Winvic Scoops Two Finalist Spots in the 2025 Safety and Health Excellence Awards

Winvic Construction Ltd has been shortlisted for Campaign of the Year in the 2025 Safety and Health Excellence (SHE) Awards and Millie Nimmo, the leading main contractor’s Marketing Campaigns and Content Manager has been announced as a finalist in the Woman of the Year category.

The SHE Awards, delivered in conjunction with the British Safety Industry Federation (BSiF) and now in their eighth year, promote the importance of innovation and underline the highest standards of excellence within occupational safety and health. Millie and other members of the Winvic team will attend the awards ceremony on 9 April at Vox Resorts World at the NEC in Birmingham.

Campaign of the Year – Winvic’s Doing It Right Cultural Change Programme

In 2023, Winvic made a bold decision to pause campaigns so that a new hard-hitting approach, which would be impactfully relatable to all operatives, could be planned for 2024. The innovative approach incorporated behavioural psychology and tapped into the ‘why?’ instead of the ‘how?’ for a single, more powerful 6-month campaign. Emotive imagery and messaging were developed around why Winvic prioritises good health and safety practices – ‘Make sure someone’s parent/friend/family member goes home safe today’ – with clear a call-to-action strapline – ‘Plan. Prepare. Deliver.’ –to remind subcontractors their practical input is crucial.

Subcontractor collaboration generated six thought-provoking questions to be featured on site signage alongside images of supply chain leaders and CEOs, such as ‘Are you in the right mindset to start work today?’. Signage was changed monthly, showcasing new subcontractors and questions to keep the campaign fresh and engaging.

The revised approach for 2024 also included Winvic’s three sector Managing Directors (MDs) taking leadership of the Doing It Right (DIR) Working Group alongside the HSEQ Director and Millie. The MDs briefed senior managers who then engaged with subcontractor leaders to launch the campaign, and they in turn cascaded Toolbox Talk presentations to everyone in the team. This totalled over 500 permanent employees, over 200 freelance staff and over 350 supply chain organisations who were delivering Industrial, Civils and Infrastructure and Multi-room projects across 39 sites.

During the campaign period, Winvic’s Accident Frequency Rate reduced by 21 per cent. Furthermore, the HSE Safety Climate Tool (SCT) results in 2024 – an anonymous questionnaire that assesses the workforce’s health and safety attitudes and perceptions – saw Winvic improve in seven out of eight categories, while the eighth was maintained.

Woman of the Year – Millie Nimmo, Marketing Campaigns and Content Manager

This category is designed to recognise a female who made a significant contribution to the implementation or enhancement of health, safety or wellbeing standards, and Millie has done just that. Her tenacious work has set numerous new cultural change standards, from incorporating focused subcontractor collaboration to delivering Winvic’s first DIR Conference to internal operational, commercial and design teams.

As Marketing Campaigns and Content Manager, Millie plays a pivotal role in strategizing and implementing Winvic’s Doing It Right cultural change programme. She co-leads the DIR Working Group with directors to enhance standards and created the successful campaign, which is up for a SHE Award and detailed above.

An outstanding communicator and leader, Millie obtains stakeholder buy-in, creates loyal advocates and facilitates measurable positive transformations. For example, she coordinates Winvic’s annual company-wide stand down, celebrating the anniversary of the DIR culture, empowering project managers to deliver talks and share good practice stories from sites.

In 2023, Millie led Winvic’s Sustainability Strategy People Pillar, which implements health and wellbeing initiatives for permanent and freelance employees. She oversaw the launch of Winvic’s 24-hour National Fitness Day charity challenge, which attracted 82 participants and raised £46,100 for four local and national causes. As one of Winvic’s Mental Health First Aiders, Millie advocated for Winvic to become a supporter of the Mates in Mind construction charity and she is the youngest Winvic team member to have completed its Momentum Leadership Course.

Winvic’s Marketing Campaigns and Content Manager, Millie Nimmo, commented: “I’m honoured to be recognised for my dedication to Winvic’s health, safety and wellbeing standards and that our Doing It Right campaign is also a finalist in the SHE Awards. Behavioural change and wellbeing are passions of mine, as well as communication, so I’m very proud of the results. Nevertheless, they couldn’t be achieved without extensive collaboration and buy in from the whole team.”

Ian Goodhead, Winvic’s HSEQ Director, said: “Millie deserves this finalist place for Woman of the Year because she never stops championing our Doing It Right health and safety culture and really challenges herself and stakeholders. The fact her latest ambitious and strategic campaign has also be shortlisted for a SHE Award demonstrates how hard she’s worked to generate positive impacts.

“The success of Millie’s work and the campaign can not only be seen through the 21% Accident Frequency Rate reduction, but it can also be measured through the HSE Safety Climate Tool (SCT). Our Doing It Right cultural change programme excelled the HSE’s bi-annual industry benchmark in all eight categories and placed us in the top 5 per cent in seven of those. I’m very proud of our achievements and the SHE Award announcement is a motivating way to start 2025.”