LONDON: Pilgrims Group Limited has won the International Achievement Award at this year’s Security & Fire Excellence Awards, the company’s third win in four years.
The award, which recognises quality and innovation in the international context, highlighted the company’s work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) High Commission in Nigeria, a country which presents considerable security challenges, with areas of high crime and political unrest.
In 2014-15, Pilgrims doubled its workforce in Nigeria with a multi-million, five-year, 300-man Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) guarding contract. The contract covers six locations countrywide, including the High Commission in Abuja, Deputy High Commission in Lagos and numerous residences and hotspots.
With manned guarding as part of its core expertise, Pilgrims brought in some new security service features which the FCO had not seen before, such as: dedicated executive contract-management teams in Abuja and Lagos plus man-management staff on the ground; Pilgrims EGuarding™ online training course based on over 40 interactive bite-sized modules plus MinEval™ real-time tactical evaluations; work to quality standard ISO 9001-2008 and Pilgrims 360CustomerCare™ commitment that requires all Service Level Agreement KPIs to be ‘Fully Met’ or exceeded.
Pilgrims has a 15-year pedigree and worldwide team of security professionals protecting foreign nationals in danger zones with a 100% no-fatalities safety record.
John Berry, Regional Overseas Security Manager, British High Commission, Abuja, Nigeria said: “It is exceptionally important for the interests of HMG to ensure the safety and security of its staff and assets abroad. In January 2015, Pilgrims replaced the existing guard force in Nigeria. From day one, the six BHC locations across Nigeria received superb Contract Management culminating in results that were way above expectation. Pilgrims ability to listen to what the client needs are and the way in which implementation of tasks had been expected, were head and shoulders above all others. A company that really listens, understands and delivers is, in my opinion, rare within the industry.
Without a doubt, Pilgrims have proved to be the best security provider I have ever been involved with in my ten years with the FCO and 37 years within the security industry. I cannot fault the response, work ethic, determination and drive that the whole company exudes. We are convinced that together, our new approach to guarding and security will get even better, providing staff with a safer, more secure environment. Our system is already the envy of other Diplomatic Missions.”
Pilgrims Managing Director, Bill Freear added: “Pilgrims was selected for the contract after bidding against the major players in the security industry and against the odds, as some thought that we were too small. The FCO soon saw that our UK model of high-quality, intensive training and management would transform their guarding experience. This is the first time a company of our size has ever won an embassy contract and demonstrates how bigger isn’t always best. To win three awards in four years endorses all that our team has worked so hard to achieve, it demonstrates our commitment to continually improve not only our services but also our performance year on year.”
Last year the company won the 2014 SEA Award for Security Training Initiative of the Year with its interactive, online training programme, EGuarding™ which since its launch in 2013, has increased efficiency and service to clients by 40%. This followed a win in the same category in 2012 for an innovative training scheme the company developed for the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Pilgrims was also selected as a finalist by the Judges in two other categories in 2015 – Security Guarding Company of the Year and Security Training Initiative of the Year.
The awards were presented at a ceremony held at The Park Lane Hilton, London on November 25th.