The Heart of Our Culture: Celebrating Excellence at Rapport 2025
On Friday 4th April, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre was filled with energy, applause, and genuine celebration as we welcomed around 700 guests to the Rapport Excellence Awards 2025.
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This year, we saw massive 140 nominees and 27 total winners. Although this has always been the biggest night of the year in the Rapport calendar, this year’s ceremony felt especially meaningful. More than just a night of recognition, the Rapport Excellence Awards has become a vibrant celebration of the values, spirit, and diversity that define the Rapport culture.
Honouring the Values That Unite Us
Alongside our Leadership categories and the Best Newcomer accolade, our core values were once again brought to life through the awards themselves:
Create Rapport, Be Brilliant, Walk Tall, Innovative Spirit, and Stronger Together.
Each category highlighted individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to deliver extraordinary service, inspire colleagues, and embody the heart of our brand.
This year, innovation took centre stage in an unexpected way. After announcing the individual winner of the Innovative Spirit Award, a surprise twist saw a second award go to an entire team. They were recognised for the creative, daily guest experiences they deliver for their client. It was a moment that captured the spirit of collective achievement.
Spotlighting DE&I Through Action
We proudly celebrated our commitment to kindness and DEI through two meaningful awards:
The Heart Award and the Be Yourself Champion Award. The Heart Award is dedicated to recognising our unsung heroes—those who put others first and lead with kindness. The Be Yourself Champion is someone who brings our inclusive culture to life through their work within our employee-led resource groups.
One of this year’s standout moments came from Chester, winner of the Be Yourself Champion Award.
“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to win this award. Firstly, it was a privilege to be nominated from our magnificent networks for the work we do during our day-to-day job roles, but also as a person too. It’s been a special year with Rapport, being part of this huge family and then a being a member of the incredible ‘Cycle to Inspire’ team that helped raise over £31,000 for our charity partners. It’s something I’m incredibly proud about. In life, my vision is always to give something back. I’ve got so much out of what I do daily (mainly keeping active), so I’ve always wanted everyone to have that same opportunity and inspire those to keep pushing.”
Chester, Rapport Ambassador
We also shone a spotlight on our incredible West Lea School and DFN Project interns, and celebrated our ongoing partnership with Down Syndrome Ireland. We reinforced our commitment to supported internships and inclusive employment pathways.
A Culture of Kindness and Giving
In one of the evening’s most heartwarming moments, we revealed the results of last year’s fundraising pledge. We set out to raise £30,000 for our charity partners—West Lea School and Down Syndrome Ireland—and we’re proud to share that we surpassed it, reaching an incredible £32,554.
The total was revealed in dramatic style, as the Be Kind network leads pressed a big red button on stage to kickstart the countdown, culminating in fireworks and celebration. It was a moment of pure joy—hugs, applause, and a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together for a cause.
A Night to Remember
From an uplifting choir performance—featuring solos, a rap, and a soaring rendition of Defying Gravity—to the surprise prize draw that sent three lucky ambassadors off to Zurich, Copenhagen, and New York, the evening was filled with magic and momentum. We also proudly launched our new ESG Roadmap, outlining goals around fundraising, volunteering, internships, and sustainability. It’s a signal of where we’re going—and how our ambassador will lead the way.
Gabriela, Rapport Ambassador
More Than Awards
In every cheer, every handshake, every shared story, the Rapport Excellence Awards 2025 reminded us that recognition isn’t just about what we do, it’s the way we do it and the people that make it happen. That’s what makes us who we are—that’s what makes us Rapport.
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