The Birmingham Press

Local heroes honoured in special awards programme

Editor

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.

The finalists have now been revealed in the Chamberlain Awards 2012 which 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 the team behind the design of the new library, The Shard, at Shards End.

Nominations for the awards 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.

One such 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.

Councillor Muhammad Afzal said: “This has been a very memorable year for the whole of the UK. Thanks to both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, we have seen an abundance of community spirit and it’s been incredibly heart-warming to see this goodwill spread into people’s work and their everyday lives.

“The Chamberlain Awards helps to celebrate the hard work and dedication that employees at Birmingham City Council give to the local community. The past few years have been a tough time, in terms of cuts and ensuring people are not going without daily necessities and high quality services and facilities but, reading through the nominations of this year’s finalists, it’s outstanding just how much people have achieved in a difficult climate.

“I would like to personally congratulate all of the finalists in this year’s awards, and whether they win or not on the evening, I want them to know just how much Birmingham City Council appreciates their hard work. These dedicated individuals have made a real difference to the lives of local people – and that is something certainly worth celebrating.”

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.

Now in its eighth year, The Chamberlain Awards is named after Joseph Chamberlain – one of Birmingham’s most respected Civic Leaders – and 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

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Chamberlain Awards Finalist 2012

Working with Communities

Dynamic Leadership

Personal Achievement

Excellent Service Delivery

Partnerships for Birmingham

Imaginative Teamwork

Equalities and Communities

Efficiency

People’s Choice for Service to the Community

Best of BEST

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