A new category, The Outstanding Security Sustainability Award, has been added to the 16 categories in the UK arm of the Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs).
This new award recognises any organisation, in any sector and area of activity, that is committed to outstanding practices in furthering environmental and social sustainability in whatever form – whether reducing waste, improving the carbon footprint, progressing towards circularity, or using more eco-friendly materials or approaches.
These awards founded and run by consultancy Perpetuity Research provide the opportunity to highlight the best companies, people, projects and technologies that have made a significant contribution in safeguarding people, places and property from all areas of potential crime and disorder. Entry is open until October 4 and you can view the criteria for the 17 categories here.
Nominations will be scored by an independent panel, chosen by supporting security associations and special interest groups to represent them. The organisers stress that the process is strict and robust and provides a level playing field for all those that enter. Winners will be revealed at a black-tie dinner, on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at the Royal Lancaster London; the same venue as this year’s.
Founder of the OSPAs Prof Martin Gill said: ‘Since the inception of the UK OSPAs into the global awards programme in 2017, we have seen a significant rise in the number of nominations and those who support the awards year on year. I believe it is fair to say that the OSPAs are different; they are independent, open to anyone to enter, they are free. We as organisers do not choose the judges, they are nominated by the leading security associations and interest groups. The judges agree to mark to a published ethics policy, mark independently against set criteria and only those that reach a score threshold go through as finalists. The criteria for each award category have been carefully considered, are based on extensive research across different security sectors and by looking at how outstanding performance is recognised and judged in other fields. We also have an ethical sponsorship policy too.
‘We pride ourselves on our values of being independent, ethical, transparent, respectable and credible and that is why many people around the world regard winning an OSPA as the most prestigious accolade to be awarded in the security sector globally.’
The OSPAs are now running in some 15 countries from Norway to Germany to the USA to New Zealand. TEAM Software are headline sponsors and Assist Group, Bidvest Noonan, CIS Security, NSI, BSIA and The Security Institute are sponsoring categories. Visit uk.theospas.com/.
Picture by Mark Rowe; Prof Martin Gill on stage during the thought leadership summit in London before the UK OSPAs evening ceremony in February 2022.
