{"id":36786,"date":"2025-10-15T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/?p=36786"},"modified":"2025-11-06T09:48:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:48:32","slug":"thank-your-cleaner-day-stories-of-pride-purpose-and-the-people-who-keep-our-schools-shining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/thank-your-cleaner-day-stories-of-pride-purpose-and-the-people-who-keep-our-schools-shining\/","title":{"rendered":"Stories of Pride, Purpose, and the People Keeping Our Schools Safe and Operational"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Every day, thousands of OCS cleaners work quietly behind the scenes, keeping schools, hospitals, workplaces, and public spaces safe, clean, and welcoming.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day<\/em><\/strong>, we\u2019re shining a light on two of those people:\u00a0Sue<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Nicky<\/strong>, cleaning supervisors who lead with care, pride, and an unshakeable sense of purpose.<\/p>\n

Their stories show that cleaning goes beyond being a task<\/a>; it\u2019s a craft, a calling, and a cornerstone of community life.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

Sue \u2013 From Cleaner to Supervisor: A Second Home in Westbury<\/h3>\n

For Sue (featured above), cleaning is both a job \u2013 and a community.<\/p>\n

At 68, Sue has spent the past eight years at a large school in Westbury, where she started as a cleaner and worked her way up to supervisor. With a team of twelve (often fewer due to shortages), she leads by example, rolling up her sleeves and stepping in wherever needed to keep the site spotless and running smoothly.<\/p>\n

Managing cleaning at a busy school is no small task. From making sure equipment and materials are stocked to training new team members, Sue juggles countless moving parts, often while covering extra areas herself. Yet, even with the challenges, she says she wouldn\u2019t trade her team or her workplace for anything.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n <\/g>\n <\/svg>\n
\n

\n \u201cI don\u2019t like leaving anywhere not done,\u201d Sue says simply. \u201cIt\u2019s never-ending, but when I hand the school back over after a deep clean and say, \u2018It\u2019s all nice, clean and tidy,\u2019 that\u2019s when I feel proud.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n \"avatar\"\n
\n

\n Sue from Westbury <\/p>\n

\n Cleaning Operations <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a second home,\u201d she smiles. \u201cYou know all the teachers, the office teams, it\u2019s a friendly place. Every job has its ups and downs, but I do enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sue\u2019s pride shows most clearly during deep cleans. At the end of the term, she coordinates a full-scale refresh of the school, allocating teams to every area and ensuring every surface shines. It\u2019s physically demanding work, but seeing the results makes it worthwhile – even if the pristine shine lasts only until Monday morning when the students return.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t know how to use the handles,\u201d she laughs. \u201cBut it\u2019s a school. It\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sue is quick to praise her team for their hard work, offering daily thanks and even homemade cakes as tokens of appreciation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I see that someone\u2019s done a really good clean, I tell them. I thank them every day. It means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sue,\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day<\/em>\u00a0is about recognising that effort, and the pride behind every mop and bucket.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot to be thanked,\u201d she says. \u201cEven just a kind word makes a difference.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n \"Four\n <\/picture>\n <\/section>\n\n\n
\n

Nicky \u2013 Leading with Heart at a Broadstone School<\/h3>\n

From chef to cleaner, Nicky found a new kind of satisfaction in keeping things spotless.<\/p>\n

When Nicky left her job as a head chef after 14 years, she wasn\u2019t sure what would come next. A job advert for a janitor at a school in Broadstone caught her eye, and during the interview, she was offered something more: a supervisor role leading a small cleaning team.<\/p>\n

That was nearly a year ago, and Nicky hasn\u2019t looked back since.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard work, you ache from top to toe some days, but it\u2019s rewarding,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve got a fantastic team, and the staff at the school really appreciate us.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a school of over 1,400 students, keeping classrooms, corridors, and shared spaces clean is no small feat. Each evening, Nicky and her four main cleaners tackle their areas with care and precision. She ensures everyone has the right supplies, checks in with the team, and pitches in herself.<\/p>\n

The pace can be intense, especially during events or last-minute changes. Recently, she recalls being told that twelve extra rooms needed cleaning just an hour before parents arrived for a meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were running around like headless chickens,\u201d Nicky laughs. \u201cBut when the deputy head walked around and said, \u2018Thanks so much for making the school look lovely,\u2019 I felt so proud of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before joining OCS, Nicky spent years in kitchens, managing allergies, nutrition requirements, and high-pressure environments. Cleaning, she says, offers a different kind of challenge, but one that\u2019s just as important.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n <\/g>\n <\/svg>\n
\n

\n \u201cPeople have said, \u2018Why are you doing this? You\u2019re overqualified.\u2019 But if there weren\u2019t cleaners, the world would be in a sorry state,\u201d she says. \u201cEverywhere needs a cleaner, and we all deserve respect for what we do.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n \"avatar\"\n
\n

\n Nicky from Broadstone School <\/p>\n

\n Cleaning Operations <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

\n

That respect, Nicky believes, starts with small gestures, putting litter in the bin, noticing the effort behind a tidy corridor, or simply saying thank you.<\/p>\n

And recently, Nicky\u2019s team received special recognition from the school itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe school manager spoke to me and said he\u2019d done a survey with all the staff about cleaning,\u201d she says. \u201cThey said the school looks much better since OCS took over, and that the cleaning team seem much happier. Which is nice!\u201d<\/p>\n

For\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day<\/em>, Nicky plans to celebrate her team the way she always does \u2014 with heartfelt thanks (and a box of chocolates).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to feel appreciated,\u201d she says. \u201cEven a small thank you means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Heart of a Clean Space<\/h3>\n

Sue and Nicky\u2019s stories capture what\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day<\/em>\u00a0is really about: recognising the people who take pride in making spaces safe, comfortable, and ready for learning, care, and connection.<\/p>\n

Behind every polished floor, every gleaming desk, and every tidy corridor, there\u2019s a person, or a team, who made it that way. And OCS is proud to celebrate them not just today, but every day.<\/p>\n

To all our cleaners: thank you. You make the everyday extraordinary.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day, we\u2019re shining a light on two of those people:\u00a0Sue\u00a0and\u00a0Nicky, cleaning supervisors who lead with care, pride, and an unshakeable sense of purpose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":10000024005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[293,318,54,19],"tags":[53,410],"country":[],"class_list":["post-36786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cleaning","category-education","category-our-people","category-news-type","tag-our-people","tag-recognition"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThank Your Cleaner Day: OCS Shines Light on Cleaning Team - OCS - UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day, we\u2019re shining a light on two cleaning supervisors who lead with care, pride, and an unshakeable sense of purpose.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/thank-your-cleaner-day-stories-of-pride-purpose-and-the-people-who-keep-our-schools-shining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stories of Pride, Purpose, and the People Keeping Our Schools Safe and Operational\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For\u00a0Thank Your Cleaner Day, we\u2019re shining a light on two cleaning supervisors who lead with care, pride, and an unshakeable sense of purpose.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/thank-your-cleaner-day-stories-of-pride-purpose-and-the-people-who-keep-our-schools-shining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OCS - 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