ALMR announce late night award winners

Last night we were pleased to join the industry's finest at the dusk 'til dawn event  in London to celebrate outstanding operators and all that is great in the late night sector.

Long time supporters of the ALMR and Propel we joined 300 other delegates from across the industry enjoying an all round fantastic evening bringing together operators, managers and service providers to the late night sector under one roof at the Cafe de Paris.

After the dinner service this year's winners were announced bringing much excitement and anticipation to the room.

Spread over seven categories a number of our clients achieved finalist status with some, The Deltic Group, Intertain and Novus Leisure, actually winning the awards on the night.

The Deltic Group won the Entertainment award whilst iNTERTAIN won the award for Marketing and Promotion. Novus Leisure found success with their venue, Forge, being awarded the best Late Night Venue award.

Revolution Bars Group PLC won the Late Night Drink award, The Blues Kitchen won the Late Night Food award whilst Beds and Bars won this years' award for Service and Team Development.

A special Icon award was also given to the Ministry of Sound,  celebrating and acknowledging their 25th anniversary.

"We enjoyed a quality evening recognising all that is great about the late night industry. We are thrilled to be providing services for so many of the finalists and winners. It's good to see all the hard work that goes in being acknowledged on such a large stage. Congratulations to all involved"

Brett McMann

Commercial Director, Professional Security

ACS Champion of the Year 2015

We are thrilled to announce that we are once again a finalist for this year's much sought after ACS Champion of the Year award

Already a finalist in three other categories news broke yesterday that we had added a fourth to this years' quest to win a Security and Fire Excellence Award

The Security Industry Authority's Approved Contractor Scheme aims to raise the standards and promote Best Practice in turn creating a safer environment for the public. The award is open to all SIA Approved Contractors and seeks to identify those who have taken exceptional steps to further the spirit of the scheme given their available resources.

Our ACS score in this years' assessment was an impressive +165 from a possible 174, which firmly positions us as one of the leading participating companies within the scheme.

The awards will take place on November 25th at the Hilton on Park Lane in London so until then we cross our fingers and continue to promote the worth of being and buying from an SIA Approved Contractor.

If you wish to know more about the benefits of using an Approved Contractor please click here

Security Excellence Awards 2015

Proud to be finalists at the Security Excellence Awards in multiple categories!!

Here in the Professional Security offices we are all smiles following the news that we have yet again been announced as finalists at these prestigious awards. This year so far we are finalists in three categories;

Customer Care Initiative of the Year

We've worked hard in the last year to monitor our performance levels and engage with our clients for regular feedback. It's essential for us to understand how our clients feel we perform and how we could improve our level of service.

Contributions to Standards in the Security Sector

We have always aimed high and continue to do so but to be named a finalist in this category makes it all worthwhile. Our Best on Door award is here to help motivate security operatives to work to a high standard and also reward those who do. We are working hard to look at continually raising standards within our own business and the security industry.

Security Guarding Company of the Year

All of our security personnel, whether it be our retail guards, static security guards, door supervisors or event teams, are often the first interaction that people have with Professional Security. It's essential we continue to deploy well rounded professionals who will perform and represent to a high standard.

The awards night will take place on Wednesday 25th November at the London Hilton on Park Lane so until then cross your fingers for us!

Pryzm win Best on Door 2015 in Kingston

Congratulations to the team at Pryzm who last week were announced as the winners of our 2015 Best on Door award at the Best Bar None awards in Kingston upon Thames.

Tuesday evening saw the best attended awards ceremony to date hosted at The Hippodrome in Kingston with Pryzm leading the way taking home 5 awards on the night including our very own Best On Door award!

"This evening is not about your sales, it's not about your targets, footfall or your bottom line. It is about you as team members who work hard behind the scenes to create great bars in Kingston"

Ros Morgan, Kingstonfirst Director

"This is the first time that Pryzm have been awarded the Best on Door award and having volunteered as an assessor for a number of years now I know how high the bar is set by the venues that participate. Congratulations to Dan and the security team at Pryzm

The award is going from strength to strength since launching it in partnership with Best Bar None. We are pleased that Kingston have embraced its' inclusion within their awards scheme and any other Best Bar None schemes wishing to include the award should email me at b.mcmann@professionalsecurityuk.com "

Brett McMann, Commercial Director, Professional Security

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Staxtonbury 2015 busiest to date!

Our first event in July saw a welcomed return to Staxtonbury with  festival goers enjoying a fabulous weekend of entertainment by the coast.

This three day event yet again saw crowds flocking in early to secure the best camping pitches available. Over 5000 people visited over the course of the weekend all greeted with #securitywithasmile from our event security team.

"Having recently held our 7^th annual music festival, we feel that we need to acknowledge the part played by Professional Security for the help they have given us in building our event during the five years that they have worked with us.  The festival has gone from strength to strength and is now probably one of the largest events of its kind in North Yorkshire.

