31 March 2006
Thirty-nine finalists have been selected by the judges of the Public Servants of the Year Awards to go forward to the high-profile ceremony in London in May.
Individuals short listed include a head teacher, a youth worker, a police constable and a housing adviser. Team finalists include librarians, firefighters, an asylum seekers unit and the visa unit of the British High Commission in Pakistan.
In total, ten individuals and 29 teams have been recognised. They were chosen from 450 entries – a record for the event.
Sir Michael Lyons, the chair of the judging panel, praised the range and quality of the entries. 'They show just how many examples there are within the public services of individuals and teams who go beyond narrow job definitions and bring creativity, care and extra value to their work,' he told Public Finance.
The winners across the 13 categories will be announced at the ceremony on Wednesday May 17 along with the two main awards – the Outstanding Public Servant of the Year and the Outstanding Team of the Year. However, the two big awards will be chosen by a special people's panel organised by the polling organisation Mori.
The awards, which are now in their sixth year, aim to recognise the achievements of individuals and teams working across the public services. They are run by Public Finance in partnership with CIPFA, the Cabinet Office, the Office of Government Commerce and Mori.
Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell will be one of the speakers at the ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel. The presenters will be Sir Trevor McDonald and Felicity Barr.
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