2026 Shortlist

Campaign of the Year

Shortlist:

• Colchester City Council and Brighton & Hove City Council - Beyond the Uniform – Driving Behaviour Change Through Strategic Communications
• Ealing LBC - Ealing Council's, "This is our home, not a tip" fly-tipping campaign
• Greater Manchester CA - #IsThisOk?
• Lambeth LBC - Do It London: A City-Wide Call to End HIV Transmissions
• Sandwell Council - You Ok, Mate? Men’s Mental Health Campaign
• Somerset Council - 'Our Story' - 2025 Fostering Campaign
• Staffordshire CC - Little Heroes
• West Sussex CC - Call The Shots on Alcohol

Children’s Services

Shortlist:

• Barnet LBC - Embedding inclusion in our DNA
• Buckinghamshire Council - Residential Transformation Programme – Strong Foundations
• Cheshire West and Chester Council - Intervention Hub
• Islington LBC - Transforming Lives Through Outstanding Children’s Services
• Kensington & Chelsea RBC - Bi-Borough Children's Services SEND Services
• Newham LBC - Delivering outstanding outcomes - supporting children on the edge of care
• North East Lincolnshire Council - Our Children, Our Future
• Southampton City Council - Reducing the Number of Children in Custody in Southampton
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council - Education Re-engagement Team: Direct Work to reduce Permanent Exclusion
• Walsall MBC - Walsall Right 4 Children

Sponsored by:

Community Involvement

Shortlist:

• Barnsley MBC - Love Where You Live
• Bristol City Council - 'One City, Many Communities' Strategic Approach to Community Cohesion
• Calderdale MBC - North Halifax Strategy: A Community-Led Vision for the Future
• Clackmannanshire Council - Family Wellbeing Partnership
• Kingston upon Thames RBC - From Lived Experience to Lasting Change: Co-Producing Kingston's VAWG Strategy
• Southend-on-Sea City Council - The Situation Room: How time travel increased trust in the council
• Newcastle City Council - Empowering People in Communities
• Plymouth City Council - Making the invisible visible: Mobilising community assets to address the social determinants of health and shape the city we want together
• Slough BC - Safer Langley - Clear Hold Build In Slough
• Surrey CC - Redesigning Community Involvement in Surrey: A Whole-System, Place-Based Model for Empowered Communities
• Westminster City Council - Rampayne Street and Lilestone Street Community Hubs Co-design Process
• Wirral Council - Empowering Community Voices: Embedding qualitative insights in decision making across Wirral

Council of the Year

Shortlist:

• Burnley BC
• Cardiff Council
• North Yorkshire Council
• Northumberland CC
• Sutton LBC

Sponsored by:

Digital Impact

Shortlist:

• Birmingham City Council - Digital Foundry
• Cardiff Council - Single View of the Child: Transforming Safeguarding Through Data Sharing
• Derby City Council - Driving AI transformation in local government
• Ealing LBC - CHC+ restoring trust and reducing pressure in Continuing Healthcare in Ealing
• Lancashire County Council - Empowering People, Enhancing Services: Lancashire’s Gen AI Journey
• North Somerset Council - 90% success rate using AI to complete ECHP forms in children's services
• Tameside MBC and Voicescape - Using digital technology to compassionately transform collections
• Tower Hamlets LBC - Housing Development Tracker
• Wigan MBC - Ethical Use of AI In Local Government

Sponsored by:

Diversity and Inclusion

Shortlist:

• Barnsley MBC, Hounslow LBC, Oxfordshire CC, Plymouth City Council and South Gloucestershire Council with ADEPT - Find Your Path: Inspiring a new generation into local government roles
• Birmingham City Council - Quality Champions Team and Autism and ADHD Partnership Board
• Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region with Capital City Partnership - Housing, Construction and Infrastructure (HCI) Skills Gateway
• Enfield LBC - Enfield's Journey How we have created opportunities for our Gypsy Roma Traveller Residents
• London Boroughs' Women's Network - A Volunteer-Led Movement Transforming Women’s Leadership Across London
• Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC - Gateway to Employment Supported Internship Programme
• Sheffield City Council - Diverse Business Advisory Board
• Shropshire Council - Anti-Racism Forum
• Somerset Council - Imagine the Possibilities… Transforming Futures for Young People with SEND
• Tower Hamlets LBC - Community Toilet Scheme

