Local Government Channel

What gets you up in the morning?

20/07/2009

What gets you up in the morning?

So it’s over for another year. The votes have been counted, the champagne has been drunk and all the winners of the council worker of the year awards have been duly congratulated.

And it’s been great. We’ve had more finalists than before, more categories and more votes. And the dinner in Harrogate earlier this month was a big success. Judging by all the tapping fingers and smiles the politicians and chief executives really enjoyed the evening.

Of course the most important people there were the finalists themselves. We hold a private lunch for them earlier in the day and it is a real privilege to meet them all and put names to faces. It’s also quite a humbling experience. Because this is truly a diverse group of people who have done so much to benefit the community in which they live.

But all that not withstanding the night itself belonged to Barry. I’m obviously talking about Barry Snowdon from Mansfield Borough Council. Barry won the award for Bravery after he spotted a petrol station about to catch fire and put out the blaze at great personal risk.

Barry was in the right place at the right time because Barry is a street cleaner. And people look down at Barry. But his pride in his work is tangible – you can almost touch it. And if the rest of us went about our work the same way as Barry does the world would be a much better place.



Stephen Horn
WebsEdge, CEO


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