The British Cleaning Council and members write monthly columns for both Cleaning and Maintenance and Tomorrow’s Cleaning. You can read recent columns below.
To read the columns as they originally appeared, please visit https://cleaningmag.com/columnists and https://www.tomorrowscleaning.com/back-issues
Website launch will showcase training opportunities
By Delia Cannings, Chair of the British Cleaning Council. (This column first appeared in Tomorrow’s Cleaning magazine).
This month is an exciting one for a number of reasons.
The next London Cleaning Show begins on March 18 and the British Cleaning Council will be launching two initiatives on the day that are hugely important for the cleaning and hygiene sector as a whole.
I will be opening the Cleaning Show and during my talk, I will unveil a major project that we have been developing for months.
The UK Cleaning Career Development Zone website will seek to address a key strategic issue which has been holding the sector back.
It will bring together information about training and career development opportunities from across the industry into one place for the first time, where they can be easily accessed online, for free.
With the information staff need to succeed in the industry at their fingertips, it will make it easier for current employees to advance their career and will also help attract new joiners to the industry.
Our publicity campaign will leverage the website launch to promote the myriad opportunities the industry offers, so helping address the recruitment issues which have hampered our industry in recent years. Watch out for further details, which will be announced on March 18, as well as featured in the media and via social media.
During that address, I will also give an update on BCC activities and launch the BCC’s 2025 research report about the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector.
The report is full of interesting and revealing facts and figures about sector and sub-sectors, covering areas such as the make-up of the workforce, recruitment and skills, and health and safety.
This key document gives us the evidence we need to prove that the industry is one of the biggest and most important in the UK.
If you are attending the Cleaning Show, pop by the BCC stand for a free digital copy of the research report and to find out more about the UK Cleaning Career Development Zone website.
The Cleaning Show, whether it be in London or Manchester, is always a milestone in our industry’s year. It is the biggest and best UK trade event for the sector and I am proud to say the BCC is a co-producer.
The 2025 show, which runs from 18-20 March at the Excel centre, promises more exhibitors and conference speakers than the previous London edition, and extra floor space has been booked.
More than 7,000 attendees are expected, and they will have the opportunity to meet key suppliers, discover the latest products and services, learn from a host of leading figures and network with senior specialists from across the sector.
As always, the conference programme will be a key attraction, offering a series of engaging panel sessions over three days, featuring industry experts including myself, Neil Spencer-Cook and Kelsey Hargreaves of The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), Paul Ashton, Chair of the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) and Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA).
The CSSA will host its annual Innovation Showcase at their stand, spotlighting pioneering technologies and advancements aimed at transforming cleaning operations, from AI-driven solutions to sustainability-led initiatives, and you can also meet fellow showcase sponsors the CHSA at the same time.
You can also visit the Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC) and BICSc at their stands.
The Window Cleaning World Cup is also returning, inviting exhibitors and visitors to put their speed, skill and expertise to the test for the chance to win £1,000 cash.
The show is free to attend but please register first. If you haven’t signed up yet, I strongly urge you to consider it. I hope to see you there.
Find out more at www.cleaningshow.co.uk/london
Excitement builds for The Cleaning Show
By British Cleaning Council Chair, Delia Cannings. (This column first appeared in Cleaning and Maintenance online).
I will be highlighting the message that the sky’s the limit for anyone with a career in our sector next week when I launch an exciting new initiative at the Cleaning Show.
I am looking forward to opening the show on Tuesday 18 March for a number of reasons.
The Cleaning Show is, of course, the flagship event for the cleaning and hygiene sector, so it is always a pleasure and privilege to speak there, but my opening speech will be particularly important and enjoyable because of the two initiatives I will unveil.
I will be delighted to launch the UK Cleaning Career Development Zone (www.ukcleaning.org.uk) at the show, a project which means a lot to me personally as someone who sets great store in the value of training and education.
The new website will bring together information about industry training and development courses for the cleaning and hygiene sector into one place for the first time, we have made it incredibly easy to access a comprehensive range of professional development information online.
It will help address the lack of educational structure in terms of pathways for staff progression in the sector, which many believe is a strategic issue which has made the sector less attractive to potential joiners. Furthermore, it will provide direct access to training and development opportunities which are funded and even some without cost.
By bringing together disparate information about careers development and training opportunities into one place, the UK Cleaning Career Development Zone will make it easier for current sector staff to advance their careers, and for new joiners to succeed.
The BCC will be backing up the website launch with a publicity campaign highlighting the huge opportunities a career in the sector offers. We will be advising potential recruits that the sky is the limit if they choose a career in the cleaning and hygiene industry.
I will also give an update on BCC activities and launch the BCC’s 2025 research report, the second of the initiatives I mentioned. The research report will be packed with facts and figures about the cleaning and hygiene sector. It is a key industry document and well worth reading, and I am pleased to say we can offer a free digital copy to anyone with an interest.
This year’s Cleaning Show, from 18 – 20 March at Excel, London, is going to be an even better edition than last year’s, with more conference speakers and more exhibitors.
Visitors will have the chance to find out about the latest industry products and services, hear a host of industry experts discussing major industry issues and topics during the conference programme, and to network with colleagues from across the sector.
BCC member organisations will be out in force for the event. During the conference, you can hear from Paul Ashton, Chair of the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA), Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), Lorraine Larman, Master of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCWC), Chris James, representing the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), Raymond Martin, MD of the British Toilet Association (BTA), David Garcia of the CHSA and BCC, and Neil Spencer-Cook, Group Managing Director of The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc).
The CSSA will host its annual Innovation Showcase, focusing on pioneering technologies and advancements for the sector.
Attendees can meet fellow showcase sponsors the CHSA on the stand, while the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) will also be available to discuss the Chartered Practitioners Register.
You can also join the Federation of Window Cleaners (FWC) for the famous Window Cleaning World Cup. They will also be holding an award ceremony for the Window Cleaning Company of The Year.
The Cleaning Show is free to attend, but please register first. Find out more at www.cleaningshow.co.uk/london
If you are attending the show, please visit the BCC stand to find out more about the UK Cleaning Career Development Zone and to claim a copy of our research report.
You can find the Zone at www.ukcleaning.org.uk from March 18. Watch out for further information via industry media, social media and on Linked In under the hashtag #somanyopportunities.