Over 300 comms folk from across the North West came together last night to attend the inaugural Public Services Communications Awards. The event proved to be the largest gathering for many years of public services comms folk working in the North West and judging by the passion and dedication on display at last night's ceremony, it was evident that comms folk are clearly up for the challenges that lie ahead.
In addition to generously applauding and celebrating the efforts of their peers spanning the 14 categories on offer, guests also closely followed the address delivered by Patrick Butler, head of society, health and education at the Guardian.
 MC - Ranvir Singh
There were many highlights on the evening including the rousing and heartfelt reaction to Warren Bradley’s acceptance speech when he highlighted Liverpool’s year in the spotlight as European Capital of Culture had shown not just the rest of the UK, but the rest of Europe, how a regional city can truly deliver. And crossing the spectrum of emotions on the night, Adele Mandy’s sheer delight in GMP’s success in capturing the Best In House Comms Team award, in turn clearly charmed the collective gathering.
PR agency SKV walked off with three awards and the airing of their now legendary J’aime la Tour video also drew rapturous applause. Christie’s two successes noticeably struck a noisy chord with the audience as did the Liverpool successes and Lancashire Constabulary for its Chocolate Policing Pledge campaign.
The guest speaker, Patrick Butler chose to begin by informing the audience that he was born and raised in Glossop and despite the gradual loss of accent after 20 odd years in London, he retains a genuine affinity for the region.
In contrast to some speakers, Butler had plainly prepared well for his talk and throughout the 20 minutes he spoke, the audience was captivated. Some guests found his delivery perhaps a little too sombre but the majority agreed that his content suited these challenging times and indeed offered a constructive wake-up call.
Butler essentially said that during his many years reporting on the public sector, he’s seen good and bad times but the proposed forthcoming cuts facing the public sector are on a scale he’s never experienced before. And all this at a time when the need for effective public service delivery is even more paramount as the economy’s fragility underscores the need for enhanced public support in different sectors of the economy and society.
 Butler
The news diet they have typically fed their readers is increasingly being shaped by readers’ feedback, blogs and postings and Butler urged the public sector communicators present to step up their efforts to engage with their communities, take on board on criticism – however hurtful it often can be – and accordingly learn and improve. The next few years he suggested, will offer the opportunity to be bold, embrace new technologies and emerge ultimately more confidently as organisations which have learnt to listen and improve.
The audience listened….
Information on the judges follows the category award winner listings. And so to the winners....
The winner was The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and the shortlist comprised: The Environment Agency and Vivid/Now Pay Attention Mr Pond Lancashire Constabulary/The Chocolate Policing Pledge Marketing Projects/Chester & District Housing Trust, Annual Report, 2008 & 2009 Stockport Council/Maintaining Investor confidence in a Crisis The Christie NHS Foundation Trust/Cash Back for Christies BJL/Mums asked to be cotsafe  Stockport The winner was Stockport Council and Zeus PR was highly commended. The shortlist comprised: Bell Pottinger North/‘Save a Million Years of Life by 2011’ (SMYL) Greater Manchester Public Health Network/Act FAST: Stroke Signs and Symptoms Awareness Campaign Liverpool First / Liverpool 2024 - Thriving International City Stockport Council/Kill the Chill Vivid & the Enviornment Agency/Tomorrows World Zeus PR/Establishing Glebe Primary School's PR Firm  Zeus Most Effective Use of Social Marketing The winner was The Hub and the shortlist comprised: BJL/Mums asked to be cotsafe Greater Manchester Public Health Network/What did you do back in the day? Liverpool Primary Care Trust/Liverpool's Challenge McCann Erickson/NHS Ashton, Leigh & Wigan SKV Communications/Blackpool: J'aime la Tour The Hub/Be A Star Most Innovative Use of New Media The winner was The Environment Agency & Vivid and the shortlist comprised: The Environment Agency & Vivid/007, Quantum of Fish Lancashire Constabulary - www.lancashire.police.uk Manchester Airport Group/Manchester Airports Group - Vision & Strategy Campaign SKV Communications/Blackpool: J'aime la Tour Stockport Council/One Message…Many Channels Vivid & Environment Agency/Tomorrows World Best Local Community Initiative The winner was BJL and the shortlist comprised:
