Council awards recognise inspirational staff

Two award ceremonies have recognised the amazing work of Calderdale Council staff who are making a difference in local communities.

The Council’s Long Service Awards on Tuesday 5 November gave thanks to 12 employees who have each worked there for 25 years – a combined total of 300 years of service.

The ‘Our Stars’ awards on Wednesday 13 November, entirely sponsored by a range of local businesses and organisations, recognised staff who go above and beyond to make life in Calderdale better for all.

The Mayor of Calderdale, Cllr Ann Kingstone, presented the long service certificates and awards to staff at Halifax Town Hall, following a speech from the Council’s Chief Executive, Robin Tuddenham.

Adam Moss and Paul Scott from the Council’s Green Spaces and Street Scene team were just some of the long-serving staff to be recognised. They both started working at the Council in 1999, when Adam was 16 and Paul was 17.

They shared their first work task together, cutting grass in Mixenden, and since then have worked in many areas of gardening. Adam’s work has included looking after bowling greens and becoming the Head Gardener at Manor Heath Park, where he played a big role in the park earning Green Flag status. Paul has helped gain recognition from Britain in Bloom across Calderdale and progressed to become Senior Operative for the Upper Calder Valley.

This well-liked duo are the first to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in, taking pride in how the area looks for residents and visitors.

The annual ‘Our Stars’ staff awards took place at Dean Clough in Halifax, where categories such as Team of the Year, Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion, Community Health and Wellbeing, and Climate Hero highlighted the vast range of work that the Council does.

The Team of the Year award, sponsored by Code Building Solutions, went to the Customer First Homeless Prevention Team.

Due to the rising cost of living and demand for housing, it has become more and more challenging for the team to support residents to find affordable accommodation. The judges praised the team for “coming into work with a smile on their face, personal resilience, passion and a positive attitude for what they might be able to do for vulnerable residents. The staff will always put the customer first and allow them the time to explain their situations using their empathy, compassion and non-judgmental approach to the wide range of different situations they are faced with.”

An important Council partner, Calderdale Youth Council, won the Climate Hero category, sponsored by AHR.

Climate change has been a recurring campaign for the Youth Council. Its members created the ‘ACE Awards’ – a scheme for schools to look at the steps they can take for climate action. Inspirational young people on the Youth Council have offered to mentor schools through the scheme, as well as developing and running training for school governors. The Youth Council now has two places on Calderdale’s Climate Action Partnership, helped to write the Climate Action Plan(external link) and is leading on developing a version of the plan for children and young people.

Calderdale Council’s Leader, Cllr Jane Scullion, said:

“Through the Long Service and Our Stars Awards, we see the big impact our staff have on local people and places – from helping our towns to thrive, to protecting the environment and reducing inequalities in our communities.
“Our long-serving staff have shown outstanding dedication to public service and Calderdale, seeing many changes over time but adapting and maintaining their commitment to doing a job that makes a difference.
“The Our Stars winners are equally inspirational, all sharing the talent, resilience and kindness that make our workplace and the borough so special.”

Other staff receiving long service awards included:

Paul McCormick, Practice Lead, Adult Services and Wellbeing
Jane Cummin, Passenger Attendant
Lindsey Ellison, Team Leader – Contact Centre
Stephanie Gartside, Assistant Project Manager
Denise Oukhaba, Tutor
Richard Seaman, Corporate Lead – Planning
Charlotte Greaves, Performance Officer
Alyson Healey, Senior Insurance Officer

Here is the full list of Our Stars winners:

Town and Place Ambassador Award

Adele Blacklock and Rachael Mitchell in Housing

Sponsored by MAC Construction Consultants

Climate Hero Award

Calderdale Youth Council