Economic Development

Shortlist:

• Bassetlaw DC - Vacancy to Vitality: Transforming Our Town Centres
• Bradford City MDC - Darley Street market
• Colchester City Council with Amphora Group - Driving economic impact through creating place based value propositions - building destination
• Glasgow City Council - Glasgow City Region Programme Management Office
• Hackney LBC - From Regulation to Resilience: How Hackney Built London’s Fastest-Growing Local Economy
• North Kesteven DC - Unlocking Sleaford’s transformational economic potential
• Swindon BC - Swindon’s Strategic Reindustrialisation: Forging a National Defence Tech Cluster
• Tower Hamlets LBC - Tower Hamlets Markets
• Watford BC - A connected town centre shaped for long-term success
• Westminster City Council - Cumulative Impact Assessment - Enriching Westminster's Night Time Economy
• Westminster City Council - Meanwhile On

Environmental Services

Shortlist:

• Barnet LBC - Friary Park natural flood alleviation scheme
• Bracknell Forest Council, Reading BC, Wokingham Borough BC and FCC Environment with re3 Waste Partnership - re3read: Book Reuse Initiative
• Bradford City MDC - The Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ)
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Decarbonising Streetlighting – Transforming Streetlighting for s Sustainable Future
• Enfield LBC - Londons largest rewilding project - Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery Scheme
• Norfolk Environmental Credits - Transforming how Councils deliver sustainable growth
• North Somerset Council - Becoming the first local authority in England to introduce a district-wide kerbside collection of soft plastics.
• Northumberland CC - Reduction In Fly Tipping Campaign
• Peterborough City Council - School Uniform Re-Use Project

Sponsored by:

Health and Social Care

Shortlist:

• Cheshire East Council - Transforming Care Through Innovation - Cheshire East Council’s Occupational Therapy Team and the Proportionate Care Project
• Ealing LBC - CHC+ restoring trust and reducing pressure in Continuing Healthcare in Ealing
• Greenwich RBC - Digital Health and Care Technology Service
• Hertfordshire CC - Connect and Prevent Transformation Programme
• Hull City Council - All With Us, a housing-led approach to care and community
• Newcastle City Council - Warm Homes Healthy Futures in Newcastle
• Pembrokeshire CC - Strengths Based Collaborative Communication Programme
• Rochdale BC with Channel 3 Consulting - Empowering People, Changing Lives: Delivering a Preventative, Digitally Enabled Model of Adult Social Care
• Sheffield City Council with The Access Group - System Leadership Role and Engagement with Integrated Care System
• Southwark LBC - Intermediate Care Southwark (ICS)

Sponsored by:

Housing

Shortlist:

• Birmingham City Council - Transforming Temporary Accommodation: Housing Acquisition Programme
• Bradford City MDC - HOP team work on permanence
• Camden LBC - Purpose built high quality temporary accommodation
• Colchester City Council - Reducing Bed & Breakfast Use for Homeless Families
• Hull City Council - All With Us, a housing-led approach to care and community
• Kings Lynn & West Norfolk BC - West Norfolk - Intervening in the housing market
• North Kesteven DC and Lafford Homes - Local Leadership Delivering Choice, Quality and Sustainable Homes for Lincolnshire
• North Somerset Council - Elm Grove: mainstreaming quality, sustainability and affordable housing through a commercial delivery partner
• Reading BC - Local Authority New Build Program
• Swindon BC - Salzgitter Court
• Telford & Wrekin Council - Transforming empty properties
• Tower Hamlets LBC - Cladding Remediation Programme

Innovation

Shortlist:

