Record Number Nominated for Council Worker of the Year Awards!

23/04/08

To reflect the overwhelming number of nominations, the Local Government Channel has now decided to increase the finalists in each category to six. Plus, due to an unprecedented number of entries relating to last year's flooding across the country, the Local Government Channel has decided to recognise the extraordinary efforts of councils by creating a separate team category especially for this year's awards - Floods Response. The six finalists in the categories of Innovation, Leadership, Lifetime Service, Care and Commitment, Team of the Year, Flood Response and Bravery will now battle it out for the top Council Worker of the Year award in their respective category. Public voting will start on May 1st via the Local Government Channel website and the winners will be announced at the Council Worker of the Year Awards Gala Dinner on July 3rd at the LGA Annual Conference in Bournemouth. Last year more than 200,000 people took part in the voting. Chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Simon Milton said "I am delighted by the number of entries from local authorities to the Council Worker of the Year awards. Council workers across the country all too often go above and beyond the call of duty and help local people in some of the most incredible ways. These awards are a chance to recognise the tireless work that they do to improve the lives of millions of people across the country each year. I look forward to finding out which councils have been shortlisted in each of the categories." Stephen Horn, CEO of the Local Government Channel said, "These awards help raise public and media awareness of the varied and important jobs performed daily by the unsung heroes of local government. They are often the ones facing the frontline of need without huge resources."