Awards: TfGM, GM Police, Stagecoach, Seddon, Clough & Willis
A passenger safety scheme carried out jointly by Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Police, Stagecoach Manchester, First Manchester and the Metrolink operator MRDL has won national praise. The Greater Manchester Travel Safe Scheme was presented with a highly commendable certificate as part of the Home Office's Lord Ferrers Awards. The GMTSS, which started in 2009, resulted in regular policing patrols on Greater Manchester buses and trams and at stations including surveillance operations.
Construction company, Seddon, which has its national head office in Bolton, was named employer of the year by the UK Contractors Group which represents the building industry's leading contractors. The national award recognises Seddon's commitment to apprenticeships and training. The company celebrated its 75th anniversary of recruiting apprentices in 2012, with 88 apprentices recruited across Seddon Group during that year. This is the second time in three years that the award has gone to Seddon.
Bury-based law firm Clough & Willis secured membership to the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme, the mark of excellence for the home buying process. Clough & Willis underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to secure CQS status, which marks the firm out as meeting high standards in the residential conveyancing process.