Greater Manchester Police/Neighbourhood Policing Awareness Campaign ICE Marketing & Communications/Young Addaction’s ‘Know more’ event Kenyon Fraser/Kids in Kenny magazine LHT/Learning Lessons from the Past Manchester Metropolitan University/MMU Public Engagement Fellowships Stockport Council/Active Stockport BJL/Mums asked to be cotsafe The winner was Bolton at Home and the shortlist comprised:
Bolton at Home/Film First for Bolton - the 'Door to Door' Film Premiere Keep Britain Tidy/The Big Tidy Up Kensington Regeneration/Kensington Welcome Pack Liverpool City Council/Every violent crime has a consequence - anti violence poster campaign NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale/The Phoenix Centre, Community Communications and Engagement campaign Stockport Council/ Pride of Stockport  Manchester Airport Group
The winner was Manchester Airports Group and NewHeartlands was highly commended. The shortlist comprised:
Community Integrated Care/You First' magazine Greater Manchester Public Health Network/I Love Me Manchester Airport Group/ ‘Airport Awareness’ Mersey Basin Campaign/Source NW magazine MIDAS/TEN magazine NewHeartlands/My Story Vivid/Short Stories for the NWDA
 NewHeartlands The joint winners were Liverpool City Council and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. The shortlist comprised:
BJL/Hull PCT's 'Strength to Change' Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/Born in Manchester Liverpool City Council/Liverpool - European Capital of Culture 2008 PHD North/NWDA The Christie NHS Foundation Trust/Cash Back for Christies Vivid & Environment Agency/James Pond McCann Erickson Communications House/Free Swimming - Imagine that!  Christies Best Internal Communications Campaign The winner was Lancashire Constabulary and the shortlist comprised: Amaze PR/Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service/Working Together Lancashire Constabulary/The Chocolate Policing Pledge Manchester Airport Group/Vision & Strategy Campaign Stockport Council/Healthwise University Hospital South Manchester (UHSM)/ Infection Prevention – It’s Everyone's Responsibility
Best One Off Agency Campaign The winner was SKV Communications and McCann Erickson Communications House was highly commended. The shortlist comprised: McCann Erickson Communications House/Arm Against Cervical Cancer SKV Communications/Blackpool: J'aime la Tour Vivid/Short Stories for the NWDA Vivid/James Pond for the Environment Agency  McCanns Best Use of Video The winner was SKV Communications and the shortlist comprised: Blackburn with Darwen Council/Make your mark - electoral participation video Manchester Metropolitan University/World-Class Professionals NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale/We want hearty lives”- a bid for the British Heart Foundation SKV Communications/Blackpool: J'aime la Tour Stockport Council/Kill the Chill Vivid & Tomorrows World for the Environment Agency
Best In House Communications Team - sponsored by ICE
The winner was Greater Manchester Police and the shortlist comprised:
Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service Corporate Communications Department Community Integrated Care Greater Manchester Police Lancashire Constabulary NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale
Stockport Council
Best small PR agency
The winner was The Write Angle PR & Marketing and the shortlist comprised: Marketing Projects Smith & Smith PR Stratia Limited The Write Angle PR & Marketing
Best Large PR agency - sponsored by MMU
The winner was SKV Communications and the shortlist comprised: Bell Pottinger North BJL IPB Communications Kenyon Fraser Paver Smith SKV Communications Staniforth
Judges and speaker information Keynote speaker
Patrick Butler is head of society, health and education at the Guardian, overseeing social affairs coverage across the Guardian, Guardian.co.uk and the Observer.
He was previously editor of Society Guardian and its sister website societyguardian.co.uk.
He has been a journalist for 19 years and has written for a range of national newspapers and professional magazines. He regularly chairs (and occasionally speaks at) conference sessions, panels and seminars on the subject of public services.
The judging panel
Catherine Gort
Catherine Gort is head of marketing and communications for Bauer Media's Big City Network.
