We’re known for our community engagement specialism, and get to work with brilliant individuals and teams within local authorities in the creation and execution of campaigns. So when we saw the opportunity to be part of an event congratulating those who work at one of the Councils we serve, we signed up immediately!
The Spotlight Awards took place during an evening of celebration on Tuesday 4th March, where the people and teams of Cambridgeshire County Council were recognised for their outstanding achievements in helping to deliver the Council’s vision of creating a greener, fairer, and more caring Cambridgeshire. Keystone’s Hayley and Chantal joined shortlisted finalists, award sponsors and other invited guests at The Cambridge Belfry in Cambourne for the awards ceremony.
267 nominations were received from across all parts of the council, from which the judging panels produced a shortlist of 34 individuals and teams. Key successes acknowledged at the event included:
- an unwavering commitment to children and young people in care
- projects to help children reconnect with nature and encourage biodiversity
- commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion across the county
- the work supporting the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities to access opportunities which may not otherwise be available to them.
The winners of the 11 award categories were:
- Team of the Year – Winner: Cambridgeshire Virtual School Team.
- Colleague of the Year – Winner: Fran Marshall, Principal Social Worker.
- Compassionate Leader of the Year – Winner: Allison Box, Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme Co-ordinator.
- Greener Award – Winner: Cambridge City Child and Family Centre.
- Fairer Award – Winner: Sean Figura, Technology Enabled Care (TECS) Leader and Jaye McLaughlin, Insight Analyst.
- More Caring Award – Winner: Marie Ludlam, Changing Futures Services Manager.
- Inclusion and Belonging Award – Winner: Thabang Thacker, Sean Figura, Technology Enabled Care (TECS) Leader and Jaye McLaughlin, Insight Analyst.
- Collaborative Award – Winner: Rose Wilson, Project Development Officer.
- Accountable Award – Winner: March Library Team.
- Respectful Award – Winner: Kevin Delaney, Senior Digital Officer.
- Excellence Award – Winner: Toni Scrivener, Support Worker, Huntingdon Community Centre Day Service.
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said:
“It’s been wonderful to celebrate the contributions from all these individuals and teams.
“It’s testament to the commitment of the county council’s workforce that even more nominations were received this year; it was a tough decision for the judges to select the winners in each category due to quality of all the nominees.
“Our people are critical to the work the county council does for residents, and their dedication and energy is helping to create a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire, every day.”
Dr Stephen Moir, Chief Executive of the County Council, who hosted the awards ceremony, said:
“Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and especially to those who won.
“I’m very proud of my colleagues who demonstrate the best of the county council’s work. My heartfelt thanks go out to our sponsors, without whom the event could not have happened. I’d also like to commend the work of our communications and HR teams for their care in planning, organising, and delivering the awards this year. Such a great celebration is only possible when enabled by the work of people behind the scenes, not just those in the spotlight.”
The awards, entirely funded by sponsors, are now in their second year – and Keystone Marketing sponsored the event styling. The event was a true reflection of the Council’s vision and values, and we congratulate all the winners, highly commended entries, and the full list of nominees.
The full awards press release is available on the Cambridgeshire County Council website.
