Carillion celebrates a Queen's Award

The Wolverhampton-based construction and support services group is one of 176 award winners revealed on Her Majesty the Queen's 91st birthday, and just one of 11 recipients in the sustainable development category.

This year marks the 51st anniversary of the Queen's Awards scheme. Recipients have to demonstrate outstanding results in their respective fields of innovation, international trade or sustainable development.

Carillion will be able to use the Queen's Awards emblem for the next five years and representatives from the company will be invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace later in the year to mark the achievement.

Carillion's chief sustainability officer David Picton said: "Whilst it's a great honour to have won the Queen's Award, it's exceptional to have won it for sustainability. In tough, competitive markets, Carillion people commit to responsible business as a core value, building trust and ethics, protecting the environment and changing lives through inspiring community engagements. Gaining the Queen's Award recognises the value of investing in sustainability – it does matter, it does make a difference and does build a better long-term business for those who invest in us."

Mr Picton said that a third of the Carillion workforce volunteered last year to help others in things like environmental projects or community engagement schemes including working with disadvantaged groups and schools

Carillion receives the award for demonstrating its commitment to a balance across environmental, economic and social impacts, plus evidence of sector-leadership through its Sustainability 2020 strategy.

"Despite challenging times, we're all ultimately linked by a shared tomorrow and shared ambitions to make it a better place. Winning the Queen's Award for Sustainable Development proves that doing the right thing will always be the right thing to do.

"This is a really special award for us recognising what we do in communities, for the environment and for better business," added Mr Picton.

Carillion employs around 400 people at its city centre headquarters in Wolverhampton and 48,500 across the UK, the Middle East and Canada.The group had annual revenue in 2016 of £5.2 billion.

Carillion was one of 16 businesses in the West Midlands recognised for enterprise excellence in the Queen's Awards. Nearly 75 per cent of past winners attribute the Queen's Awards to increased international sales and entries are open as of today for the 2018 awards

The other winners include Aspire Housing, which has its head office in Newscastle-under-Lyme, who have won a promoting opportunity award for its commitment to the social mobility of its tenants and leaseholders through a comprehensive programme of training, work experience and job opportunities.

Oakland International, based in Beoley, near Redditch, has received a double award for both international trade and sustainable development for its shared pallet scheme

Entry to the 2018 awards closes on September 1. To apply and for more information, go to www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise/overview