IOC president Lord Falkland, ‘Two decades of the National Courier Awards, Express is an evolving sector and the awards have driven recognition of excellence. Tonight we see recognition from start to finish with apprentice to lifetime award.’

Viscount Falkland comments after the event, “The event had a good natured buzz throughout which made it particularly enjoyable. The planning and execution of events is wonderful.”

IOC chair, Carl Lomas ‘Continued retail shift from High Street to home deliver has brought challenge to a sector evolving to deliver customer excellence, those at the forefront are here for awards this evening and have been recognised by our independent panel of judges.’ .

Hon fellows of the IOC Mike Brown, TfL and Traffic Commissioner Sarah Bell were on stage to present a lifetime services to industry award to Justin Moore. Roles with DHL, Amtrak and CitySprint. Former chair of the awards panel and present chair of the employer group for Trailblazer express qualifications.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby was on stage to handout a ‘silver C’ to the apprentice of the year, Josh Arbon of the Cambridge Courier Company. From road to management in an apprenticeship of express.

Two for two in the two wheel category went to Tamas Bardos CitySprint and Dave Colley GLH.

Four for four in the four wheel category, final mile front line on four wheels had four National Courier Award wins taking the silver C, Gary Brewster APC, Lizzie Thistlebank CitySprint, Errol Rodney Gnewt,  Allan Hayes  TNT.

Military distinctions drew a standing ovation as awards went to reserve forces Dean Channell and regular army defence courier Peter Greatorex, Read by Lt Colonel Brett Duxbury, ‘ austere locations of delivery in extreme circumstances.’

The sold-out gala courier industry event organised by the Institute of Couriers and hosted at the institute of Directors celebrated excellence from two wheels to four, from courier companies large and small, regional and national, an independent panel of judges without sponsorship to recognise the very best of the best final mile express.

The winners were greeted by stilt walkers to receive the prestigious Courier ‘Silver C’ award, received in recognition of coming out on top in each category from almost 200 nominations nationwide.

Justin Moore takes Services to Industry at twenty year celebration of National Courier Awards

Patrick Gallagher, CEO CitySprint commented on Justin Moore's Services to Industry win

I would just like to say how proud I am of Justin for this richly deserved recognition and I am so pleased that a number of his colleagues are here tonight to witness this honour. We, of course, know all about Justin’s quality’s and I am so delighted these have been recognised by the industry as a whole. Justin’s passion knows no bounds and is truly infectious. Coupled with staunch sense of integrity and fairness, he really is the perfect person to represent CitySprint and the Institute of Couriers. So, Congratulations on-behalf of everyone in the CitySprint family.

Josh Arbon, apprentice winner at two decades of National Courier Awards, sortation to manager apprenticeship, takes Silver C from Pro Vice-Chancellor Univ of West London, Prof Joelle Fanghanel, Vice-Chancellor Univ Derby Prof Kathryn Mitchell & Mark Dawes AELP boss.

Viscount, Lord Falkland, IOC President handed out the corporate and distinction awards.

UK Mail took Client Collaboration on their Talk Talk contract collected by John Nolan. Team award went to Hermes, Swift Dispatch Liverpool winners of Corporate Safety. TfL boss Mike Brown was on stage to dish out the City Consolidation win to Top Flight Watford who are running an M25 consolidation shuttle to Central London.  Road Safety went to Tarmac, collected by Sean McGrae in recognition of cycle safety sensors for city haulage tucks. RTITB boss Laura Nelson was also on stage with Carl Lomas to award a chairman's citation to Emily Ward System Group for excellence on fork truck in the warehouse.

During the gala dinner there was much discussion of the retail shift from high street to home delivery. Heads of Industry event had taken place earlier in the afternoon and fuelled discussion on driver workforce strategy and solutions alongside the new BIS/Dept for Education, trailblazer apprenticeship at both levels two and six for degree apprenticeships.

 The 2016 nominees for the National Courier Awards