Employees of Birmingham City Council (BCC), who have made a real difference to the lives of local people, are being recognised for their achievements in a special awards ceremony next month.
Now in its eighth year, the Chamberlain Awards aims to celebrate those employees who have gone above and beyond their daily role – from grave diggers who have helped families cope with bereavement, to employees who have helped run a befriending service for people with a disability.
The finalists have now been announced for this year’s awards, following nominations which were sought internally across ten diverse categories, including Imaginative Teamwork, Dynamic Leadership and Working with Communities. Additionally, a special award – The People’s Choice – received nominations from the general public, giving the local community a chance to thank those people that have made a positive impact on their lives.
Councillor Muhammed Afzal said: “The Chamberlain Awards is an important part of Birmingham City Council’s HR programme. Often we will take for granted the hard work that city council employees put in every single day, and the very real impact their efforts have on local people. The Chamberlain Awards gives us a chance to celebrate the council’s achievements and the dedication of individuals. There is much for Birmingham to be proud of and the finalists really have gone above and beyond to help make the city a better place.”
One finalist in the Partnerships for Birmingham category is the team behind Operation Mastiff; a special project that aimed to tackle gang culture in the Billesley neighbourhood. The area was dominated by members of a large notorious family who were involved in serious criminal activity and terrorising the local community. Officers from BCC worked alongside West Midlands Police, the Probation Service and Legal Services to help combat the problem, raising confidence amongst residents and bringing the offenders to justice.
In total, the Operation Mastiff team attended in excess of 30 separate court hearings, obtaining two full Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and 13 full Anti Social Behaviour Injunctions (ASBIs). Since the imposition of the orders there have been seven breaches and three offenders have received custodial sentences. As a result the previous culture of fear has now gone, while crime and ASB stats, including burglary, criminal damage and assault, are down by 65 per cent in comparison with last year.
Winners in each of the categories will be announced in a glittering awards ceremony at the ICC on Friday 9th November. To help celebrate the achievements of BCC employees, some sporting heroes from London 2012 will also be at the ceremony to help congratulate the winners.
Named after Joseph Chamberlain – one of Birmingham’s most respected Civic Leaders – the Chamberlain Awards is designed to reward BCC workers who go the extra mile to ensure that people of Birmingham receive quality services.
For further information on the Chamberlain Awards, or to read about the finalists in further detail visit www.chamberlainawards.co.uk
