Novus Blog
Celebrating our colleagues at the Novus Awards

We had a fantastic year in 2024, from a series of exciting contract wins and project completions to social value initiatives and working with our charity partners. None of this would have been possible without our fantastic colleagues, clients and supply chain partners, which is why we recently celebrated them all at the annual Novus Awards.
Colleagues from across Novus gathered at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester for an evening dedicated to our people. Read on to meet our 2025 Novus Awards winners!
Health & Safety Champion – Criccieth Project Team
Our Criccieth Project Team’s dedication to excellence in the EWI installation and decarbonisation initiative for Grŵp Cynefin has been recognised with an exceptional score in a H&S Audit! This outstanding achievement highlights not only compliance but also our unwavering commitment to operational safety and quality on site.
Customer Service Champion – Michelle Hogg
Michelle lives and breathes customer service and embodies Novus’ values. She does everything in her power to ensure works are carried out to the best of her and her team’s abilities, and is always happy to get stuck in on the ground.
Supplier of the Year – Novuna Vehicle Solutions
Novuna rolled out our fleet refresh programme with delivery of 325 new vans. Other achievements include a 42% reduction in the number of short term hire vehicles, average fleet age reduced from 50 months to 20 months, a 5% reduction in overall fleet size and in our car fleet we have one diesel, 17 hybrid and 35 fully electric cars. Our new vans are fully wrapped, fitted with role-specific racking, tracked and installed with new cloud-based dash cameras.
Social Value Impact – Onward Homes Merseyside SHDF Retrofit Project
The Novus team working on our Onward Homes contract delivered 14 social value projects, adding an additional £377,000 in social and economic value impact into the local community. Projects included helping to create an urban allotment on underused land, delivering school safety talks, and donating hampers to vulnerable residents in the lead up to Christmas. All social value activities took place within less than a mile radius of the 500 homes Novus is currently refurbishing, and each project was delivered in partnership with the client’s Social Value team.
Contract of the Year – Whitbread
Our Whitbread team were awarded Contract of the Year for the second year running. During 2024, the team completed the largest programme delivery in our 10-year partnership with Whitbread to an extremely high standard, which has resulted in Novus resecuring its place on the flagship Whitbread framework for a further three years.
Team of the Year – Operations – Midlands Regional Team
Our Midlands team showed an unwavering commitment to the Novus Way, demonstrated through outstanding financial performance and exceptional operational delivery for clients. Under Gary Clay’s leadership, the team boasts a positive, motivated atmosphere where everyone is committed to success and exceeding expectations.
Team of the Year – Business Services – Win Work Team
Our Win Work Team – comprising colleagues across business development, bidding, and estimating – had an incredible 2024, achieving unprecedented success by resecuring every existing contract we bid for last year as well as winning a series of brand new contracts. The whole team have come together to manage client relationships and reinvigorate our bidding process, exemplifying what great teamwork looks like.
Apprentice of the Year – Lily Davies
Since joining Novus, Lily has consistently exceeded the expectations of her role. She has seamlessly adapted to demands of a high-pressure environment, quickly becoming a valuable team member. Lily sets an excellent example for other apprentices, demonstrating the importance of hard work, collaboration, and ongoing learning.
Leader of the Year – Shaun Clewes
Shaun’s exceptional leadership has fostered a thriving team in our Burton office, dedicated to delivering excellence for our clients. His ability to inspire and guide his team is reflected not only in their outstanding performance but also in the feedback received from clients and residents. Clients frequently commend Shaun for his collaborative approach, praising his reliability and willingness to go the extra mile.
Employee of the Year – Gemma Edwards
Gemma has supported countless individuals across the business, including those outside of her own team. Throughout 2024 she has stepped outside her role in many different ways and gives 100% in everything she does, from being a Novus Mental Health First Aider to undertaking a website refresh all whilst completing her Level 5 Management Apprenticeship which she passed with a distinction! She exemplifies every Novus value and we’re so proud to have her on our team!
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