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THE 2009 NORTHERN IRELAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARDS
23 February 2010
Councils throughout Northern Ireland were celebrating on Thursday as the winners of the Northern Ireland Local Government Awards for 2009 were announced. Broadcaster Lynda Bryans hosted the event and announced the winners of the 10 award categories.
All local councils in Northern Ireland were invited to make a submission for the awards highlighting the best services, initiatives, staff and councillors from their council. 68 submissions were received across the 10 categories; all were of a high standard reflecting many projects and individuals who often go unrecognised in our communities.
Cllr John Mathews, NILGA President said “We all know that councils play a vital part in local community life and that the services they provide are fundamental to the way we live our lives. It is important that people know that money is being spent effectively, that innovation and excellent service delivery is alive and well in local councils and that there are individuals who are prepared to go beyond the call of duty to provide public services. ”He added “The second year of the awards has been as impressive as the first and I am sure they are now established as a highlight in the local government calendar.”
The Northern Ireland Local Government Awards were introduced in 2008 and there were 68 submissions made by local councils across ten award categories.
The 8 main organisations which support local government in Northern Ireland have come together to establish the awards authorities – APSE, Local Government Staff Commission NI, Local Government Training Group, Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), SOLACE NI, William Johnson Memorial Trust, the National Association of Councillors and the Women’s Development Steering Group.
The awards were sponsored by Scotshield, Red Box Media and the Municipal Journal.
The awards reflect a culture of improvement in local government in Northern Ireland with a series of independent judging panels identifying the finalists and then the winner for each category
ENDS
Photographs of the Winners can be found on the website under NILGA Conference 2010.
Winners and captions for photographs.
Best Local Authority Service Team of the Year - Sponsored by APSE, presented by Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive of APSE.
Winner – Belfast City Council Community Safety Team.
Change Champions in Practice - Sponsored by Local Government Staff Commission NI, presented by Brian Hanna CBE, Chair, Local Government Staff Commission NI.
Winner – Coleraine Borough Council - Causeway Kids Cuisine.
Innovative HR in Practice - Sponsored by Local Government Staff Commission NI, presented by Cllr Marion Smith, Vice-Chair, Local Government Staff Commission NI.
Winner - Armagh City and District Council – A muscular approach to managing absence.
Innovative Training Initiative - Sponsored by Local Government Training Group, presented by Norman Dunn Chair, Local Government Training Group.
Winner - Omagh District Council – Delta a force to be reckoned with...
Best Initiative by a Councillor - Sponsored by the National Association for Councillors, presented by Cllr John Mann.
Winner - Cllr Dermot Curran - Down District Council.
Best Joint Initiative between Councils - Sponsored by SOLACE NI, presented by Ashley Boreland, Chief Executive, Ards Borough Council.
Winner – Cafe Culture – Good Relations Conference - Coleraine Borough Council, Derry City Council, Ballymoney Borough Council, Limavady Borough Council, Magherafelt District Council, Moyle District Council supported by OFMDFM.
Employee of the Year - Sponsored by William Johnston Memorial Trust, presented by Fergus Wheeler, Chair of the William Johnston Memorial Trust.
Winner – Ian Beaney – North Down Borough Council
Best Sustainable Development Initiative - Sponsored by NILGA, presented by Cllr John Mathews, President of NILGA.
Winner – Belfast City Council – Mayor’s Big Clean up.
Best Improvement Project - Sponsored by NILGA, presented by Cllr John Mathews, President of NILGA.
Winner – Belfast City Council – Ulster Hall Redevelopment.
Women in Local Councils Award - Sponsored by Women’s Development Steering Group, presented by Cllr Kate Lagan.
Winner – Ards Borough Council and North Down Borough Council – Visible Women.
For more information please contact:
Tara Cunningham, Director of Communications & Engagement t.cunningham@nilga.org or
Mark Maher, Communications Officer m.maher@nilga.org
Northern Ireland Local Government Association NILGA
Unit 5B Castlereagh Business Park, 478 Castlereagh Road, Belfast BT5 6QA.
Tel: 028 9079 8972 Web: www.nilga.org
