Council celebrates employees at annual awards

Published 5 December 2024

Over 100 employees gathered at Clarkston Hall to mark the achievements of colleagues from across the Council and Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).

Awards were handed out in 10 categories, which are designed to tie in to the Council's vision of being a modern, ambitious council creating a fairer future with all.

The winners in each category were:

• Putting People First - Lauren Findlay, Katie Matthews and Frances McGeehan. Their support of a specific vulnerable young person in their roles in the HSCP and Education teams earned them this year's trophy.
• Going the Extra Mile - Paul Parsons. As Principal Accountant, Paul has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that his team and the Council continue to receive the highest standard of financial support.
• Young Employee of the Year - Nina McCue. A teacher of English at St Luke's High School who demonstrates an incredible passion and commitment in developing her craft and in such a short space of time has achieved so much for her pupils, school and the wider education community.
• Unsung Hero - Gareth McBride.Over the course of just one year, Gareth has had a transformative impact on the Money Advice and Rights team, going above and beyond his duties to bring significant efficiency and collaboration.
• People Leader of the Year - Emma Aeppli.Leading a team of 21 in Work EastRen, the council's employability service, Emma consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities that perfectly align with this award's criteria.
• Team of the Year - Election Team. Undertaking the management of a General Election locally is a complex task, but this cross-council team showed real commitment to get the job done, overcoming a number of challenges along the way.
• Our Values - Andy Shaw.This award recognises employees who embrace the Council's values of ambition, kindness and trust.Road worker Andy clinched the prize in recognition of his remarkable efforts in organising a successful hike up Ben Nevis to raise awareness and nearly £5,000 for Prostate Cancer Research.
• Learning Achievement of the Year - David Miller.Project ManagerDavid has demonstrated exceptional commitment to professional growth, quickly acquiring new qualifications, applying these skills in practice and inspiring colleagues to pursue their own development journeys.
• Workplace Achievement of the Year - A Place to Grow team.This team were celebrated in recognition of their work on A Place to Grow, the Community Planning Partnership's new vision for East Renfrewshire by 2040.
• Chief Executive's Award - Linda Hutchison.Linda has been a dedicated employee of East Renfrewshire Council for many years, responsible for supporting a range of Committees and supervising our Members' Services Team on a daily basis.

Chief Executive Steven Quinn said: 'Congratulations to all our winners at the We Are East Ren Awards. It was fantastic to celebrate the amazing contribution made by so many of our employees and hear all the stories of the work which goes on day-in day-out to ensure our residents receive the best possible service.'

A total of 31 finalists were shortlisted across the 10 award categories before a panel of judges decided on the winners.

The winners were selected for showing absolute dedication to their role, often going above and beyond to ensure they delivered the very highest standards for the people of East Renfrewshire.