From historic football celebrations to pioneering innovations in security, SAFECROWDS GROUP’s busy year of dedication to keeping people safe in 2025 has been recognised by the Fire & Security Matters Awards 2026, with our name on the shortlist in two categories.
We are finalists in the Security Project of the Year category, recognising our role in keeping people safe and managing crowds for Crystal Palace Football Club’s first-ever FA Cup victory parade in May 2025. The momentous occasion drew tens of thousands of fans to celebrate the club’s historic triumph and was organised at short notice, to involve fans in the celebrations while the victory was still fresh.
Our success in being named finalists in the awards, acknowledges how quickly we responded to the brief, surveying the location, devising a plan for traffic management and HVM, and submitting proposals to the authorities within just 72-hours. It also recognises our efforts on the day, when we delivered a multi-layered approach including 15 road closures, traffic diversions, and multiple hostile vehicle mitigation systems to support a safe environment for 50,000 to 60,000 fans, players and staff.
Our second place on the awards shortlist is for our Operations Director, Vicki Hearn, who has also been shortlisted in the Security Industry Woman of the Year category – a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding contribution to the sector. With more than 20 years’ industry experience, Vicki oversees our team of 300 staff across all aspects of our operations. A frontline-ready leader with multiple qualifications spanning security management, crowd Management, and canine detection, Vicki is also a qualified NASDU explosives detection dog handler. She has played a key role in rolling out our canine spiking detection capabilities, alongside our Head of Canine Training, Wayne Gell, who pioneered canine spiking substance detection. Thanks to Vicki and Wayne, SAFECROWDS GROUP became one of the first private security companies in the UK to offer this service.
Commenting on making the shortlist in two categories, our Co-MD, Rory McGoldrick, said: “At SAFECROWDS GROUP, collaboration and keeping people safe sit at the heart of everything we do.
“We are immensely proud of our whole team, and the contribution they make to ensuring every project and deployment run like clockwork. And we are delighted that has gained recognition on the shortlist because she not only plays a pivotal role in the effectiveness of our services but also inspires other female security professionals in our business and our industry.”
The winners will be announced at a star-studded awards ceremony at the Coventry Building Society Arena on 2 July 2026.
