Concierge of the Year Janet Oparebea, who has worked at the Weston Rise estate in King’s Cross for 24 years, with Lat Singh, left, and Terry Smith who jointly won runner-up

JANET Oparebea is perhaps the borough’s most-loved concierge. This month she won Islington Council’s 2025 Concierge of the Year award, after being nominated by the residents of the estate where she works.

Janet has worked for 24 years at the Weston Rise estate in King’s Cross. During this time she has got to know nearly every resident on the estate, except “maybe the new ones that have just come in”. She said: “I’ve seen people grow from when they were babies to being adults now. I’ve gone to three or four of their weddings. I know them all well.”

Ever since she was young Janet has always wanted to serve people, she said. “The first time I got the job, and I realised that people are around me all the time, I was so happy. So any morning I am coming to work I am so so happy.”

The tenants of Weston Rise value her services a great deal, and are constantly bringing Janet and her colleagues snacks to show their appreciation.

“They come to us, they chat with us, they give us gifts … sometimes it can be chocolate, biscuits.”

Occasionally, the tenants will gift Janet cash to help her out on her night shifts. “They’ve never given me more than £20. At first, I would say ‘no, no’ and not take it, but they would insist because they want to order me food if I’m working nights and don’t want to get the wrong thing.

“They’ll say, ‘Here, Janet, order yourself a pizza, or grab something on your way home’.”

When Janet was nominated for Concierge of the Year, she explained how she was “very, very surprised”. But when she brought her medal into work, tenants came up to reveal that they had nominated her.

“They were coming with all what they said about me. That was when I knew they had nominated me, so they were happy I won.”

An important part of being a concierge, Janet explained, is “keeping the peace” – making sure that relationships are kept respectful, not just with the estate’s staff but between tenants.

“To be honest, it is not easy, but we have to try to make it easy, because we serve people.”

When a tenant took a present meant for another tenant, that had been delivered and was waiting to be picked up, Janet caught the incident on CCTV and swiftly retrieved it.

When she returned the present to its rightful owner, Janet made sure to protect the identity of the tenant who took the gift: “I said, ‘No, nobody took it, but I found it somewhere, and I decided to bring it to you’.”

However, after the tenant who wrongly took the parcel went to apologise to its recipient, the would-be present snatcher realised that Janet had covered for her. “So that lady was so happy, she came back to me and she gave me a present.

“I was so happy I was able to do that for the two of them … I covered the tenants, and they are still fine!”

Alongside Janet, Terry Smith and Lat Singh jointly won runner-up for Concierge of the Year.

Meanwhile, Jason Jones won the council’s Caretaker of the Year award, with Francis Oduro and Sara Walters as runners-up.