre Manager after holding other internal posts. She started in this role by reviewing the existing departmental procedures paying particular attention to the quality of service on offer to the customer. As a result of this review Angela devised and wrote a completely new induction and training programme that she called ‘Right from the Start’. The title is the basis of her philosophy of quality. Angela believes that if she and her team can do it ‘right from the start’ that a lot of potential problems can be avoided. Every existing member and new member of staff in the call centre now goes through this training programme and Angela then holds refresher courses on a regular basis to make sure no bad habits slip in.

Richard Woodward Mercury.   He started out in June 1985 as a rider, went on to become a Controller then an Operations Manager and now today he is the General Manager. He rebuilt a company that was in despair by bringing it into the 21^st century. Richard didn’t stop here he brought, with his extremely progressive views a small London courier company in to the world, by introducing overnight and international services. His priority has always been dedicated to our customer’s satisfaction and requirements, he continues to extend our services to luxury chauffeur services and facilities management. Today we now provide mail and reception staff to some of the leading institutions in London. From paper dockets to fully computerized system, he has dedicated all of his working life to not just our company but certainly to the whole industry. The whole company is unanimous in wanting to put Richard forward for recognition for his life long dedication to the courier industry.

Aydin Up Securicor.  From joining the company Aydin impressed his managers with his smart appearance, attention to time and record keeping. He is known for his self discipline and wiliness to help everyone he comes into contact with. His normal everyday job as a sameday courier is always tough but Aydin managers to make everyone smile. His immaculate presentation of himself and his vehicle whatever the time of day is hard to follow. Customers have described Aydin was an extremely reliable, responsible and conscientious courier who demonstrates excellent customer care through his ability to ensure and deliver customer service. They feel that he recognizes they are more than just another delivery or collection point.  So it was no wonder when our company was asked to supply a guard/driver for the ‘World Cup Trophy’ on UK tour, we chose Aydin. A 9-day tour of the UK from Scotland right down to Cornwall. An arduous schedule with huge responsibility and implications. The main responsibility was to provide continual guarding of the trophy and timely delivery of the World Cup Trophy to its respective destinations.

Andrew Carwardine GLH. Andy has many years of experience to give to the job and as a company rider he has proven that time and time again. He carries out his duties to the highest of standards, checking his paperwork, calling in and getting it right first time. Making an effort to exhaust all possibilities before troubling the controller or client. He consistently ensures that the simple things are done. When a client asks for the signature straight away, he does it, if the client asks to check the delivery is given to the right person, he does it. It seems to us that these are the core aspects of the job but are not always done well. Andy has consistently done this from day one and never failed us. To try and give an example of his abilities seems impossible because it is the care he takes to every aspect of the job that makes him stand out from the rest. Every job just seems to go smoothly and whenever we have a client ring up with a problem, whether the job was yesterday or last month if Andy did it we have all the answers. He is a professional and does all aspects of the job right first time.

Lester Shore Citysprint.  He started in the industry in the early 80’s with On Yer Bike, then Security Despatch as their first motorcycle courier. His call sign has always been Y01. Over the years he has shown a great deal of loyalty and dedication to the company throughout it many changes. Our most highly respected courier and liked by couriers and customers alike. Lester’s strength is in his ability to deal with all different kinds of people. He has built up extremely good relationships with his controllers who trust and can rely on him for the most sensitive jobs and knowing they will be done in an effective manner. He is articulate and conscientious never failing when he is called upon to do the most difficult of jobs. He will go anywhere at any time. We are proud to have him working for us, as he is a great advert for the industry with his unfailing reliability and dedication to the improvement of service. Lester wants the customer to feel they have received ‘the best’ service. He is an exemplary ambassador for the industry.

Dave Cullum Securicor.  It is evident in his approach to work responsibilities that he recognizes and demonstrates that client relationships are very important. He displays exemplary qualities of client ownership. His conscientious attention to detail through efficient paperwork and excellent customer skills have received praises from customers who have applauded Dave for his considerate care and understanding of their requirements.  If you have to point out one thing that makes Dave stand out from the others you can’t. He takes a responsible approach to his own job and the service as a whole provided for the customer. He is always there when you need him, he always does the job right and certainly you know that his is the pride of the fleet and will conduct himself in a professional and courteous manner.

