Company Spotlight: Principle Cleaning Services
Apprentices Powering Sustainable Change
Principle Cleaning Services is turning ‘People, Sustainability, Innovation’ from a slogan into a competitive advantage. As London’s first employee‑owned cleaning partner, the business has rapidly expanded its sustainability capability with five new learners on the LDN Sustainability Professional programme. This is a strategic move led by Shannon Berry (Head of Sustainability) and Sadie-Jane Eversden (Sustainability Manager) and is already reshaping how Principle delivers ESG.
Their apprentices aren’t just supporting the strategy; they’re accelerating it. From sharper reporting and stronger client insights to fresh ideas on-site, they’ve become a driving force behind Principle’s responsible growth and its mission to create a cleaner, more sustainable future.
We met with Sadie-Jane to learn how Principle’s investment in sustainability apprentices is driving ESG impact, strengthening client delivery and developing the next generation of sustainability leaders. Here's what she had to say.
What meaningful changes have you seen across Principle Cleaning Services as a result of investing in social value and sustainability apprentices?
Investing in our apprenticeship programme has allowed Principle to embed our ESG strategy throughout the business through practical, on-the-ground implementation. Apprentices bring a fresh, inquisitive perspective that directly fuels innovation in the creation, development and implementation of ESG initiatives.
By training apprentices to support vital reporting projects, data-gathering and roadmap initiatives, the sustainability team now has greater capacity to focus on higher-level strategy, increasing our social value impact and working towards meeting our 2040 Net Zero goals.
Apprentices are also crucial to driving culture on-site. Their presence means people feel more confident asking questions and getting involved. Furthermore, it also reinforces the importance of sustainability within everyday business practices.
How has having apprentices working towards the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioner standard strengthened the value you deliver to clients?
Our apprentices are a crucial support system for our client-facing ESG commitments. They play a key role in bridging the sustainability knowledge gap and encouraging our operations team to get involved. Apprentices support important work, such as tracking carbon data and social value, ensuring that the information we present to clients is robust, transparent and accurate.
This allows us to provide clients with real-time insights into their environmental impact, such as carbon emissions from products and consumables, delivery data, energy and water consumption and waste and plastic reduction figures. It also strengthens our ability to meet specific ESG reporting requirements, helping to turn sustainability into a measurable contract performance metric.
How has having apprentices working towards the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioner standard strengthened the value you deliver to clients?
Our apprentices are a crucial support system for our client-facing ESG commitments. They play a key role in bridging the sustainability knowledge gap and encouraging our operations team to get involved. Apprentices support important work, such as tracking carbon data and social value, ensuring that the information we present to clients is robust, transparent and accurate.
This allows us to provide clients with real-time insights into their environmental impact, such as carbon emissions from products and consumables, delivery data, energy and water consumption and waste and plastic reduction figures. It also strengthens our ability to meet specific ESG reporting requirements, helping to turn sustainability into a measurable contract performance metric.
Beyond operational tasks, apprentices drive social value creation and community engagement, acting as a vital link between the site, our clients and the local community. They also support sites by providing educational materials in the form of sustainability spotlights.
What has supporting apprentices brought to your role as a line manager – professionally or personally – and how has mentoring them shaped your perspective on developing future sustainability talent?
Mentoring apprentices has been professionally rewarding, as it requires me to articulate our ESG strategy and processes with absolute clarity, ensuring they are actionable for someone new to the industry. It has sharpened my own management style, shifting my focus towards building a structured environment where learning is continuous.
Personally, seeing the confidence and professional growth of our recruits, particularly those who have achieved Distinctions, is incredibly fulfilling. It has reshaped my perspective, reinforcing that the future of the sustainability sector lies in diversifying our talent pipeline. Investing in young talent today is not just about filling a role, it's also about building the next generation of sustainability leaders who will work to tackle the challenges we are facing now.
You’ve seen five new recruits join through LDN’s Career Kickstarter event this year and supported three previous apprentices to achieve Distinction. What stands out to you about their development, confidence and contribution – and how does this reinforce the value of bringing new people into the sector?
The most striking aspect of their development is the transition from ‘support’ to ‘ownership’. Whether it is taking the lead on a circular or environmental project, coordinating community volunteering events or participating in client meetings, our apprentices have demonstrated their ability to deliver high-impact work very quickly.
Achieving three Distinctions is a testament to both their commitment and the effectiveness of how the apprenticeship aligns with the sustainability support model within Principle. The apprentices are tasked with owning and driving forward an ESG roadmap for their sites, which gives them the structure and contextual opportunity to excel in their apprenticeship work. Their contribution proves that fresh talent, when properly supported, can be a powerful driver of change rather than simply an added resource.
Two of our apprentices have since been promoted to coordinator roles, proving themselves as integral members of the team. Zaynab is now advancing our data and ESG reporting systems, while Archie has championed our product matrix and leads cross-departmental sustainability forums. Their progression into these leadership roles highlights the significant, positive impact that our apprentices bring to the organisation.
How do you see Principle Cleaning’s continued investment in sustainability apprentices helping to futureproof the organisation and the wider cleaning and FM sector, particularly in building skills that protect the planet, strengthen communities and meet emerging sustainability demands?
The FM sector, like many other sectors, faces a significant skills gap regarding complex ESG requirements, such as carbon accounting and other green skills. By investing in apprentices, Principle is effectively futureproofing its workforce by embedding ESG literacy from the ground up. We are creating a pipeline of professionals who are fluent in both the operational realities of cleaning and the strategic requirements of sustainability.
This hybrid expertise is essential. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to our clients, as evidenced by the growing requests for verified social value, emissions reduction plans and training and development support. Having a team that is trained to manage these emerging demands ensures Principle remains a market leader and an essential, resilient partner in the wider sector.
Huge thank you to Sadie-Jane for telling us more about her experience supporting apprentices on the programme. To find out more about the LDN Sustainability Professional programme, click below.