Council Award Ceremonies
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www.taxpayersalliance.com Research Note 94 30 September 2011 Council Award Ceremonies With pressure on the budgets of local authorities and council tax having doubled over the past decade, councils need to do all they can to control unnecessary spending and deliver better value for money. While councils should look to recognise strong performance by staff, one area of waste that has been anecdotally reported is excessive spending on award ceremonies. The TaxPayers‟ Alliance has compiled the first systematic list of award ceremonies hosted or attended by councils across the UK during the financial year 2010-11. This research reveals that the ceremonies are often lavish and attendance costs thousands of pounds. Our findings show that councils held ceremonies to present awards for things like “staff graduations”. In addition to buying tickets for them, they also often pay for accommodation, travel and catering. Other local authorities spent no money attending award ceremonies. The key findings of this research are: . Among the ceremonies attended were the Everything Happens Somewhere Awards 2010; the E-wellbeing Good Housekeeping Awards; the Green Apple Awards; Loo of the Year awards and the Kettering K Factor. Councils spent at least £1.2 million on hosting and attending award ceremonies during 2010-11. This is almost certainly an underestimate as many councils could not tell us how much they spent on award ceremonies last year. Glasgow City Council spent the most hosting and attending award ceremonies, at a total cost of almost £83,000. Fife Council attended and hosted the most ceremonies with a total of 34. At least 115 councils spent no money attending award ceremonies showing that they are not a vital element of local authority spending. 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 1 Among the most attended ceremonies are: . The Local Government Chronicle Awards which at least 30 authorities admitted to attending at a total cost of £31,000. The Municipal Journal Awards which at least 24 councils attended at a total cost of £29,000. The Clean Britain Awards which at least 10 councils attended at a total cost of £3,000. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations Awards which at least 15 councils attended at a total cost of £5,000. The Great British Care Home Awards which at least 4 councils attended at a total cost of £4,000. To arrange broadcast interviews, please contact: Emma Boon Campaign Director, TaxPayers' Alliance [email protected] 07736 065 546 To discuss the research, please contact: Chris Daniel Policy Analyst, TaxPayers' Alliance [email protected] 07538 706 434 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 2 Summary of Award Ceremonies . APSE (Association of Public Sector Excellence) Awards 18 Councils spent more than £12,000 in total attending the APSE Awards in 2010. The agenda for the evening Award Ceremony event: The menu for the evening dinner: 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 3 APSE secured the services of Irish Television Presenter Sile Seoige to hand out the awards South Gloucestershire Council employees, who spent £3,724 to attend the Association of Public Sector Excellence Awards proudly pose with their certificate Clips from the ceremony can be viewed here: http://www.apse.org.uk/service-awards/2010/award-winners.html . Municipal Journal Awards 24 Councils spent more than £28,000 in total attending the MJ Awards in 2010. Haringey Council, which spent £1,700 to attend the event, display their victory on their website: 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 4 . Local Government Chronicle Awards The Local government Chronicle is a publication aimed at local government workers. More than £30,000 was spent by 29 councils to attend the LGC Awards in 2011 which were supported by the Local Government Association. Northamptonshire County Council spent £3,400 to attend the event; here the finance team can be seen collecting their award from celebrity television presenter Andrew Neil. Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation Awards More than £1,500 was spent by at least five councils attending the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation Awards 2010, held at the famous Lords Cricket Ground. The CIHT website describes the awards: “The CIHT Awards 2010 are a celebration of the highways and transportation industry; it is an opportunity to reward the remarkable achievements of those working in the sector and to promote this professionalism and best practice to a wider industry audience. The host for the evening was 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 5 Jonathan Agnew [from BBC‟s Test Match Special cricket punditry team], who delighted guests as they relaxed in the Nursery Pavilion.”1 The event cost Worcestershire County Council £385 to attend. West Berkshire Learner Achievement Awards West Berkshire Council spent £8,158 hosting an award ceremony at Shaw House, Newbury, a Grade I Listed Building and Tudor mansion that belongs to the council. 