Elaine Hodson Hays DX.  Elaine started with us over 10 years ago. She was willing to learn and wanted a chance to show that she can do a good job. We quickly realized that she was exceptionally, she learnt very quickly what was expected from her as a representative of our company and what was necessary to do the job. She very quickly achieved a recognition by clients, we received telephone calls complimenting her on her ‘attitude to the job’ ‘ her friendliness’ and ‘her knowledge and understanding of the circumstances’. A customer soon becomes bitter if they think there package is not the ‘be all and end all’ of our service. Elaine has a way with customers to make them feel confident and relaxed about the delivery. Care, attention but also the ability to deliver, a professional manner that ouse's confidence making the customer feel relaxed about the job. Taking the sting out of a customer is Elaine’s specialty calming and being considerate to their needs has brought rewards. Customers stay with us and ask for Elaine; just the fact that Elaine is working today gives the customer the confidence that a delivery will be done well.

 

2002 Panel of Judges

A number of the new judges, Martin Williams  and Simon Bliss   joined Steve Norris  to celebrate with other members of the courier industry and 2002 panel on their appointment in March. Judges for the National Courier Awards typically complete a two year period to the panel. Co-ordinator of the panel is Tracey Worth (left centre of photo) an ex chairman of the National Courier Association and Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport Tracey completed her MBA in 2001 with a thesis on management systems in the same day courier industry.

2001 The London Transport Museum, Covenat Garden, London WC2   

For 2001 the same day courier industry had its most spectacular gala bash so far on a hot June evening. A very strong turnout became a whos who reunion of the courier industry. Lord Falkland gave a key note speach on the bike courier industry and Steve Norris president of the MCI conducted the handing out of hand made individual glass awrads. Much as many courier company chief executives and MDs rubed shoulders so to did key people on the fringes of the industry. BMF chairman, Sharon Nash met DA cheif esecutive Philip Stone alongside National Courier Association Chairman Kevin Gray. Sponsors for the 2001 awards were Camelout Courier Training, Ears Communications and Professional IT. A free drinks reception was supported by Maxon Radio

2001 Winners

Tracey Worth, ex chairman of the National Courier Association, took responsibility for co-ordinating the nominations and chairing the panel of judges. The 2001 panel was made up of ex winners from 1999 and 2000. Tracey has held the position of judge co-odinater for three years. She comments:-"2001 finds three past award winners on the panel of judges. This brings recognition of excellence from those who have already been found to be at the top end of this industries professionalism. David, Tony and Kwangu will be key members of the judge team in bringing a solid foundation of recognised industry experience to the forefront of deciding this years successful nominations."

The 2001  panel of judges in Alphabetic order.

Dee Barratt  Director of Ears communications, David Brown (2000 award winner Prestige Couriers), Gordon Brown   RSA NVQ External Verifier, Kevin Grey Chairman of the National Courier Association. , Carl Lomas  . Managing Director of Camelot Training & Ex chairman of the National Motorcycle Council, Trevor A Magner  BMF (British Motorcycle Federation) , Tony Marson (1999 special achievements award winner), Ian Mutch MAG (Motorcycle Action Group), Kwangu Nyirend (2000 award winner Moves Group), Martin Rutty Despatch Association, Steve Smith Ex DA chairman - Professional IT

2000 The Quarter Deck HMS Belfast, The Thames, London SE1

The 2000 awards ceremony was held on the quarterdeck of Londons foremost landmark the battelship HMS Belfast. Moored on the South Embankement of the Thames in Central London the event was as high profile as the battle  ship its self.

2000 - Three Motorcycle Courier Winners from 10,000

	Clive Baldock SecuricorDistribution
	RichardBarrowclough   GLH
	Stephen Carrington Wallington Cars
	James Fairfield Mercury Despatch
	Adam Machin Prestige
	Malcolm McCabe Quicksilver
	Tony Moses Swiftcall
	Richard Pledge Security Despatch - DMS
	Steve Thomas Quicksilver
	Dave Thompson Cyclone

Stephen Carrington Age 45 Wallington Cars - Stephen is 45 years of age and has been a despatch rider for more than 12 years. His time keeping is impeccable. He is never late and is always around at the end of the day to mop up any work outstanding. He takes pride in his appearance and is always willing to start early or work late if required. Stephen thinks of his work as more than just a job. He talks about clients in a friendly manner and professional way. He sees the task of delivering goods as a mission and will leave no stone unturned when there is a problem in order to make a delivery. Another asset of Stephen is his willingness to help his fellow riders, whether it is locating a place or filling in work sheets correctly.

