Churchill Group has won Best People Development in FM at the Facilities Management Awards UK 2026 for Own Your Future (OYF), our development programme for frontline managers. We launched OYF in 2024 after our 2023 engageMe employee survey showed a clear desire for more investment in professional development and clearer routes to progression.
As the UK’s second-largest employee-owned organisation, we are heavily invested in our people and frontline leadership is a strategic priority. A working party of nine board members and senior leaders led the programme’s development.
OYF was designed with people development training provider beami. It is a 12-week programme of six face-to-face modules, held at sites across the UK. The modules cover self-awareness, building relationships, communication, leadership, commercial mindset and problem solving. One-to-one virtual coaching and DiSC behavioural profiling support the modules. The success of this programme led to a “Leader of Leaders” version primarily for senior leaders, and our specialist security business, Amulet, has adapted the modules for security-specific scenarios.
To date, 113 participants across 11 cohorts have completed OYF, and 18 of them have since moved into more senior roles. A further two cohorts with 33 participants are in progress. Participants gave the programme a Net Promoter Score of 100 for recommending it to another frontline manager or account manager. They rated overall satisfaction at 9.6 out of 10 and its impact on their ability to perform as a manager at 9.4.
Lindsay Pateman, our people and culture director, said:
“As an employee-owned business, our colleagues have a genuine stake in how we perform, and we believe that should include a real say in where their careers go. When our people told us they wanted more investment in their development and clearer ways to progress, Own Your Future was our answer. Frontline managers are often the first person our colleagues and clients speak to, so giving them the confidence and skills to lead matters to everyone. That’s what makes employee ownership feel meaningful, and it’s why investing in our people will always be at the heart of how we do business.”
Ben Dixon, director at beami, said:
“The project with Churchill Group has been one of the most rewarding programmes beami have ever delivered. Every person who helped us design the programme, provided input, supported the delivery, and attended the sessions has contributed to everything we have created. With more than 100 people now having completed Own Your Future, the results have been incredible, including a +99 NPS score and multiple promotions into senior roles. It really has been such a roaring success. We are honoured to have won the Best People Development Award, and are excited to see how the Own Your Future journey continues as we move into year four.