THE teams that make a real difference for the people of Middlesbrough week in, week out have been recognised at a special awards event.
All year round Middlesbrough Council staff go the extra mile to deliver vital services and improve the quality of life of local people.
The Middlesbrough Council Team Awards – now in their third year – were launched to throw a spotlight on the tireless work that all too often goes unsung.
Teams and service areas are invited to submit nominations across a number of award categories including Partnership Working, Adapting to Change, Business Improvement and Special Volunteering.
This year’s winners were selected from nearly 80 submissions by a judging panel made up of senior Council officers and representatives of a range of partners.
Star performers and winners of the 2017 Team of the Year Award were the Highways and Emergency Response Team who turn out round the clock to tackle severe weather, traffic accidents fallen trees, chemical spills, fires and other serious incidents.
Twelve-hour shifts in heavy rain and floods are all in a day’s work for the team, with members often turning out to help even when not on call.
Paul Ayre, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We are proud to sponsor this year’s Team of the Year Award.
“The Highways and Emergency Response Team stood out from a very strong field, and are deserving winners of the top award.
“They’re on hand around the clock to deal with emergencies and the worst our weather can throw at us – they make a real difference to the life of the town but rarely get the recognition they deserve.”
Another strong field saw the Memory Lane Café Project Team pick up the Customer Excellence Award for raising awareness of dementia and showing how people can live and manage the condition.
In partnership with Better World Books, Memory Lane Cafés at the Central Library and community hubs helped create a lasting legacy in the form of a publication capturing the stories and memories of those attending.
Mark Ashall, of People category sponsors Ashall Projects, said: “We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to support the Council Team Awards for another year.
“Council staff provide a wide range of services across the town and it is important to recognise their dedication and the positive contribution they make to the community.”
The awards evening and dinner are sponsored by partners from the public and private sectors. Sponsors for 2017 included Balfour Beatty, Everyone Active, Ashalls and North Star Housing.
The annual Team Awards presentation evening took place at the town’s Jurys Inn, with nearly 200 members of staff in attendance.
Middlesbrough Council Chief Executive Tony Parkinson said: “This Council’s single most important resource is its people, but all too often the outstanding work they do goes unheralded.
“We launched the Team Awards in 2015 to redress the balance and recognise the individuals and teams who day in, day out go the extra mile to deliver outstanding, innovative and creative service for the people of Middlesbrough.
“It’s been hugely encouraging to see award submissions from teams from right across the Council, and as part of the judging panel I was enormously impressed by the tremendous work that is being carried out in so many different areas.
“We were all humbled by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by staff for their work, especially in these really challenging times, and these awards are our way of helping to recognise and celebrate that dedication and professionalism.
“Congratulations to all the award winners and I look forward to building on the success of this year’s event.
“I’m also very grateful to all the sponsors for supporting the awards and for helping to make this event such a success.”