Adam Machin Age 31 Prestige – Adam was made redundant in early 1998. He came to London for a fresh start. It was immediately apparent to Prestige that Adam had the application to become a first class courier. He had a willingness to learn, realised and seized upon his chance. Originally hailing from the Midlands, he was lacking in knowledge of London but made up for this with sheer graft. Adam completed training, gained his courier skills NVQ and has adopted a serious approach to his work, which has progressed him to become one of the top riders. Without exception Adam is always the first bike on the road in the morning. The company, other riders and clients benefit from Adams willingness and Adam himself reaps the rewards for his hard work through motivation and professionalism.

Steve Thomas Age 48 Quicksilver – Steve has been in the business too long to mention! Married with children and grandchildren he is an anywhere, anytime type of guy who rarely takes time off work. Steve is a gentle man whose generosity is endless, he was recently seen on TV in a dog rescue program. Steve is always punctual, presentable and has vehicle to be proud of. As an ex-military Pioneer Corp, he carries out his duties with precision and in a courteous and polite manner. Steve is quick to communicate problems with the controller and client as he represents both excellently. To this end many clients ask for him personally and he is committed to ensure continuous high standards as an ambassador in his industry.

Special Bravery Award - James Fairfield Age 38 Mercury Despatch – A true Londoner, Jim has been a real trooper. Day in, day out always complaining but always there. This year Jim was ridding along a busy road and became involved in a road traffic incident which he could not have known the horrific chain of events that would follow. Much of the incident is still not settled and will not be mentioned here today. The panel of judges have identified that Jim put his own life at danger to help save another motorcyclist during his work. He may have been a hero for the day but someone out there will thank him for the rest of their life.

2000 Two Office Winners

Shortlist in alphabetical order

David Brown Prestige Couriers – At Prestige Couriers, David manages 150 employees, their wage queries, customer liaison, insurance, maintenance and a host of other time consuming duties. This follows a 16-year career in the industry, which began, on the road. During 1999 the company decided that an entire new computer system was required. David negotiated, arranged and implemented the new system, which has revolutionised the way the entire company works. To avoid disruption to customers many late nights and weekends followed at the same time his new baby daughter Holly arrived. The new system followed onto email and interactive internet access to all departments. Without a doubt David is the driving force behind Prestige Courier Services and has successfully raised the standard of service levels and technology within the company. He has contributed enormously to the expansion and success of Prestige with total dedication and commitment. The directors and staff of Prestige unanimously feel that David offers an example to everyone, continually motivating and encouraging all who come into contact with him, both personally and professionally.

Kwangu Nyirenda Moves Group – Kwangu is in his fourth year at Moves. He is a role model for multi role activities, which have taken him through a solid career path in the Moves team. In his role as a booking Co-ordinator he worked as part of the booking office team who are the shop front of Moves. He has brought outstanding people skills to a very demanding position in which their have been no negative comments.When one of the Moves controllers was ill, Kwangu volunteered to act as link man in the ops room and displayed yet another side of his talents. ‘He earned his spurs’ and much respect from the operations room staff by filling his role as though he had done it for years.Kwangus 3^rd hat is that of a very capable account manager. This developed as customers consistently requesting to deal with him directly. Kwangu is totally professional. He is always helpful, diplomatic and above all consistent in both dealing with clients and his colleagues.

1999 Tower Bridge London

 The 1999 awards ceremony was held in the walk ways of Tower Bridge with spectacular views across London. Sean Woodward MP, conservative Minister for London presented the awards. Lord Falkland of the All Party Group for Motorcycling made a key note speach to the industry. Ian Hethrington Chief Executive of the Road Haulage Distribution Training Council made a key note speach  on courier NVQ qualifications and Investors in People. The awards were in the prescence of Lord Strathcaron and over two hundred guests.

