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When I think about what makes a partnership truly work, it always comes back to people and the willingness to collaborate, communicate openly, and trust one another to do the right thing.
That mindset has been central to our long-standing relationship with St John’s Shopping Centre in Liverpool, where our partnership has evolved far beyond the parameters of a traditional service contract. Over time, we’ve built something that delivers operational excellence, commercial value, and genuine shared success.
In our recent conversation, Neil Ashcroft, St John’s Centre Manager, and I reflected on how this relationship has developed through consistency, transparency, and the courage to innovate together.
From the very beginning, both teams recognised that success would depend on openness and shared accountability. Instead of seeing each other as “client” and “contractor”, we set out to work as one team with a common goal, creating an exceptional, safe, and efficient environment for the millions of visitors who pass through St John’s each year.
Regular communication has been the backbone of that approach. From on-site teams to senior leadership, we’ve kept everyone involved and informed, making sure decisions are based on understanding rather than assumption.
As Neil mentioned throughout our discussion, “It’s not about ticking boxes; it’s about working side by side to find smarter, better ways of doing things.” And he’s absolutely right. Without that level of mutual respect and transparency, the partnership wouldn’t be what it is today.
One of the most exciting outcomes of our collaboration has been the development of the Anchor Dashboard, a centralised, data-led platform that brings together performance insights, safety metrics and sustainability data in real time.
For St John’s, this means clear visibility across every aspect of site operations. For our teams, it means proactive management, faster decision-making, and better outcomes for everyone involved. Most importantly, it gives us both a single, shared version of the truth and data we can act on together.
This innovation didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of ongoing dialogue, shared experimentation, and a shared commitment to using technology in a way that enhances human collaboration, not replaces it.
What I value most about our partnership with St John’s is that it continues to evolve. We challenge each other, bring new ideas to the table, and tackle emerging challenges, whether operational, environmental, or commercial, as a collective.
That spirit of collaboration has delivered measurable improvements in efficiency, reporting accuracy, and customer experience. But more than that, it’s built trust and that’s something data alone can’t deliver.
As we look to the future, our partnership with St John’s stands as a clear example of what can be achieved when collaboration sits at the heart of facilities management. It’s not about delivering services in isolation; it’s about building relationships, embracing innovation, and continuously striving to do better together.
At Anchor Group Services, that’s what partnership means to us: practical, people-focused, and powered by data.
