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LOCALiQ Shortlisted for Four Awards at the UK Company Culture Awards 2026

Leah Davies

March 23, 2026

We’re delighted to announce that LOCALiQ and Newsquest have been shortlisted across four categories at the UK Company Culture Awards 2026, one of the most respected programmes recognising excellence in workplace culture across the UK.

The UK Company Culture Awards celebrate the organisations, teams, and initiatives that go beyond the expected to create truly outstanding places to work. From employee wellbeing and progression to remote working and corporate responsibility, the programme shines a light on businesses that put people at the heart of everything they do.

Being shortlisted across four categories is something we’re incredibly proud of, and a genuine reflection of the values, initiatives, and people that define LOCALiQ and Newsquest as employers.

 

Here’s what we’ve been recognised for:

 

Newsquest/LOCALiQ & Teenage Cancer Trust: Charity Partnership 2025

This nomination celebrates our 2025 partnership with the Teenage Cancer Trust; the only UK charity dedicated entirely to the specialist needs of young people aged 13 to 24 facing cancer. What makes this initiative particularly special is that it started with our own people: following a company-wide employee vote, our workforce chose to throw their collective weight behind this vital cause.

As the UK’s leading local media group (with a monthly digital audience of over 50 million people) Newsquest was uniquely positioned to bring national awareness to a deeply personal and local issue. The partnership united colleagues from across the business, including journalists, sales teams, and senior leadership, under a shared mission: ensuring no young person faces cancer alone.

Highlights of the partnership include:

  • A coordinated editorial campaign during Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness of the five key signs and symptoms of cancer in young people.
  • Support for the charity’s #StillMe campaign, addressing the mental health and identity challenges faced by young cancer patients.
  • Over 2,000 petition signatures generated in support of improved government policy on youth cancer care.
  • More than £11,300 raised through staff-led independent fundraising activities.
  • Over 7,000 unique website visits driven to the Teenage Cancer Trust through our digital advertising campaigns.

 

 

LOCALiQ & The fulfilment team: The “people-first” growth ecosystem

Three years ago, our 37-strong Fulfilment Department was experiencing the kind of talent churn that’s all too familiar in the agency world. Today, it stands as one of the most engaged, stable, and high-performing teams in the business.

The transformation was built on a bold structural change. Rather than maintaining traditional management models, we introduced our “hub” structure; small, close-knit teams of no more than six people, led by Team Leads whose sole responsibility is the coaching, development, and wellbeing of their direct reports, not client revenue.

This people-first model was supported by a range of initiatives designed to nurture talent at every stage:

  • A “connection-first” onboarding programme, where new starters meet senior leadership on Day 1 and spend their first two weeks in cross-departmental introductions before touching a client account.
  • “camp clinics”, monthly collaborative problem-solving sessions that bring the wider team together to tackle real client challenges.
  • “SEO Labs”, a platform empowering our technical specialists to present their expertise to 200+ colleagues across the wider Newsquest business, building confidence and internal profile.
  • A Senior CSM forum giving high-potential employees a direct voice in shaping business strategy.

 

The results have been transformational:

  • 97% retention rate across the Fulfilment team in 2025.
  • 40% internal promotion rate (8 out of 21 SEO team members promoted within two years).
  • Employee engagement scores sitting consistently 10 or more points above company-wide averages

 

 

LOCALiQ’s fully remote working environment

Our Fulfilment team is distributed across the length and breadth of the UK and we firmly believe our remote working environment rivals the connectivity, collaboration, and culture of any physical office.

When the post-pandemic landscape left many remote teams feeling disconnected and disengaged, we took a different approach. Rather than replicating an office experience on a laptop, we intentionally designed a “Digital-First, Human-Centric” culture, one built around engineered connection, dedicated people management, and best-in-class technology.

Key elements of our remote environment include:

  • The “Hub” management structure, ensuring every remote employee has a dedicated manager focused entirely on their growth and wellbeing
  • Enterprise AI tools rolled out to every team member, backed by paid training time, to reduce administrative burden and free up capacity for high-value work
  • A fully integrated cross-team culture, successfully merging our Isle of Wight web development team with our mainland SEO specialists into one cohesive unit

Virtual industry events and physical conferences (including SEO Brighton and The Hive, Manchester) keeping our remote team connected to the wider industry

Our 2025 Employee Survey validated just how far we’ve come:

  • Belonging score of 92.6% (10.2 points above the wider company average of 82.4%)
  • Teamwork scores up 9.5% year-on-year, reaching 81.5%
  • 97% staff retention, losing just one person from a 37-strong department in a full year
  • UK client retention rates that have overtaken our North American and ANZ counterparts

 

 

LOCALiQ

This nomination is a recognition of LOCALiQ as a whole; our culture, our values, and the people who bring them to life every day.

With approximately 100 employees across the UK, LOCALiQ is the digital marketing arm of Newsquest Media Group, combining the heritage of a trusted publisher with the agility and performance focus of a modern digital agency. But what truly sets us apart isn’t our product portfolio, it’s our people.

Our “People-first performance” philosophy underpins every decision we make as a business. We believe that when employees feel genuinely supported, developed, and valued, the commercial results follow. And our data backs that up:

  • A 97% retention rate in our core delivery teams, a total reversal from the agency’s previous talent challenges
  • A 40% internal promotion rate, with homegrown leaders now driving growth across the wider business
  • Belonging scores of 92.6% and Continuous Improvement scores of 80.2% (both significantly outperforming wider company benchmarks)
  • A Trustpilot score of 97 reviews, celebrated by our Managing Director as a direct reflection of our team’s passion and commitment

From restructuring our management model, to investing in cutting-edge AI tools, to empowering staff to shape business strategy directly, we’re not just adapting to the future of work. We’re defining it.

 

A huge thank you

None of these nominations would be possible without the incredible people across LOCALiQ and Newsquest who show up, give their best, and continually raise the bar for what a great workplace looks like.

A special thank you to the Teenage Cancer Trust for an extraordinary and deeply meaningful partnership, and to every colleague who has contributed to the culture we’re so proud of today.

We look forward to celebrating alongside other inspiring organisations at the awards ceremony on the 7th May.

Leah Davies
Meet the Author

Leah Davies

Leah is a marketing manager with over 10 years of experience in advertising and marketing. She holds a Diploma in Digital Marketing and a specialist certification in Social Media, both awarded by the DMI. Leah helps businesses build stronger connections with their audiences through smart and effective digital strategies.

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