Tribute to Trafford's "ice warriors"

A BRAVE team of “ice warriors” were congratulated at The Trafford Centre this week – for digging the shopping giant out of the worst snow in living memory.

Staff from the shopping centre’s Environmental Services team were on night duty in January, when the deepest snows for 30 years covered the UK. More than a quarter of a million tonnes of snow fell on the car parks at the Centre, paralysing the roads and threatening to close more than 300 stores and restaurants. The snowfall, which has become known as “White Tuesday”, prevented many staff from travelling to work, and delivery bays and routes for the emergency services were also at risk of closure. But in a special staff awards ceremony this week, a hardy team of 12 were recognised for their struggle to clear the snow before the Centre opened – working over-night in temperatures which plunged to minus 15 degrees. Each member of the team received a £100 shopping voucher, and a certificate to commemorate their night in Arctic conditions. Said Gordon McKinnon, director of operations: “Through the whole night this plucky team remained in great spirits, never once complaining about the enormous task ahead. The hard, compacted snow was difficult to shift – but with hard work and dedication, the car parks began to open one by one. “Most of us would not have ventured out in such conditions, never mind worked all night in them! Our ice warriors are a true credit to The Trafford Centre.” Bridge drama Other staff to be recognised at the ceremony, held at Urmston Masonic Hall, Trafford, included a security officer who discovered two distressed women threatening to end their lives by jumping from a motorway bridge. Johannes Mashavave, from Salford, calmed the pair down before calling police, and stayed with the women until emergency services could arrive. He then stayed with police for two hours to give a statement – before arriving early next morning for his shift. The 43-year-old receives a £500 voucher and certificate. Bosses paid tribute to his “excellent service skills and calm commitment to helping someone in need whilst in Trafford Centre uniform.” Meanwhile, a member of the Centre’s admin team was given a £500 voucher for her part in foiling an on-line fraud at the Centre. Louise Gilbody, 27, from Urmston, said a “gut instinct” had caused her to delve deeper into a series of online transactions – which she then discovered had been fraudulent. Her quick actions saved the company more than £12,000. • Winners of the Team Award were: David Moore, Alex Murphy, Simon O’Rourke, Ellie Roberts, Brian Hodkinson, Chris Hornby, Peter Groves, John Pennington, John Labert, Ian Smith, David Taylor and John Hall (Agency staff). • Individual winners were: Louise Gilbody, from Administration, and Johannes Mashavave, from Security. • Mark Renshaw and Anthony Bainbridge from Security were also awarded £500 each for their work in digging out more than 60 cards from the deep January snows. • The World Class Service Awards at The Trafford Centre are generously sponsored by Coca-Cola Enterprises, and their representative, account manager Craig Weatherspoon, presented the prizes. Caption: TEAM EFFORT: The “ice warriors” receive their rewards for a job well-done. L-R Craig Weatherspoon, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Ellen Roberts, Chris Hornby, Brian Hodkinson, Peter Groves, John Labert, and Trafford Centre director of operations Gordon McKinnon. ENDS READ this story online in our digital newsroom here.