09 April 2004
For the first time, 18 teams have been selected as finalists for the Public Servant of the Year awards. The teams will join 21 individuals at the final ceremony in London next month.
The awards are unique in recognising both individual and team achievements, and the finalists come from the length and breadth of the public sector. This year, a council chief executive, a community warden, a head teacher, trading standards and JobCentre Plus teams and two schools are among those vying for the Outstanding Public Servant and the Outstanding Public Service Team of the year awards.
There is also an international flavour to the awards, with a finalist from the British Consulate in New York and from the Sudan Unit, formed from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
The awards, now in their fourth year, are supported by Prime Minister Tony Blair. 'The 2004 Public Servants of the Year Awards will continue the promotion of the message of excellence in public services and the winners will be champions for change and commitment,' he said.
The awards are run by Public Finance in partnership with CIPFA, the Cabinet Office and the Office of Government Commerce.
The seven individual and six team winners and the overall winners – Outstanding Public Servant and Outstanding Service Team – will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on May 10.
Sir Andrew Turnbull, Secretary of the Cabinet and head of the home Civil Service will speak. As in previous years, the event will be hosted by BBC Breakfast's Dermot Murnaghan and ITN newsreader Mary Nightingale.
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