Prior to joining Bauer, she was marketing director for Salton Europe, managing the marketing activities of brands including Russell Hobbs and George Foreman.
She began her career at Gossard and has also worked in senior marketing roles at Levi Strauss and Durex. At Durex her portfolio of products included condoms and vibrators and
latterly she also held international responsibilities for the Durex Play
brand.
David Boardman
David Boardman was until recently communications director for Shop Direct Group, the UK's leading online and home shopping retailer, operating brands such as Littlewoods, Kays and Woolworths.
He was previously head of corporate communications for Co-operative Retail Services and is a twice winner of Corp Comms "Top 100 communicators" award.
He spent the first ten years of his career working within the public sector.
Dave Lucas
Dave Lucas is managing partner of MediaVest. Dave graduated from Lancaster University with a BA Hons in English: since then his language skills have deteriorated……but his media skills - he claims - have improved.
He joined LWT as a sales executive in 1988 before moving across to TMD Manchester where in 1992 he was promoted to the board. In 1994, he and Andy Jeal became the founding partners of MediaVest Manchester.
The MediaVest Manchester Group now includes divisions specialising in recruitment marketing, digital marketing, sports marketing and has further offices in Leeds and Edinburgh. Dave's day to day media client responsibilities include Gala Coral, Holland & Barratt, Magnet Kitchens and Barratt Homes.
Edward Brady
Edward Brady is regional external affairs manager Shell UK. He has been in the communications industry for over 30 years. For the past 10 years he has worked for Shell in his present role based in Cheshire and previously held senior communication positions at both British Steel and ICI.
He currently holds two external directorships: the Mersey Basin Business Foundation and Entep Properties.
He has also chaired the CBI's North West PR forum for the past 14 years.
Mark Critchley
Mark Critchley is UK marketing director, SSL International plc. Mark was appointed to the role of UK marketing director in September 2008. Prior to this appointment he was the global marketing head for Durex for six years with overall marketing responsibility for the development of the Durex brand, communication and new product development strategy.
In his current role Mark is tasked to move forward the well known brands of Durex and Scholl, both which are market leaders in their respective sexual well-being and footcare markets. Mark's early career in SSL included regional marketing responsibility in Central and Eastern Europe for three years.
Prior to SSL, Mark spent three years will Princes Foods in various marketing and planning roles. Mark has also been recently appointed chairman of the Marketing Society in the North.
Nick Turner
Nick Turner is head of digital content development at the Cumbria-based CN Group. He is also organiser of the Digital Editors' Network in conjunction with the University of Central Lancashire.
He is a board member of the Society of Editors and was a recent judge in the UK Press Awards.
Sean Marley
Sean Marley is managing director of Lime Pictures. Sean started his career in the world of radio, initially working in advertising sales. In 1993 he made a radical change by moving into radio programming and by 1996 he had been appointed programme director of Metro Radio, the youngest major market PD at the time in the UK.
In 1999 he re-joined Radio City as PD and was appointed managing director in 2000.
In 2003 he joined Mersey Television as commercial director. After All 3 Media’s purchase of the company in 2005 he was appointed MD. The subsequently re-named Lime Pictures today employs over 350 people at its Liverpool base and is best known for the long running drama’s Hollyoaks and Grange Hill.
Sean is a director of North West Vision & Media, a member of the JMU Screen School Advisory Board and sits on the Skillset North Industry Panel.
Shaun Robinson
Shaun Robinson is head of media relations at United Utilities plc. He was previously the director of communications for Thomas Cook Airlines based at Manchester Airport. He moved across into the world of utilities 18 months ago.
UU is the only FTSE-100 company based in the North West and has an annual turnover of over £2 billion employing 9000 people.
Shaun has a wealth of experience in PR ranging from happy holiday promotions to crisis management in the UK and abroad.
At United Utilities he heads the press and PR/public affairs dealing with national, regional daily and local newspapers, radio and television, promoting UU’s activities in water, electricity and gas across the North West, Cumbria, Yorkshire and the North East. Something to add? Then leave a comment below or email us now.
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