When ‘The Locksmith Awards’ announced its 2025 shortlist, Hazel Oakley of Gloucester Locksmiths was elated to be nominated, without knowing who had put her forward for the prestigious award.
Unlike many locksmiths in the trade, Hazel isn’t out on emergency call-outs or fitting locks on site. She works in the workshop, building and pinning cylinders, assembling master key systems and handling the detailed work that underpins commercial contracts. Her role might be behind the scenes, but it’s central to how a professional locksmithing business operates.
Winning the award did not come as a surprise however to Hazel’s colleagues, who championed her and are incredibly proud of her success.
Falling Into the Trade
“I never planned to become a locksmith. It wasn’t something I’d thought about at all. I’d just moved to the area and was looking for a new career path. My friend’s dad is Gary John, Managing Director of Gloucester Locksmiths, and my friend works there too – it’s a family business. I was offered the opportunity, took it, and that was nearly ten years ago.
What started as just a job quickly turned into something I genuinely love. There’s something about locksmithing that gets under your skin; the detail, the problem-solving, the fact that no two days are ever quite the same.”
Life at the Pinning Bench
“I work in the pinning department, and I spend most of my day building locks. That can mean anything from complex master key suites for universities to large telecoms contracts – locks and keys for companies like MBNL and EE and other major infrastructure providers. Some days it’s high-volume cylinder builds; other days its bespoke systems tailored to a customer’s exact requirements.
We handle everything from commercial properties to large institutional setups. Colleges and universities often need extensive master key systems with strict hierarchy control. Telecom contracts demand consistency, accuracy and scalability. I would describe the work as varied, technical and detailed, and I love that diversity.
One minute I’m building a multi-level master key suite with carefully calculated differ changes. The next I’m working on a completely different system with its own specification and tolerances. Systems are always evolving, customers’ needs change and there’s always something new to learn, and is what keeps it interesting.”
Training the Gloucester Way: In-House Expertise & MLA Standards
“All of my training has been done in-house at Gloucester Locksmiths. We’re an MLA-approved company, and that matters. Many of the team passed their exams and formal qualifications years ago, and most have been here 20 or 30 years. That depth of experience is invaluable. The knowledge transfer is constant.
I’ve had supplier training too. Representatives come in to show us new products, new systems, updates to existing ranges. We stay current because the industry never stands still.
Being part of a company that invests in training makes a difference. You’re not left to figure things out alone. You’re shown, guided, corrected. Standards are always high and that is the way it should be. It’s hands-on learning, grounded in real jobs and real contracts – that’s how you build confidence.”
An Award I Didn’t See Coming
“Midway through 2025, I received a call directly from The Locksmith Awards who told me I had been nominated for Female Locksmith Of The Year. It was exciting, albeit a bit surreal, and to this day, I don’t know who nominated me. Although I deal with a lot of customer work indirectly, I’m not customer-facing. I’m in the workshop, behind the scenes, and, to know that people out there had recognised my efforts meant a lot.
The award ceremony was in November. Unfortunately, I was on holiday in Lanzarote at the time, so I couldn’t attend in person. I received the award through the post instead and opening that package was a special moment.
Winning Female Locksmith of the Year genuinely means so much to me. I’m proud of the work I do and of the trust customers place in us. To be recognised by the industry in this way is incredibly special.”
A Collective Achievement
“Gary John, Managing Director of Gloucester Locksmiths, was really pleased and genuinely proud. For him, it wasn’t just about me individually, but about what it said about the company and the team. Gloucester Locksmiths are proud to have achieved a workforce comprised of 50% female staff which is a significant milestone for us. This reflects our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion within the trade.
As a collective, my colleagues bought me a present to celebrate. That’s the kind of environment we have here, very supportive and collaborative. I work in isolation, but we’re one big team. When one of us does well, it reflects on all of us. The award wasn’t just mine; it represented the standards we uphold every day as a business.”
Always Learning, Always Improving
“I’m always open to taking on new skills and our systems change regularly. Products evolve, security standards shift, and that means I’ll keep learning. I’d like to gain a formal qualification of my own. While I’ve had extensive in-house training, it would be good to have something officially in my name.
I’d also love to learn more about what the engineering locksmiths do on site. Understanding that side of the business in more depth would round out my knowledge even further. I’m keen to see the full lifecycle of a lock, from pinning bench to final installation.”
Precision, Pride and the Future of the Trade
Hazel Oakley’s story is one of precision, consistency, and professional pride. In many ways, it represents the evolving face of locksmithing. For the locksmiths and security professionals reading this, Hazel’s journey is a reminder that excellence in this trade isn’t confined to the van or the front door. It can exist in the workshop and people who work behind the scenes can also achieve recognition.
Nearly ten years after walking into Gloucester Locksmiths looking for a job, Hazel Oakley has become an award-winning professional at the heart of a respected security business.
www.gloucesterlocksmiths.com
01452 306 824
hazel@gloslocks.co.uk
More info
Gloucester Locksmiths is a long-established, MLA-approved locksmithing company based in Gloucestershire, providing domestic, commercial and specialist master key solutions. With a strong focus on training, technical excellence and customer care, the business has built long-standing partnerships with leading manufacturers and commercial clients.