Tag: LGIU Councillor Awards

Annual Cllr Awards shortlist unveiled

Just ONE Edinburgh Councillor makes the cut

  • 14th annual Cllr Awards shortlist unveiled
  • Local councillors from Cornwall to the Orkney Islands shortlisted for national awards

49 local councillors from across England, Wales and Scotland have been shortlisted for the 2023 LGIU and CCLA Cllr Awards, showcasing the vital contributions of councillors for the 14th year running. 

Competition was extremely tight with more than 300 nominations received across five categories that celebrate the wide-ranging work of councillors. The categories up for grabs this year include Community Champion, Leader of the Year, Young Councillor of the Year, Resilience Champion and Lifetime Legend 

Only one City of Edinburgh councillor has made the shortlist. Leith Labour councillor James Dalgleish (above) is in the running for the Young Councillor of the Year Award.

The winners in England & Wales will be announced at the Guildhall in London at 7pm on 16 November 2023. The winners in Scotland will be announced at the City Chambers in Edinburgh at 7pm on 21 November 2023. 

RSVP here to secure your place. 

The Cllr Awards judging panels are made up of senior councillors and leading stakeholders from across the sector. These are the only national awards to celebrate and showcase the work of individual councillors. This year’s awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners CCLA.

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU said: “In the face of unprecedented domestic and global challenges over the last year, councillors nationwide have once again exhibited unwavering dedication to serving their constituents.

“The shortlist for the 2023 Cllr Awards represents some of the most devoted elected representatives in England, Wales and Scotland. 

“As councils continue to deliver essential services like social care and housing amid a cost of living crisis, these Awards are a hugely important way to champion what councillors do locally. Their work, all too often, goes unrecognised and we take great pride in featuring their stories in this year’s shortlist.

“Congratulations to all the councillors nominated and shortlisted and I look forward to announcing the winners in November.”

2023 Shortlist – Scotland

Community Champion

Cllr Geva Blackett – Aberdeenshire Council

Cllr Duncan Cumming – East Dunbartonshire Council

Cllr Ruairi Kelly – Glasgow City Council

Cllr Alastair Redman – Argyll and Bute Council

Cllr Kirsten Robb – South Lanarkshire Council

Leader of the Year

Cllr John Alexander – Dundee City Council

Cllr Stephen McCabe – Inverclyde Council

Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn – Falkirk Council

Cllr James Stockan – Orkney Islands Council

Lifetime Legend

Cllr Jim Logue – North Lanarkshire Council

Cllr Ross Vettraino – Fife Council

Cllr Martha Wardrop – Glasgow City Council

Cllr David Watson – South Lanarkshire Council

Cllr Helen Wright – Dundee City Council

Resilience Champion

Cllr Chris Lunday – East Renfrewshire Council

Cllr Nairn McDonald – North Ayrshire Council

Cllr Angus Millar – Glasgow City Council

Cllr Samuel Payne – Aberdeenshire Council

Cllr Heather Woodbridge – Orkney Islands Council

Young Councillor of the Year

Cllr James Dalgleish – Edinburgh Council

Cllr Scott Hamilton – Scottish Borders Council

Cllr Dan Hutchison – Glasgow City Council

Cllr Kristopher Leask – Orkney Islands Council

Cllr Lana Reid-McConnell – Glasgow City Council

Local councillor shortlisted for national Award

Nearly 100 nominations received across Scotland

City of Edinburgh Councillor Ellie Bird (above, far right) has been shortlisted in the Champion for Education category in this year’s LGIU Scotland & CCLA Cllr Awards.

Running for the 4th year, the Cllr Awards are the only national ceremony to celebrate the vital contributions of councillors that so often go unrecognised. As communities continue to recover from the pandemic, these Awards are a hugely important way to champion what local councillors do for their communities.

Competition was extremely tight again this year with nearly 100 nominations received across six categories that celebrate the varied work of councillors. Some of the awards up for grabs include Resilience and Recovery (new for 2021), alongside the coveted Community Champion, Leader of the Year and New Councillor of the Year awards. The full shortlist is included below.

The winners will be decided by a panel of judges composed of senior councillors and officers as well as leading stakeholders from across the sector. The winners will be revealed at the Cllr Awards ceremony taking place on Wednesday, 24th November from 6:30pm until 9pm at Glasgow City Chambers. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on YouTube.

This year’s awards are only made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners CCLA.

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU Scotland said: “This year’s Cllr Awards shortlist showcases the best of local government. During a time when they have experienced unprecedented challenges and pressure, these councillors are true champions for local government and their communities.

“The last year has reminded each and every one of us of the effort and lengths to which councillors go to support their citizens. As such, we were overwhelmed by powerful stories and experiences coming through the nearly 100 nominations received for councillors across Scotland. 

“Our most sincere congratulations to all of those councillors shortlisted. We look forward to unveiling the winners on Wednesday, 24 November.” 

Cllr Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Bird is councillor for Edinburgh’s Forth ward, the city’s Young People’s Champion and a trustee of both Spartans Community Football Academy and Changeworks.

She believes passionately in placing the voice of young people at the heart of decision-making and is currently working to support candidates for the Scottish Youth Parliament election.

Ellie is the only City of Edinburgh councillor to be shortlisted in the national awards.

About the Award Categories

Champion for Education

The Champion for Education award celebrates councillors who have guaranteed that everybody has access to high-quality education. This can include championing adult education, providing new learning opportunities that have previously been unavailable, or ensuring that no one gets left behind.

The winner of this award will have:

worked with educational bodies and the council to enable high-quality education;

listened to the needs of their local community to introduce new opportunities for learning;

thought creatively to introduce educational approaches that are tailored to suit different needs.

2021 Shortlist

Champion for Education

Cllr Eleanor Bird – The City of Edinburgh Council

Cllr Claire Leitch – East Ayrshire Council

Cllr Frank McNally – North Lanarkshire Council

Community Champion

Bailie Annette Christie – Glasgow City Council

Cllr Duncan Cumming – East Dunbartonshire Council

Cllr David MacDonald – East Renfrewshire Council

Cllr Mohammad Tauqeer Malik – Aberdeen City Council

Bailie Jacqueline McLaren – Glasgow City Council

Bailie Soryia Siddique – Glasgow City Council

Leader of the Year

Cllr Susan Aitken – Glasgow City Council

Cllr Lawrence Fitzpatrick – West Lothian Council

Cllr James Stockan – Orkney Islands Council

Lifetime Contribution

Bailie Willie Sawers – Dundee City Council

Cllr Sandy Scott – Scottish Borders Council

Cllr David Watson – South Lanarkshire Council

New Councillor of the Year

Cllr Kris Chapman – Scottish Borders Council

Cllr Jackie McCamon – Dumfries and Galloway Council

Bailie Christy Mearns – Glasgow City Council

Cllr Steven Rome – Dundee City Council

Resilience and Recovery

Cllr Euan Jardine – Scottish Borders Council

Cllr Kelly Parry – Midlothian Council

Cllr Gwyneth Petrie – Aberdeenshire Council

Cllr John Wheeler – Aberdeen City Council