A SHOPPING centre has been praised for efforts made in the field of health and safety, for the seventh year in a row.

Chantry Centre, based in Andover, has been handed a prestigious award in recognition of its practices

and achievements in helping its staff and customers get home safely at the end of the working day.

Chantry Centre has achieved another Gold Medal in the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards, the longest-running industry awards scheme in the UK.

The RoSPA Awards scheme, which receives entries from organisations around the world, recognises

achievement in health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and

workforce involvement.

Steve Cotney, Chantry Centre manager, said: “We take health and safety very seriously at the Chantry Centre. It is even more satisfying when this recognition achieves a Gold Medal award.

“What makes receiving this accolade even more special is that this is the seventh consecutive year that we have received a Gold Award in recognition of our effort and this is down to the excellent team that works in the centre who make sure that our health and safety standards are consistently kept at a very high level.”

The majority of awards are non-competitive and mark achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels.

Gold medals are presented to organisations sustaining the standards of the gold level over consecutive years.

Centre staff will be presented with the award during a ceremony at ExCeL, London, on Tuesday, June 18.

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards have become the key fixture in the health and safety calendar with new sponsors and new awards this year including the Leisure Safety Awards, the Safe@Work Safe@Home Award and the Inspiration Awards.

"Highly-respected, with almost 2,000 entrants every year, RoSPA award winners benefit from the wide-ranging rewards of improved sector reputation.”