1 http://www.ciht.org.uk/en/events/ciht-awards-2011/ciht-awards-2010.cfm 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 6 Sources and Methodology . All information was obtained using Freedom of Information requests, submitted on April 21st 2011. Requests were sent to all 433 local authorities plus the Greater London Authority. Where authorities were not able to provide complete information in response to our request this is clearly stated in the notes column. Where events appeared to be conferences rather than award ceremonies, we did not include them. All of the clips were found on the websites of the relevant award ceremony or the council‟s own website. APSE Awards - http://www.apse.org.uk/service-awards/2010/award-winners.html . MJ Awards, Haringey - http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/news_and_events/latest_news/tough_team_tak e_national_award.htm . LGC Awards - http://www.lgcawards.co.uk/276306 . CIHT Awards - http://www.ciht.org.uk/en/events/ciht-awards-2011/ciht-awards- 2010.cfm . West Berkshire Learner Achievement Awards - http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1840 . We are not responsible for the accuracy of information contained within responses to FOI requests. If mistakes have been made then we are happy to accept any corrections. 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 7 Full list of all council attendance at and hosting of Award Ceremonies during financial year 2010-11 Council Name of event Total Cost (£) Breakdown Notes/Detail of Information Aberdeen City Annual Health and Social Care Award Ceremony 0 Information limited to Directors and Chief Executive and just for cost of admission. Herald Society Awards 0 Scottish Council for Development and Industry 0 Master class Annual Awards Young enterprise Grampian Awards 0 BP Portrait Awards 0 The Urbanism Awards 0 North South Business Awards 0 Grampian Business Awards 0 Aberdeenshire Employee Achievement Awards Ceremony 700 Advertisement: £300; Refreshments £200; Trophies and certificates: £200 Long Service Award Ceremony 700 Refreshments/Lunch £700 Adur Did not attend or host any award ceremonies Allerdale 3 ceremonies for the Crime and Disorder Reduction 0 No costs except staff time Partnership and the Tilley Award Cumbria County Council Excellence Awards 2009 0 Flood Awards Evening 0 Homes & Communities Awards 658 Attendance £165 (x2); Hotel £67.23; Travel £408.75; other £17.00 Amber Valley Amber Valley Active Sports Awards 7 18 miles at 40p per mile Derbyshire Sports Awards 138 £117.05 – Hire of Mayoral car plus chauffeur costs for evening – 53 miles at 40p per mile East Midlands in Bloom Awards Presentation 58 146 miles at 40p per mile Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Awards 0 Angus Angus Ambassador Awards 3,446 Hotel £114.90; Net cost: 3;445.94 55 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QL . www.taxpayersalliance.com . 0845 330 9554 (office hours) . 07795 084 113 (24 hours) 8 Council Name of event Total Cost (£) Breakdown Notes/Detail of Information APSE Awards 254 Unspecified Costs £253.55 Excellence Awards 3,794 Net cost: £3;794 Antrim Antrim Community Excellence Awards 2010 4,000 Ticket £22 (& £50 sponsored) (£9,000 sponsored) Antrim Sports Advisory Association Annual Sport 3,400 Ticket £25 (Annual council grant) Awards CIPR Pride Awards 2010 0 Ards Ards Sports Award 5,787 Unspecified Costs Tidy Northern Ireland - Coca Cola Coast Care 73 Unspecified Costs Awards Visible Women 2,487 Unspecified Costs Women of Achievement 3,535 Unspecified Costs Argyll and Bute Government Opportunities Excellence Awards 2010 130 Accommodation £60; Travel Refused under S.12. Provided what £70.09 information was already available which was for Facilities Services and Education Department Armagh Did not attend or host any award ceremonies Arun Did not attend or host any award ceremonies Ashfield Did not attend or host any award ceremonies Ashford Ashford Borough Council Building Design Excellence 431 Includes cost for 70 external Awards attendees RTPI Design Awards 29 Travel £28.90; Cost of attending was covered by Kent County Council