A GUISBOROUGH man has been rewarded for his efforts in providing catering and cleaning services for 1,000 young soldiers.

Mick Dance, 49, a contract manager at the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate, was named winner in the Can Do category of the ESS Management Awards.

Mr Dance runs ESS Support Services, heading up a team of more than 100 staff responsible for providing full domestic services, including cleaning and catering, at AFC Harrogate. His company works with contracted services provider Jarvis Workspace Facilities Management.

He said: "I'm very lucky to have a job that I enjoy so much. The best part of my job is liaising with our customers and clients to ensure that everything runs smoothly on site. I'm thrilled to have received the award, but it isn't just for me, it's a reflection of the efforts of our team here as a whole."

One of the chief reasons for the reward was the charity fundraising efforts made by the team.

Mr Dance said: "Last year, we raised more than £4,000 for the Cleft Lip and Palette Association (Clapa) through various events, including a 15,000ft tandem parachute jump, a walk along Hadrian's Wall, raffles, tombolas and auctions.

"This year, we are raising money for the British Forces Foundation and have got £2,000 already."