• Barking & Dagenham LBC with Rethink Partners - Working with the care market: England’s Largest Evaluation of the Impact of TEC & Homecare
• Bristol City Council - LED & Central Management Scheme
• Derby City Council - Leading the AI revolution in local government
• Ealing LBC - CHC+ restoring trust and reducing pressure in Continuing Healthcare
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Decarbonising Streetlighting
• Enfield LBC - “From Refer and Wait to Embedded Support: ECASS Redefining Speech, Language and Communication Services Through Technology and Partnership”
• Lichfield DC - Revolutionising support: Same day council tax
• North Northamptonshire Council - Transforming Temporary Accommodation: Cutting Costs While Driving Better Outcomes
• Scottish Borders Council - Innovating by listening first and focusing on “What Matters” to change lives
• Sherbourne Recycling with Coventry City Council, Solihull MBC, Walsall MBC, Rugby BC, North Warwickshire BC, Nuneaton & Bedworth BC, Warwick DC, Stratford DC - Sherbourne Recycling - Sherbourne Resource Park

Sponsored by:

Large Team of the Year

Shortlist:

• Haringey LBC - Housing Delivery Team
• North Northamptonshire Council - Customer Experience
• North Yorkshire Council - Health and Adult Services Team
• Northumberland CC - Children's Social Care Leadership Team
• Nottingham City Council - Mental Health Support Teams
• Sandwell Children's Trust - Smethwick & Oldbury Locality Team: Driving Sustainable Change for Children and Families
• Shropshire Council - Shire Services
• Swindon BC - Live Well Team
• Tower Hamlets LBC - From Insight to Impact: How Tower Hamlets Finance Leads Transformation
• Uttlesford DC - The Uttlesford Planning Team

Sponsored by:

Medium Team of the Year

Shortlist:

• City of York Council - York Health Trainers
• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council - Homelessness Prevention Team
• Bradford City MDC - Bradford City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements - Transforming Cities Fund Delivery Team
• Bromley LBC - Regeneration Team
• Darlington BC - Peer mentor service
• Hackney LBC - Climate Hope in the East End
  
• Hull City Council - Tackling illicit tobacco - pushing the boundaries of consumer protection
• Kensington & Chelsea RBC - Adult Safeguarding Team: Outstanding,Person-led protection through partnership and innovation
  
• Redbridge LBC - Reach Out Domestic Abuse Service
• West Lancashire BC - Housing Management Matters

Most Improved council

Shortlist:

• Ealing LBC
• Gateshead Council
• Guildford BC
• Kings Lynn & West Norfolk BC
• North Northamptonshire Council
• Sandwell MBC
• Scottish Borders Council
• Sefton MBC

Sponsored by:

Net Zero

Shortlist:

• Barnet LBC - Barnet’s Free Home Energy Fix
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Decarbonising Street Lighting – Right Light Right Place Right Time
• Edinburgh & South East Scotland City with Capital City Partnership - Housing, Construction and Infrastructure (HCI) Skills Gateway: supporting Net Zero Construction across the Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland region.
• Hackney LBC - Greener together: where sustainability plans become everyday change
• Newport City Council - Net Zero Newport - A Unified Approach to Decarbonising Council Services, the Local Economy and the Community
• Southwark LBC - Climate Programme
• Suffolk CC with AMP - Battery Box energy storage programme
• Sutton LBC - From Local Powers to Borough-Wide Net-Zero Outcomes: The Sutton Green Enterprise Partnership
• City of London Corporation - Creating a responsible, sustainable, and competitive Square Mile

Outstanding Individual Contribution

• Jacqui Hardman – Wigan MBC
• Kate Hurr – Cumberland Council
• Ruth King – Swindon BC
• Collette Le Van Gilroy – Surrey CC
• Vicky Main – Enfield LBC
• Lisa McNally – Worcestershire CC
• Patrick Rice – Redcar and Cleveland BC
• Rob Waltham – North Lincolnshire Council
• Fay Winterburn – Warwickshire CC
  

Place Shaping

Shortlist:

• Barnet LBC - Brent Cross Town
• Bradford City MDC - Bradford City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Project
• Bromley LBC - Place Shaping – Crystal Palace Park
• Hackney LBC - Greener together: where sustainability plans become everyday change
• Newark and Sherwood DC - Transforming Newark: Place Shaping, Partnerships and Progress
• Northumberland CC - Northumberland Line
• Plymouth City Council - The Regeneration of North Prospect (Plymouth) – Transforming a Neighbourhood
• Plymouth City Council - Together we do better - Foulston Park Project Plymouth
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council - Regenerating Stoke - Redefining our Town

Sponsored by:

Public and Population Health

Shortlist:

• Birmingham City Council - From needs assessment to action: embedding sex worker health equity
• Bradford City MDC - CAZ – improvements to air quality impact on health
• Essex CC - Nourishing Our Future: Transforming Food Provision in Essex Early Years Settings
• Leeds City Council - Heat in the City: Our Health in a Warming Leeds - learning and action from the 2025 Director of Public Health Report
• Liverpool City Council - Protecting Children, Shaping Healthy Spaces: Liverpool’s Smokefree Environments Programme
• North East Lincolnshire Council - No Pressure - It's Just a Quick Check: Tackling Undiagnosed Hypertension Through Community Collaboration
• North Tyneside Council - The Community Approach to Healthy Start
• South Cambridgeshire DC - Data with Purpose: Transforming NHS Healthy Start Access for Vulnerable Families
• Swindon BC - Swindon Oral Health Inequalities Project
• Tower Hamlets LBC - Communities Keeping Well
• Wolverhampton City Council - Liver Health Checks - City of Wolverhampton Council and partners

Public/Private Partnership

Shortlist:

• Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Wolverhampton City Council with WM5G - WM5G's Adult Social Care Partnership - transforming outcomes with TEC
• Darlington BC - Benefit Entitlement Action Team (BEAT) campaign
• Ealing LBC - CHC+ restoring trust and reducing pressure in Continuing Healthcare
• Hackney LBC with Zest - A transformative partnership delivering the UK’s densest EV charging network
• Lambeth LBC - Tips & Tests: Bringing HIV Prevention into Everyday Self Care
• Newcastle City Council with YMS Health and Social Care - Adult Social CarePoint: Redesigning Access Through Public/Private Partnership
• Plymouth City Council - Together We Do Better – Foulston Park Plymouth
• South Kesteven DC - Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership (ECP)
• Wigan MBC with AllChild - AllChild Wigan: Collective Impact for Children, Young People, and Communities

Public/Public Partnership

Shortlist:

• Anglia Revenues Partnership - Excellence in Partnership Working
• Barnsley MBC - Barnsley MiCard: Transforming young people’s access to public transport through partnership
• Barnsley MBC - Health on the High Street Project
• Hinckley & Bosworth BC - Housing & Respiratory Illness Project
• Sheffield City Council - Sheffield Together Partnership – Driving Transformative Growth
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council - Making Great Places
• Test Valley BC - Andover Health Hub
• Welwyn Hatfield BC - Bringing the Knife Angel to Welwyn Garden City

Rising Star

Shortlist:

• Rob Allen – Greenwich RBC
• Gossica Anichebe – Hackney LBC
• Kate Bishop – Leicester City Council
• Aoife Dudley – Oxfordshire CC
• Lauren Etches – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
• Whitney Gee – Kent CC
• Kerry Griffiths – Derby City Council
• Sarah Kirkman – Redcar and Cleveland BC
• Jeremy Kimmel – Tunbridge Wells BC
• Liz Mockeridge – New Forest DC
• Habiba Nessa – Hackney LBC
  

Small Team of the Year

Shortlist:

• Bromley LBC - Encompass Therapeutic Team
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Decarbonising Streetlighting
• Enfield LBC - From Flood Risk to Landscape Recovery: Enfield’s Rural Transformation Team
• North Kesteven DC - Building Control
• North Northamptonshire Council - Adults Health Partnerships & Housing Change Improvement & Delivery Team
• Northumberland CC - Pre Birth -Specialist Assessment Team
• Northumberland CC - Innovation in Action: Northumberland’s Children’s Services Project Team
• Oxfordshire CC - Public Affairs Team
• Telford & Wrekin Council - Customer Relationship Team