Council on course for National Awards

- Thu 20th Aug 2009

Havant Borough Council is celebrating reaching the finals of the Association for Public Service Excellence awards 2009.

Under the category "Best Elected Member Development Initiative" the Hayling Island BMX and mountain bike dirt jumps project has landed in the finals, competing against five other authorities.

The initiative to build the dirt jumps followed a cry for help from local young people on the Island based web site Hayling.co.uk . They expressed the need for a safe place to enjoy their chosen outdoor pursuit.

Presented with the challenge of no funding for their project, young people with the help of Havant Borough Councillor Andy Lenaghan formed the 'Hayling Dirt Jump User Group' to help source suitable funding.

Facing many challenges, the group have successfully overcome these with consultation and applying for funding from the Youth Opportunity Fund, Police, Hampshire County Council, local businesses and volunteers from the Hayling Forum.

Cllr Lenaghan said "The young people have designed and built the jumps themselves, on land owned by Havant Borough Council, using only hand tools. It required considerable physical effort from all of them. They have done a marvellous job."

The jumps have been designed and built with the flexibility of being easily changed with no additional or extra cost.

Congratulating the short listed local authorities APSE Chief Executive Paul O'Brien said "A place in the finals is well deserved for those councils that have committed to excellence in public service delivery. The last twelve months has proved difficult for councils facing a recessionary environment but the progressive approach to public service delivery, found within the finalists, will help ensure councils continue to improve the front line services that really matter to the public"

The prestigious awards attracted 400 entries from authorities throughout the UK. Finalists impressed a panel of judges, made up of industry experts and professionals, who ranked entrants on how the local authority teams have performed on public service improvements and delivered tangible benefits to local communities.

The winners of the APSE Service Awards will be announced at Cardiff International Arena on the 10 September 2009 at the rise of the APSE Annual Seminar 2009

By forum user, Bruce_Bennett

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