The 1999 Winners :-

Three Motorcycle Courier Winners from 10,000

Richard Smith Age 43 Alexander & Moore – Following a 21-year career in banking which ended in voluntary redundancy Richard turned his hobby into his job. He completed training with top marks and started work with Alexander Moore in July 1997. Accuracy and attention to detail helped Richard establish his London knowledge in remarkable time. After a few months he completed his NVQ qualification in courier skills and his earnings rose rapidly. He was given a company bike, which was kept in immaculate condition. Not one to stand still Richard then completed a course to install computer peripherals, gained top marks and know carries out enhanced courier work delivering parts which he can install on site. ‘Richard is a thoroughly nice genuine bloke who is a credit to himself, his family and the company’

Sally Sylvan Age 31 Business Direct - Sally joined Business Direct 11 months ago already having previous experience of the industry. In that short time has proved an invaluable member of the team. When Business Direct opened its evening circuit Sally was the first to volunteer for late shift jobs, culminating in a very wet and windy trip to Leeds that took most of the night. This was for a new client which had opened their account on the understanding such service could be provided. Sally opened the eyes of the other riders to the possibilities of covering late shift work and has been in the vanguard of the late shift expansion. Sally’s continued commitment to the company is demonstrated by her involvement in the company bike purchase scheme. ‘It is rare to find a woman in the industry, let alone one that can truly be said to be a top rider. Sally has proved herself in one of the most difficult jobs going.’

Mark Wilson Age 40 Security Despatch DMS – Mark started work with Security Despatch in 1978 after leaving Pony Express and has clocked up 21 unbroken years in the industry as a self employed despatch rider. He has seen the industry change from its embryonic state to the huge operation of today. His entire control room were unanimous with his nomination. The controllers find him a pleasure to work with, pleasant and calm on the radio, his level of quiet professionalism with clients is absolute, he is never fazed and his attitude is great. He will take time out to help new riders.‘In short this man is a pleasure to work with, he comes out everyday in all weathers and has kept his sense of humour for over 20 years.’

Three Office Winners

Simon Baker Security Despatch DMS -As fleet manager of security Despatch Simon Baker often known as Paris manages his fleet with amazing fairness, openness and patience. He has an outstanding understanding of the industry and is also a computer whiz sorting problems and systems. He has devised sophisticated stats regarding rider levels which are produced daily. The stats are summarised and turned into a weekly newsletter which often even caries photos. ‘He is an exceptional diplomat and mediator with rider/client, rider/controller and rider/other departments.’

Judy Benn Swiftcall Despatch - Judy began work in the courier industry in 1979 with Inter City Couriers. Her ability to adapt to change has helped Swiftcall Couriers grow from a same day operation to a major player in the APC overnight network. Judy will not tolerate excuses, anything less than 100% is unacceptable. She is well known and respected within the APC network. It is in the sphere of personnel development that Judy’s abilities have really shone through. Judy has encouraged personal growth as well as career development among the riders. Those down on their luck have gone forward to gain respect, dignity and long stay records with the company.  ‘Judy has always excelled in all aspects of customer service and care, for her a complaint is an opportunity to bring the customer closer to you.’

Tracey Reynolds Prontobikes - Tracey is an invaluable asset to Prontobikes as the sales director. Previously from Churchill Express Tracey has been with Prontobikes for over six years. Tracey has an excellent and unique telephone manner. Clients respond to her fresh and cheeky disposition. When we inadvertently upset a client they have stayed for one reason only. That reason being Tracey. Tracey has always taken it upon herself to provide the very best customer care, monitoring quality and service levels. She has developed mutually beneficial contracts with other courier companies which respect her for being cheerful, helpful, co-operative and professional. ‘Tracey is incredibly innovative and has turned around the fortunes of Prontobikes with her fresh and natural approach.’

National Courier Awards 1998

Made by Lord Falkland, Steve Norris (RHA) & Sean Emmet (National Superbiker)

In 1998 over 80 different companies attend the event.

National Courier Awards 1997

Tony Blair and Glenda Jackson visited the event in 1997 to congratulate the winners.

More Details www.ncawards.co.uk