New British Cleaning Council Chair and Deputy Elected

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19 July 2021

The British Cleaning Council has officially elected a new Chair and Deputy Chair at its recent Annual General Meeting.

Jim Melvin and Delia Cannings will take over the roles of Chair and Deputy Chair respectively, as Paul Thrupp stands down.

The British Cleaning Council (BCC) is the voice of the UK’s cleaning, hygiene and waste sectors, and helped to establish an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the sector in February 2021.

Jim Melvin and Delia Cannings

Jim Melvin, who has served as Deputy Chair of the BCC for the past two years, has taken over the Chairmanship from Paul Thrupp.

Melvin, who is Group Chief Executive of Exclusive Services Group and a Director at BCC member the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA), will be BCC Chair until 2023.

The meeting also elected a new Deputy Chair, Delia Cannings, who has been a BCC Director since 2020 and is also the National Lead for Education & Training at BCC member the Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals (AHCP).

Paul Thrupp, who is Director of Retail Destinations at OCS, was elected as BCC Chair 2019. He will continue to represent the Federation of Window Cleaners on the council.

Melvin said: “I am delighted and honoured to be asked to take over as Chairman of the British Cleaning Council.

“Firstly, and for the record, I will have large shoes to fill as Paul Thrupp has been a superb Chairman in what has been an extremely difficult time.

“His passion, desire and enthusiasm have been a constant and his work in driving the BCC - and by definition, the recognition of the industry - has been unstinting. It is my firm belief that we owe Paul a huge debt of thanks. 

“I am also extremely delighted that Delia has been voted as Deputy Chair as I hope and believe that Delia is extremely well placed and shares the same passion in driving our industry recognition onwards.

“I look forward to working with Delia, Simon Hollingbery and the rest of the directors and associate members in achieving our aims. 

“There is a great deal of work to carry on within the shape of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the UK Cleaning and Hygiene Industry and all the strategic plans that have been agreed.

“Again, I look forward to driving the plans forward and continuing the excellent work that has been done over the last few years and I thank everyone for their faith and trust.” 

Picture: a photograph of Delia Cannings

Cannings added: “At a crucial time and following the pandemic’s lessons, I am most grateful for the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals such as Paul Thrupp, who leaves an amazing legacy of missions accomplished including positioning the cleaning workforce for greater things.

“It is an honour to be elected to the Deputy Chair post to support new Chair of the BCC Jim Melvin, whose enthusiasm has no boundaries. His endless drive for recognising the value of trained staff will, I am sure, enable our shared passions to develop the cleaning industry even further.

“I absolutely believe it is time for the cleaning industry to shine brighter than ever before and look forward to working with colleagues as we face the challenges ahead and execute the cleaning industry’s development plan.”

Thrupp said: “It has been an immense privilege to hold the post and I am very proud of the huge amount that has been achieved by everyone connected with the BCC during my tenure.

“I have been thrilled to see how recognition for the vital work of our industry and its staff has increased over the past two years after the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector and its staff performed their vital role magnificently during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“One of the proudest moments of my period as Chairman was seeing the establishment of the APPG for the UK Cleaning and Hygiene Industry early this year.

“As I hand over to Jim and Delia, who are both hugely experienced and respected within the sector, I know the BCC and the industry are in good hands.

“I would also like to thank everyone within and outside the BCC for their tremendous support over the last two years and wish everyone good health going forward.“

Picture: a photograph of Jim Melvin

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 19 July 2021

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