Delia Cannings to lead British Cleaning Council

The British Cleaning Council officially elected a new chair and deputy chair at its AGM.  Delia Cannings, who has served as BCC deputy chair for the past two years, has taken over the chair from Jim Melvin. 

Delia is a well-known and respected figure in the industry, having worked in the sector for 45 years, and somehow finds time to write for Housekeeping Today.

The owner and executive director of Environmental Excellence Training and Development Ltd, she is also the national lead for training for the Association of Healthcare Professionals and deputy chair of the UK Housekeepers Association (UKHA), Midlands Committee.

Delia plans to continue with existing BCC priorities, championing education and training and calling on government to allow more Apprenticeship Levy funding paid by businesses to be invested in industry initiatives.

She said: “I am truly humbled to be elected as the second ever Chair lady of the BCC. My passion for this industry began many years back.  We have been honoured to observe some great leaders in the field building bridges and striving for change. Combined with the advancement of cleaning technology, these things have inspired me and enabled the sharing of best practices across the industry by way of education and training.
 
“We have work to do, that is for sure. Jim Melvin has left big shoes to fill, and I will give my heart and soul to solidifying the footprint already created in support of the work led by a great man and inspirational leader Jim Melvin.”   
 
The meeting also elected a new deputy chair, David Garcia. He has been closely associated with the BCC council for several years and is treasurer and vice-president of BCC member the Cleaning & Hygiene Solution Association (CHSA). This founder and former chairman of Polaris Plastics has been in the industry for almost 50 years.

He said: “I’m very much looking forward to working with Delia and other colleagues for the betterment of the industry in general. There is a lot to be done and I am sure under Delia’s leadership there will be some meaningful and lasting developments. I would like to pay tribute to Jim Melvin and other past chairs at this time.“

Jim Melvin drove the work of the sector’s All Party Parliamentary Group and lobbying campaign for the recommendations in its report from last year to be accepted in full by government. He was elected chairman in 2021, repeatedly called for cleaning operatives to be recognised and supported by government, as part of which the BCC launched the ‘We Clean, We Care’ campaign last year.
 
Jim also prioritised the push for an Apprenticeship-Levy funded Apprenticeship for cleaning operatives and made a significant number of media appearances and interviews.