Meet the public sector champions

14 June 2007

At a special reception for public sector champions, held at Lancaster House on 13 June 2007, a number of guests were invited to meet the Prime Minister and talk about their achievements. Here are a few of them.

Maggie Unwin

Maggie is a recruitment team leader with Work Solutions in Manchester. Over the last seven years, she has worked hard to create jobs for thousands of people across the city, helping many to overcome barriers to employment in the process.

Maggie said:

"It was absolutely fantastic to be invited to this event to meet the Prime Minister and discuss my work with him.

"To have your work recognised in this way is a terrific honour, not just for me but for the whole team who help residents into employment and ultimately improve the lives of so many people."

Simon Kelly

Simon Kelly, an ophthalmic surgeon from the Bolton Eye Unit, was also at Lancaster House. His team had recently been shortlisted in the Health and Social Care Awards for their work helping to cure cataracts and highlighting the link between smoking and blindness.

He said:

"I'm delighted to be recognised and so thank you for recognising the work our team have done in the NHS."

Reflecting on his experience of public services over the past decade, he said:

"There has been tremendous investment in the NHS over the last ten years: waiting times have come down, quality and safety have improved. We're very grateful to this government and Mr Blair for the investment he has put into the NHS, and it is NHS staff that are delivering these improvements.

Ingrid Hopson

Ingrid, who is Head of Information Centres at George Abbott School in Guildford, describes her role as facilitating learning, helping students become "independent learners, fit for the world of work".

She said:

"A couple of weeks ago I was voted School Librarian of the Year and to have this as well is completely overwhelming."

 

Philip Musgrove

Philip, who is a watch commander, has worked for Taunton Fire and Rescue Service for 19 years. He said:

"It's our job to assist the public and it's nice to be honoured for it."

Talking about how public services have changed in the past ten years, he said:

"Fire appliances have got better and there's been a lot more money put into front-line services."

 

Prom Gurung

Prom works for Cumbria Constabulary as a community officer. He has also recently completed a secondment with the Chicago Police Department, where he learnt about their approach to community policing.

He was very happy to be invited to Lancaster House, saying that he felt "truly honoured".

"It's a lifetime experience. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank my colleagues - I'll cherish this memory all my life."