Caretaker and Concierge of the Year awards celebrate Islington housing staff who go the extra mile

Islington’s caretakers and concierge staff do a fantastic job looking after the council’s estates and housing, helping to ensure that everyone has a safe and decent place to live. They often go above and beyond to make sure that vulnerable or isolated residents get extra help if they need it.

The Caretaker and Concierge of the Year awards give people a chance to show their gratitude for this hard work, by nominating a council employee who goes the extra mile for them.

Caretaker of the Year is Paul Rimmell, who works at Bennett Court. Paul received many nominations from residents, who praised him for his for his approachable manner, positive attitude and diligence.

Described as “always helpful and professional” by one nominator and “a genuine nice chap” by another, Paul was commended for assisting residents with heavy shopping bags, dealing with anti-social behaviour and keeping children’s play areas clean.

Concierge of the Year is Lat Singh, who works at Kestrel House. Lat is one of the borough's longest-serving concierges, having worked in Islington for more than ten years. He is known by residents to be “very friendly”, “always on hand when needed” and “excellent at what he does”.

Lat’s nominators gave many examples of him going the extra mile for the local community, from going shopping for elderly residents, to looking after vulnerable people.

Cllr Diarmaid Ward, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development, said: “We want everyone in Islington to have a place to call home, which is secure and decent. Our fantastic, hard-working caretakers and concierges help us to do that, ensuring that our buildings are safe and looking out for residents - we are so grateful for their dedication and diligence.

“Congratulations to Paul and Lat, they have clearly made big impressions on Islington’s communities, and a huge thanks to all of our wonderful neighbourhood staff who give local people the best possible service.”

The runners-up in this year’s awards were Stephen Hogarth, caretaker at Blenheim Court, Jack Roberts, caretaker at Mayville Estate, Terry Smith, concierge at Turnpike House and Babatunde ‘Junior’ Ajenifuja, concierge at St Luke’s Estate.