The winners of this year’s Bolton’s Best staff awards have been announced.
The staff awards celebrate and reward the work council staff do to improve the quality of life for everyone in the Bolton family, and the hard work they do for our community.
It would not be possible to hold the ceremony without the support of sponsors Bolton Whites Hotel and Agilisys. The hotel enables us to host the ceremony to celebrate your achievements, and to cover the costs of running the awards, IT supplier Agilisys has once again generously agreed to be the sponsor.
Members of the public and staff voted for the winner of the Best Customer Care award, supported by the Bolton News. The category is for the person, team or project that has gone the extra mile to deliver outstanding service to customers. It recognises those who make a difference to the people of Bolton. It can be big or small, someone who helps a customer every day or an act of kindness.
The 2017 Best Customer Care winner was: The Albert Halls team
This team comprises of members of Security and Response, Building Support, and the Albert Halls who have come together this year and made events possible in the Albert Halls. These are a diverse range and include the elections, council meetings, the Vision Conference, gala dinners and many, many more.
The level of customer care the staff provide is fantastic. This was shown particularly at the recent University of Bolton graduations ceremonies where they provided front of house and back of house cover for four days during the ceremonies.
The other winners were:
- Innovation, Improvement, and Sustainability Award - Dawn Lythgoe and Kelly Warriner, from the Policy and Performance team, working with councillors and community organisations to set up and develop new community hub facilities.
- Best Manager - Gaynor Joy Cole, the kitchen manager at St Mary's Primary School. She is firm but fair and runs the kitchen perfectly. Not only do her staff respect her, but the teachers and children do too.
- Best Team winner - Boundary Gardens Adolescent Support Unit. This ‘Outstanding’ team provides a vital service for vulnerable young people at risk of family breakdown
- Best Young Worker - Darcy Thompson, LASE Scheme Worker, Corporate Children's Team. Darcy is employed by the council through the Looked After Supported Employment scheme, but placed in a work setting where she has a specific desire to work - a beauty therapy salon, where she is undertaking a Level 2 Apprenticeship.
- Best Team Member - Jon Nuttall, Technical Officer, Waste and Recycling. Jon is always going above the call of duty and is always one step ahead at looking at ways to improve the waste and recycling service for the crews, back office, contact centre and improving customer experience.
- Partnership Working Award - Schools Library and Museum Team. The team works with Bolton schools to support learning and literacy.
- Lifetime Achievement award - Linda Duckworth, Head of Regulatory Services. Linda has worked for Bolton Council for her whole working life (more than 40 years). She began as an environmental health trainee and has worked in all aspects of the council’s environmental health service across her career.
- Unsung Hero – Jackie Gavin is a senior legal assistant, and has coped with the loss of her children to who work with other mothers, and is involved in legal cases where others are struggling to parent. Outside of work Jackie helps to run the Bolton branch of The Compassionate Friends, a support group run for, and by, bereaved parents and siblings.