Squire’s Colleagues Making All the Difference!
Once again, Squire’s Garden Centres has celebrated the achievements of its amazing colleagues for their outstanding contributions to centres and their local communities with a special awards lunch hosted by Colin Squire, Chairman Emeritus and Sarah Squire, Chairman, of the family-owned business.
Each year Squire’s recognises the stand-out achievements and contributions of colleagues though its ‘Make a Difference’ (M.A.D.) scheme. Awards can be presented to individuals or groups of colleagues and winners are selected by a panel who recognise those who have really excelled and ‘made a difference’ to colleagues and customers and demonstrated the values of Squire’s.
This year the contribution of Squire’s colleagues from seven centres – including Chertsey, Hersham, Long Ditton, Milford, Shepperton, West Horsley, and Wokingham – was recognised, as well as colleagues from Squire’s Group Office at Badshot Lea.
Examples of colleagues going the extra mile with their outstanding gestures include:
- A member of the Squire’s Hersham team for providing “wonderful assistance” when a customer passed out in the Café Bar and was hospitalised. The customer’s family commenting that the Squire’s colleague had excelled “working spectacularly” and that they were “so grateful”. (Mark Higgs, Good-in Assistant, Squire’s Hersham)
- Team members from Squire’s Shepperton pulled out the stops one evening after the garden centre had closed to locate and collect a very young visitor’s important medical kit, containing his insulin, and needed for supper time. The medical bag had been left in error at the centre. The customer commented: “Just after 8pm a couple of your centre managers had contacted me and one headed down to the shop to open up and rescue the bag from the seesaw. I was thrilled, and very relieved…. without the proactivity and help from your team, I would have been in a real situation.” (Amy Penfold, Charlie Watts & Debra Findley – Squire’s Shepperton)
- A Squire’s West Horsley colleague was nominated for firmly demonstrating Squire’s ethos of going the extra mile and helping others. The West Horsley team’s van driver saw a lady on the ground who was trying to get attention for assistance. Only in his first week with Squire’s and new to the role, the colleague stopped the van to assist the lady who had slipped and was unable to get back up alone. Quick thinking, the driver realised he needed some assistance to get the lady up and so sought help from another passing driver who agreed to help. The colleague ensured the lady safely returned to her home. (Ben Whitton, Driver, Squire’s West Horsley)
The award recipients of the 2023 ‘Made a Difference’ scheme each received a gift and were thanked at a lunch, held at Squire’s Badshot Lea, which was served by Squire’s Management Team
Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, comments: “Once again, our colleagues continue to excel in their kindness, quick-thinking and problem solving, never failing to go above and beyond in their contribution to our business and their communities. My father and I are tremendously proud of our M.A.D winners and delighted to recognise their efforts.
“I congratulate all our colleagues across our 16 centres for their dedication and always keeping our customers front of mind.”
Image above: back row, from left: Mike Carpenter (Squire’s Milford), Katie West (Squire’s Group Office – Badshot Lea), Mark Higgs (Squire’s Hersham), Ben Woolhouse (Squire’s Badshot Lea), Nick Todd (Squire’s Badshot Lea), Charlie Watts (Squire’s Shepperton) and Sammy Anderson (Squire’s Long Ditton).
Front row, from left: Deborah Lake (Squire’s Milford), Karen Ranger (Squire’s Wokingham), Sarah Squire (Chairman, Squire’s Garden Centres) Colin Squire (Chairman Emeritus, Squire’s Garden Centres), Cheryl Deepchand (Squire’s Badshot Lea), Tracey Greenway (Squires Group Office – Badshot Lea) and Nick Alcock (Squire’s Chertsey)
