Telford & Wrekin Council scoop top prize in the Coop Council of the Year Award 2021

• 6th Jul 2021
• Community Wealth Building

Telford and Wrekin Council is celebrating winning a national award, after a public vote saw them go head-to-head with co-operative councils from across the UK.

The award was announced on the eve of the Local Government Association (LGA) Virtual Annual Conference, the largest event for local authorities from across the UK.

Telford and Wrekin Council works for, and in partnership with, its local community with a vision is to ‘protect, care and invest to create a better borough’.  These values drove its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw it support more than 22,000 households with vulnerable residents; recruit and engage more than 1,100 volunteers and work in partnership with 80 community groups.

 

The Council also has a strong track record of supporting the development of community groups. Its Capacity Building Fund provides them with start-up and development grants to enable them to nurture resilient communities.

Supporting community-led initiatives to improve residents’ health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to community services run by the council or local charity or community groups is key the Council’s approach to working with its community.

Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council Cllr Shaun Davies said; “Thank you to everyone who voted for us. This award is incredibly important to us because it demonstrates the support we have from our community and the people we strive to support every day.

“From the votes we achieved, it proves that people are happy with the Service we provide and we really do listen to the feedback we get and even more importantly, take that feedback and turn it into action.

“The award adds to our growing list including and ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspection for Children’s Services, ‘Outstanding’ CQC Inspection 2020, Armed Forces Gold Award 2020

“The Co-operative values underpin how we deliver our services – and work for, and in partnership with, our local community, every day. This award is incredibly important as it recognises the way we work for, and in partnership with our communities to ‘protect, care and invest’ to create a better borough.

“The Co-operative Values are based on self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity and members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

“That’s why we’re an exemplar of what it means to be a co-operative council.”

The Co-op Council of the of the Year Awards are organised by Co-operatives UK – the network for Britain’s thousands of co-operative businesses – and sponsored by the Co-operative Councils’ Innovation Network. The CCIN is the fastest growing network in local government, driving public sector policy and best practice using the Co-operative Values & Principles.

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Chair of the CCIN presents the Award to the Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Councillor Shaun Davies

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Chair of the Co-op Council’s Innovation Network, who sponsored the awards said; “Huge congratulations to Telford & Wrekin Council on becoming the Co-operative Council of the Year 2021. 

“This award provides an opportunity to highlight the innovative ways that co-operative councils have supported their communities throughout the pandemic, putting the co-op values and principles into practice. 

“In Telford & Wrekin they live their vision of protect, care and invest to create a better borough and the co-operative values underpin how the Council works for and in partnership with their local community. They are a worthy winner of this award.

“As Chair of the fastest growing network in local government, I was delighted to see so many of our leading councils being shortlisted this year, congratulations to all the nominees”.

Rose Marley, CEO of Co-operatives UK said; “Huge congratulations to Telford and Wrekin Council. Taking a partnership approach to supporting the communities it serves is what co-operation is all about.

“The way the council has mobilised to support people during the Covid-19 pandemic has been collaborative, inclusive and empowering. It’s an inspiring example of co-operative values being put into action by everyone involved.”