Shopping centre boss shows its support for The News Retail and Leisure Awards 2017

It's a great way to celebrate all the fantastic work done by businesses and their hardworking teams.
Neil Carter accepts the Customer Service Award on behalf of Ola Ayeni of Tesco Whiteley at last year's Retail & Leisure AwardsNeil Carter accepts the Customer Service Award on behalf of Ola Ayeni of Tesco Whiteley at last year's Retail & Leisure Awards
Neil Carter accepts the Customer Service Award on behalf of Ola Ayeni of Tesco Whiteley at last year's Retail & Leisure Awards

That’s what one of sponsors of The News Retail and Leisure Awards says as the industry recognition ceremony moves into its fourth year.

The 10 categories give the chance for businesses, members of staff including managers and rising stars, community work and more to be properly recognised.

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Neil Carter, 44, is the manager at Whiteley Shopping Centre. He said: ‘This is our third year sponsoring The News Retail and Leisure Awards.

‘It’s a great thing to be a part of because businesses get to show off their great services, sales, team efforts and more.

‘Every retailer should be able to find a category to suit them. There are those for businesses as a whole, but also for individuals and staff who have stood out over the past 12 months.

‘The more that do enter, the merrier. It will be harder for each category to be won if that’s the case, but it makes it more exciting and it’ll be more satisfying for the winners.’

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The awards are open to individuals, partnerships, organisations and businesses based in, or with a significant presence in, the circulation area of The News – namely south-east Hampshire and over the border into West Sussex and Chichester.

Cascades Shopping Centre and Fareham Shopping Centre are also sponsoring the awards.

Over the past three years, some of the winners have come from Whiteley Shopping Centre.

Neil added: ‘As well as the awards being about recognition, it’s also brilliant publicity – anything which raises the profile of all the great work businesses do can only be a good thing.

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‘Often we don’t take the time to sit back and think about all the hard work and effort that’s put in.

‘A few of the previous award winners are from Whiteley and this year I’m hoping we can get some more.

‘At Whiteley we now have 65 businesses and that includes retail, restaurants, indoor climbing centre Rock Up and Cineworld.

‘We opened in May, 2013 and had our leisure extension in 2015 and footfall has just grown year on year – it’s something I’ve been very proud to witness.

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‘I really enjoyed the ceremony last year and I’m looking forward to it again this year.

‘The atmosphere is always great and I enjoy celebrating the retailers at Whiteley, but also those across the area.

‘If you think your colleague, team or business has done some brilliant work in the past year, why not get them to enter?’

Full details are on the right.