Business is the lifeblood of the UK

Public services touch everyone so quality delivery is essential.

Sam Leigh, Managing Director of Lampton Services, talks to Sarah Dale about why she is so passionate about public services. Leading a public services business has always been an aspiration for Sam Leigh.

As Managing Director of Lampton Services, part of Lampton Group which also includes Lampton Homes and Lampton Leisure, Sam takes a keen interest in the growth of the business and how it directly helps people living and working in the borough.

Sam’s personal experience of being homeless when she was 17 years old has left a lasting mark on her and informs her desire to make public services the best they can be.

“I always wanted to get into public services, particularly with a connection to social housing, due to my own personal background,” said Sam.

“I was homeless when I was 17 through no fault of my own. That had a resounding impact on me. I had an understanding at a very young age of the absolute critical importance of a home.

“If you don’t have a postcode, you can’t get a job and if you don’t have a job, you can’t get a home.

“There is a direct association with home and physical health, mental health and social mobility – and I learned these things firsthand at a very young age.

“I also learned the critical purpose of public services. They can have a fundamental effect on people’s lives and their life choices.”

Sam counts herself as lucky that her knack for maths and her aptitude for learning were not overshadowed by her status by her first employers.

“I fell into financial services; I was good at maths and I was given an opportunity which led to a 25-26 year career,” she said.

“The opportunities that were created for me, the fact that I didn’t then have an MBA didn’t stop them from taking me on and I worked in a plethora of roles in sales, HR, audit and risk, finance – and they helped me get where I am today.”

Three years ago, Sam joined Lampton Services, which delivers essential services on behalf of Hounslow Council and touches nearly every resident of the borough. The business employs 850 people and, as part of Lampton Group, is a commercial entity wholly owned by Hounslow Council.

They deliver their services locally, employ locally and use local suppliers where they can.

There are four components of Lampton Services:

1. Waste management – domestic and commercial, recycling, environmental.

2. Commercial cleaning – offices, schools, colleges, libraries, any large public building where there is a significant footfall.

3. Horticulture, public open spaces, ecology, conservation. They also deliver an educational programme to schools.

4. Facilities management - repairs, maintenance, renovations, retrofit.

Over the next three years, the business’ clear focus is fundamentally based on growth.

“We have completed a huge amount of business transformation and work so that our model is effective and efficient,” said Sam.

“Our USP is a proportion of our profits that we generate are not shared or distributed to shareholders through dividends. Any profits are reinvested into public services.

“The LAs and councils will be facing some fundamental changes as they find it harder and harder to deliver public services within their budgets.

“In-house can be expensive so they may choose to outsource to the private sector. We have the freedom to go and compete for new commercial business, which a council can’t do.”

“As a Local Authority Trading Company (LATCo), not only are we delivering services for the council and the local community, we are also using our commercial expertise to deliver valuable services to local businesses. In addition to benefiting from our intimate knowledge of the local area and high-quality services, businesses working with us can also feel confident that any profit generated is reinvested into the community through public services and local employment opportunities.”

Recruitment-wise, they are at a “pivot point” and facing “huge demand for traditional expert skills”, for example, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, painters and decorators and tree surgeons, to name a few.

The biggest challenge facing the business is the economic environment.

“We are in quite a difficult macroeconomic environment, particularly with the cost of borrowing,” she added.

“We see it every day. We are still seeing the impact of Covid; the cost of supplies and labour are significantly more expensive than they were three years ago. We are also seeing the effects of the cost-of-living crisis. People are trying to be more careful and spending less money.

“Businesses making sure that they are as cost-effective as they can be is really important.

“It’s also politically challenging as well coming up to a general election as the propensity is that it will bring change.

“Climate is a massive risk and challenge too. We need green skills for the future.

“At the moment, there are more jobs than there are people. This is good as unemployment is low but it also means that multiple employers are competing for these future candidates so it can be a challenge.”

Sam joined West London Chambers of Commerce when she joined Lampton Services just under three years ago.

“I had a meeting with Sally and Alan in my first few months and we hit it off,” she explained.

“They are so good at connections, very innovative and creative about how they approach businesses and linking businesses together. They have an incredible energy and are enthusiastic about business and how business is the lifeblood of this country. I’m really excited about where they will take the Chamber to next as they operate on an international playing field too.”

“Their advice is invaluable and so is meeting face-to-face with other members having a chat over a cup of tea. You just can’t beat having a conversation face-to-face.”