Northern Ireland Local Government Awards

Attended the awards dinner for the Northern Ireland Local Government Awards at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, Down. This is the second year in a row that APSE has been involved in the awards and it’s really taken off as an event with the dinner packed out.

The awards dinner is built on to the Northern Ireland Local Government Association conference and that was dominated by the themes of change, transformation and whether the impending reorganisation process will go ahead in the planned timescale. The Local Government Minister Edwin Poots MLA had spoken earlier in the day and had stoked up some controversy that led to some light hearted banter when he returned to help broadcaster Lynda Bryans present the awards in the evening.

The awards have been developed in collaboration with all of the local government family in Northern Ireland and along with APSE, the Local Government Staff Commission, Training Group, NILGA, SOLACE, William Johnston Memorial Trust, National Association of Councillors and the Women’s Development Steering Group.

APSE sponsored the Best Local Authority Service Team category and Edwin Poots and I presented it to Belfast City Council's Community Safety Team.