Council call centre named top private sector business
Posted on Sep 25 2009
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A council call centre won the top prize in the North of England Business Excellence Awards 2009 last night

Liverpool Direct, a public-private sector partnership between BT and Liverpool City Council which employs 1,100 people, was named North of England Business of the Year and also won the award for private sector businesses with 250 or more employees. It will now go forward into the finals of the national Business Excellence Awards. 

Brand-Rex, the cable manufacturer based in Leigh, won the award for private businesses with fewer than 250 employees.

In the public sector the award for organisations with 250 or more employees went to Cheshire Probation Area based in Chester, while The Valley Community School in Bolton took the award for those with fewer than 250 employees.

The Special Award for Customer and Customer Results went to Wincanton plc in recognition of its warehousing and distribution operation run in partnership with HJ Heinz at Heinz's Wigan manufacturing plant. The Special Award for People and People Results went to Burnley Borough Council's one-stop services centre Contact Burnley while Manchester Airport received the Urenco Award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

All received their awards from the Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP at the annual awards dinner at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Organisers said entries this year were “amongst the highest” since the awards began in 1994. 

David Teale, chief executive of North of England Excellence, said: “The awards recognise businesses which achieve the highest standards of performance, whether they are in the public, private or not-for-profit sector.

“The winners are setting an example to others by showing the way forward in the face of recession. Organisations which can raise standards and improve their business processes and performance will be best placed to survive in the current climate and take advantage of the upturn when it arrives.”