Loo of the Year Awards: 2005 News

Motorway Toilets Capture Ultimate Accolade

MOTOHospitality won the Overall Winner’s Trophy in the 2005 UK Loo of the Year Awards competition. They achieved 31 x 5 Star and 21 x 4 Star Awards for their 52 service areas throughout Britain.

Other major UK Trophy winners last year were as follows:

Individual Categories entries : The Camping & Caravanning Club

Public Toilet entries : Belfast City Council

Corporate Provider (10 or more entries) : J D Wetherspoon

Accessible Toilets : McDonalds Restaurants

Babychange Facilities : McKillens, Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Individual Full Time Attendant : Issy Seddon, Telford Shopping Centre

In-House Cleaning Team : Angus Council, Scotland

External Contractor Cleaning Team : MITIE Cleaning

‘Standards of Excellence’ winners with ten or more entries and who achieved five or more 5 Star Awards included: Belfast City Council, East Lothian Council, Highland Council, J D Wetherspoon, McDonalds Restaurants, Moto Hospitality, The Camping & Caravanning Club, Welcome Break, Westminster City Council, West Wiltshire District Council and Wychavon District Council.

“We received a total of 1,046 entries this year, across our fifty separate entry categories” commented Awards Director Richard Chisnell, “This is significantly more than last year and reflects the growing commitment to higher washroom standards by an increasing number of ‘away from home’ toilet providers.

Standards are definitely rising in many parts of the UK and loo providers, as well as the dedicated cleaners looking after toilets, deserve all the recognition we can give them. They’re helping to put the sparkle back into Britain, which is good both for business and for tourism.”

The 2005 Awards were sponsored by Armitage Shanks, The British Cleaning Council, Cannon Hygiene, SCA Hygiene Products and Technical Concepts. Further support came from the four UK national tourism bodies – Visit Britain, Visit Scotland, Wales Tourist Board and Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

A total of 271 x 5 Star, 431 x 4 Star and 276 x 3 Star Grading Certificates have been awarded this year, in addition to the range of National Awards.

Nominations are already being received for the 2006 Loo of the Year Awards which will be officially launched in March with entries received up until 30th June.