Our event has been built with the ethos of providing a safe, friendly and secure environment  and Professional Security have been instrumental in helping us to achieve this. Not only is this evident over the festival weekends but they have also shown a commitment to attend briefing and  de-briefing meetings. The have offered valued advise  and suggestions which have helped to move the festival forward into what it is today. We feel that this year’s event was the best operation that we have run since the start in 2009. Professional Security have, over the years, worked very well with our staff and there is mutual respect between us as both parties strive to keep the family friendly atmosphere that  we desire and achieve. "

Ray Roberts, Staxtonbury Family Music Festival

Event Security Manager Luke Warner (pictured left)

"When selecting the team it was important to me to ensure we delivered the highest level of customer care and enhanced people's experience of visiting the site from the moment we meet them and issue wristbands, to saying goodbye at the end of the final day. Another year with no major incident is a credit to the Staxtonbury team and ourselves and I would like to thank everyone who worked on my team for the weekend. Great job! Looking forward to Staxtonbury 2016!"




Mike De Freitas, one of the acts appearing at the family festival said "I would like to thank the security team who worked at Staxtonbury 2015.  They managed to keep a very busy weekend in check, addressing matters effectively and promptly with very little fuss. One thing that particularly impressed me was that they always took into consideration that this is a family festival and even joined in with the festivities on occassion"

"We received a number of compliments about your staff, again this year, and  the continuity of your staff from year to year working alongside our staff doesn’t go unnoticed by the public and  of course ourselves. As organisers, we felt as though we were in good hands and were able to concentrate on the many other facets of organising a festival without worrying about the security aspect."

Ray Roberts, Staxtonbury Family Music Festival

"Professional Security  staff are well presented and diligent in their duties and can be  relied upon to keep good time; they are well prepared and equipped and yet flexible when the need arises.Staxtonbury Family Music Festival have had no hesitation in recommending  Professional Security to other event organisers in the past and we feel sure that we shall be able to do so in the future also.  We feel that we can trust Brett and his team to  fulfill our requirements and are confident that they will continue to do this in our future events."

+165 ACS score in our 2015 assessment!!!!

We are hugely proud to announce that in our recent Approved Contractor Scheme audit we have achieved our highest ever score, and one of the highest ever scores in the history of the scheme.

We have continually scored within the top 5% of companies participating in the scheme over the last 5 years and believe our recent score firmly positions us within the top 1%

The scheme is voluntary to participate in, whilst is designed to raise performance standards and to assist the private security industry in developing new opportunities.

"Jomu have worked with Professional Security for over 8 years. Throughout their partnerhsip they have grown into a market leading security company.The backbone behind success lies with the dedication and commitment that consistently runs throughout their team. This is clearly evidenced alone through their recent success in the Approved Contractor Scheme, where they achieved an incredible score of 165 points"   
Andrea Jones, Managing Director, Jomu

"You can expect effective customer-focused procedures in place to overcome any issues that arise in service delivery. The ACS standard encourages service customisation, rather than "off-the-shelf"packages. This will help ensure that the services delivered more closely reflect your precise requirements.  ( Source; SIA website)

"This year's assessment saw the assessors visit the east coast to meet with both our representatives and clients. Being the Operations Manager for the area I am extremely proud of the outcome and would like to thank all involved"   
Wayne Brown, Operations Manager, Professional Security

"To have achieved such a high score is another amazing achievement by the team at Professional Security. We've just experienced our most successful year to date and sincerely hope this achievement, alongside others, are taken into account when the judges are making considerations for this year's ACS Champion of the Year award"  
Brett McMann, Commercial Director, Professional Security

We have worked hard to continually promote the benefits of buying security from an ACS approved company and would welcome the opportunity to speak with anyone who may be considering implementing an ACS approved security supplier.

Apartment in Chesterfield launches

We are delighted to have commenced supply of Door Supervisors to Chesterfield's newest late night venue , Apartment

The Apartment is a NYC-inspired "drinkery and dancery" specialising in good times, and that was certainly the case for all who paid a visit over the recent Bank Holiday weekend.

Located in the heart of the town centre next to the Crooked Spire, this brand-new, forward-thinking
venue will pride itself on offering quality cocktails, spirits and beers which will sit hand in hand with a humble, yet big city vibe. 

   "As the venue is located on an upper floor we wanted to create an american loft feel to it which is all about that social vibe with a music policy that is different to the rest. We will pride ourselves on serving the best choice of American and World bottle beers in the area, accompanied by a great choice of cocktails to experience."

There will be a strong focus on putting a little extra love and care to what they do. Pop-up events at the venue will range from personal appearances to salsa nights to whisky tasting sessions. Throughout the week, the likes of hip-hop-tinged quiz nights and guest DJs  will ensure that Apartment is not simply a place to go, but the place to be.

