Highland Council Takes Top Team Trophy
The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport cleaning staff have scoped the UK In-house Cleaning Award trophy at the Loo of the Year Awards. The council was also awarded with a Champions League Standard of Excellence Certificate and won 7 Scottish national category awards.
Iain Wilson from Loo Of The Year attended a special awards ceremony in Inverness Town House, organised by the Education, Culture and Sport Service, to present the trophy and award certificates to cleaning staff.
National category winners were:
• Parks and Gardens: Countryside Visitor Centre in Lairg
• Museums & Art Galleries: Inverness Museum and Art Gallery
• Education Centres: The Bridge, Inverness
• Cemeteries & Crematoria: Kilvean Crematorium
• Primary School: St Brides Primary in Lochaber
• Secondary Schools: Ullapool High School
• Day Centres: The Glen Centre in Aviemore.
As well as these top awards, 26 facilities maintained by Education, Culture and Sport cleaning staff were voted as outstanding and were awarded with 5 star rating. These included 5 new entries (Dornoch Primary School, Aultnaharra Primary School, the Court House, Nairn, St Brides Primary School in Lochaber and Inverness Museum). A further 41 facilities were considered by the judges to be excellent, and were awarded 4 stars with 5 receiving 3 star grading.
Before making the presentations, Iain Wilson, who travels the country from John O’Groats to Lands End inspecting toilets, congratulated everyone involved for the superb results. He said: “The Highland Council continues to impress us year after year. It is all very well wining these awards, but been able to maintain such a high level of cleanliness and maintenance over the years is a real credit. I was particularly impressed with the efforts in schools to make the facilities child-friendly and in promoting the importance of hygiene in a fun way. I am delighted to be able to present the UK In-House Team Trophy to the staff involved as this award reflects their hard work and commitment. To win this at the Scottish Awards is a great achievement but to also scope the top UK Trophy is a fantastic result.”
Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee joined Iain Wilson on stage to present the awards. He said: “We have a remarkable track record of success in these awards and it is down to the dedicated teams of staff working across the Highlands. What is particularly good news is the number of new entries which have got five star rating. To have the Trophy, the Champions League Certificate and seven national awards all in the one year is a great success story. I would like to congratulate all the staff involved and thank them.”
One new category of awards this year was The Changing Place Award which is for very high- spec facilities that are required for people who need carers with them at all times and involves the installation of specialised equipment. The Council was awarded 8 of these awards.
5 star facilities