National recognition for Stockport Council and its partners

The Local Government Chronicle’s LGC Awards 2024 recognise excellence in local government across the country, so Stockport is really honoured to have been selected as finalists in four categories.

The council and its partners have also been shortlisted after a public vote in the iNetwork Innovation awards 2023 for our DigiKnow project in the Substantial Impact Award category which since 2014 have successfully cast a light on projects and teams that have delivered transformation and excellence in public service delivery.

Councillor Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “This is fantastic news and acknowledges the good work taking place across our teams, services and our partners. Thank you to all those who have been involved in these entries for all their hard work. And I’m keeping my fingers’ crossed for all our entries in both finals later this year.”

The categories the council has been nominated in this year’s LGC awards include:

• Family Drug and Alcohol Court in the ‘Children’s Services’ category.
• Mayoral Development Corporation which leads the way in transforming Stockport town centre d in the ‘Small Team of the Year’ category
• Events and Hospitality Team in the ‘Medium Team of the Year’ category.
• Luke Green, Head of Capital Design and Technical Services, in the Rising Star category.

The submission for the Children’s Services category included powerful positive testimonials from parents who have first-hand experience of Stockport’s pioneering Family Drug and Alcohol Court. These included: “I don’t think I'd be where I am today without Family Drug and Alcohol Court,“ and “I want more people to get the help that I have. It’s benefited me dramatically. It's made me a better person.” In the service professionals and parents work together to develop solutions so parents can make lasting improvements in their lives. This means more children have been able to stay with their families through its collaborative approach. Its success has encouraged other councils to partner with Stockport as an alternative to standard care proceedings.

The entry for the Small Team of the Year highlighted the unique team behind Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, the first of its kind nationally, which turbo-charges the Council’s work to buck the trend of declining town centres and tackle the housing crisis by delivering town centre living at scale. In five years, they have transitioned the MDC from an innovative concept to a proven delivery vehicle, playing a pivotal role in enabling Stockport to outperform national trends and create a vibrant town centre fit for the future. This transformation has led to national coverage from the Times and the Telegraph highlighting Stockport as the place to live and work.

The entry in the Medium Team of the Year category showcased the award-winning Events and Hospitality team’s creativity and innovative thinking to constantly strive to make Stockport the place of choice for events and weddings in the North West. The team prides itself on top-quality customer service and manages a portfolio of impressive venues, including three award-winning locations. Stockport has ambitious plans for the borough and its residents, and this team plays a vital role in making the area the best place to live and work. The team has doubled income targets, undergone a re-brand to reach new audiences and focused on team development to stay on top of its game.

Head of Capital Design and Technical Services, Luke Green, was nominated in Rising Star category for being a brilliant council officer who is committed to making a difference to the people of Stockport. When RAAC made headlines and two Stockport schools were forced to close, he activated a plan to get children back to learning within a few days. He has also led a successful levelling up bid, securing £20million into the borough. His project to refurbish the main council offices is not only award winning but has increased colleague satisfaction. Luke lives and breathes the council values and leads by example.

The next stage of the awards will take place in April when a lead presenter in each category will have to give a 25-minute presentation to a panel of judges, including 15 minutes speaking about the submission followed by a 10-minute question and answer session.

The Innovation Awards 2023 are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate, learn, and share innovation across the local public sector, and its partner organisations.

DigiKnow, Stockport’s Digital Inclusion Alliance was shortlisted the Substantial Impact Award category for helping more than 47,000 people get online or improve their digital confidence and skills, with numbers continuing to increase. Without digital, it’s harder to stay in touch with family and friends or join in with community activities that combat social isolation and with the cost-of-living crisis a priority for us all, people who are offline miss out of benefits, support, advice, and savings on essential items.

Both finals are later in the year when the winners will be announced.