     

     "We would like to thank Professional Security for their support last weekend, the guys were really good and very professional"

On the coast

Our last weekend in April saw the east coast spring to life with a heap of live music and guest appearances.

Whitby's Goth weekend is always a huge attraction and didn't fail to deliver. Thousands of followers descended on the coastal town of Whitby for the weekend for an event now in it's 19th year.

"The Goth weekend is renowned for it's great attendance levels and fantastic costumes that people wear, this year did not disappoint and I think in some respect the costumes help keep people in good spirits throughout it's duration.The weekend in Whitby was a pleasure to work and kicked off what looks set to be a very busy event season for us."

Luke Warner, Project Manager, Professional Security

Just down the coast saw a stark contrast musically as chart topper Basshunter performed at Quids Inn in Scarborough for the second time in recent years.

"Saturday night saw the return of Basshunter to Quids Inn and was another massive success. My thanks go to all of our security team for ensuring the safety of our customers, staff and Basshunter feel welcomed and safe whilst enjoying their night.The security team's professionalism throughout the evening was excellent especially when escorting Basshunter to and from the stage through the crowd and during the meet and greet. Thanks to everyone who came down and made it a memorable night! "

Liam Elliott, Quids Inn

New venues in York

We are delighted to have been appointed the security partner to two of York's most well known venues, Salvation and Society.

Both venues have stood the test of time having operated since the early 90s giving anyone who passed through their doors a great night out !

"Having grown up locally and regularly visiting these venues under their previous names this appointment is very exciting for me. For the venues to have been successful for such a long period of time is testament to the way they are managed and operated. We are looking forward to complementing to that process"
Brett McMann, Commercial Director, Professional Security

Way back in 1990 number 1 Rougier Street was refurbished and opened the following year as McMillans. Over the following two decades further investment was made with the team always keen to keep their concept fresh and appealing, having traded as both "BPM" and "Bar Salvation" until finally becoming "Society" three years ago. Society is now proud to say it trades 6 nights a week with a strong emphasis on being DJ and music led which proves popular with both locals and students.

With the appointment of a new Head Door Supervisor, Ray, you can expect to be greeted with a smile and a warm welcome whenever you visit Society. We've also introduced Claire into the team working across both venues who has received fantastic feedback over the past few weeks. As a company we were pleased when the venues shared our vision of the importance of female security operatives, which is a matter we are placing a strong focus on nationally.

Those of you who partied in York in the 1990s may know "Salvation" better by it's previous names, "Merlins" and "Nexus". Club Salvation trades for most of the year 5 nights of the week hosting midweek official student nights for both York St.John University and the University of York. They also boast a flagship night each Saturday which is well worth a visit if you've yet to experience it!

 "The safety and comfort of our customers is one of our core values. Our customer journey starts at the front door, it's where we make our first impressions which can affect the total customer experience. We want our customers to be treated with courtesy as they approach the door, as they enter and throughout the night. We appreciate our customers and if our guests feel safe they can relax and have fun. For those reasons we chose Professional Security. We believe their company, because of it's focus on service and constant improvement, can and will deliver exactly what we need"
Russ Brown, Operator.

2014 - Our greatest success to date

A busier than expected January has meant that this post is long overdue to give everyone an update of where we find ourselves as a business moving into 2015.

2014 was our most successful year to date breaking several records throughout the twelve month period, something that as a team we are all extremely proud of.

The business continues to grow at a controlled rate and last year was our highest increase to date, moving us into both new sectors and new geographies. To accommodate the rate of growth and ensure that service level delivery standards weren't affected we recognised the need to layer in further managerial infrastructure to support our ever growing client base. We are very pleased to say we now boast a full national footprint.

Alongside increasing our internal team at head office we also brought in several individuals to fulfill the roles of Area Managers along with two new Operation Directors, to oversee both the North and South respectively. The most recently introduced area manager roles cover from East Anglia, the South Coast, the Midlands and South West region into Wales. With such an expanding presence in the South the decision was made that we required a second office and we quickly took up residence in London.

We continued to excel in the SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme once again qualifying for the ACS Pacesetters whilst also beating our previous record score. We are one of around only 100 companies to have currently qualified for the ACS Pacesetters. This years score of +160 is our highest to date placing us within the top 1% of companies participating in the ACS scheme. It's an achievement we are hugely proud of.

Towards the end of the year we were once again selected as finalists at the Security Excellence Awards in not one but two categories; Contribution to Standards in the Security Sector and ACS Champion of the Year. The awards have consistently broken new ground in highlighting the very best people, projects and processes the UK's security sector has to offer

In 2015 we look forward to introducing new technology and systems to further improve the level of service our clients receive. We hope to continue to increase our relationships with both existing and new customers, already looking at two further offices to ensure we continue to deliver to a high standard.

With a new management structure in place, new offices, a raft of accreditations and achievements we look forward to what 2015 has to offer!