Merton Wins Partnership Award Again
Award recognises government and volunteer work
Merton has collected two accolades and a commendation at this year's Compact Awards ceremony, which was hosted by Simon Blake OBE, Chair of Compact Voice, and Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, the Minister praised the borough saying: "We need more Mertons."
Chris Frost, Chief Executive of Merton Voluntary Service Council, won the Leadership Award. The Innovation award went to Merton Youth Partnership, and Merton Partnership received a commendation in the Local Compact Partnership Award category.
Merton has been recognised in the national Compact Awards every year since 2005. The awards showcase outstanding government and voluntary working across the country. Winners are selected from groups, individuals, organisations and activities which highlight and demonstrate the best of Compact working.
Merton Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Councillor Maxi Martin, said: "I am delighted that Merton's Youth Transformation Project has won the Innovation award. It recognises our work in further strengthening ties with our young people in Merton."
Chief Executive of Merton Voluntary Service Council, Chris Frost, said: “I am very proud to receive the Compact Leadership Award. Together we have built some fantastic relationships between the voluntary, public and private sectors, and made a huge difference locally. I want to thank my strong, supportive trustee board, great staff team and local partners.”
The Compact Awards ceremony was held on November 7. For more information, visit http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/compactawards2012.
Earlier in the week, the Merton Partnership brought together MPs, borough fire and police chiefs, councillors, NHS and voluntary organisations from across the country to hear about how Merton continues to implement a successful programme of partnership working to the benefit of the community.
At the special conference, Working together, better together in Merton, Nick Hurd (left) launched a new partnership project called Merton-i, an online one-stop-shop for information on care and support services in the borough. Merton Council’s chief executive Ged Curran also announced the borough's new Grants Programme which will help fund community voluntary groups to deliver projects which will contribute to Merton's Community Plan.
Leader of Merton Council and chair of Merton Partnership, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, welcomed the Minister to the event at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which included representatives from 17 other London boroughs, a variety of agencies including the NHS, police and fire services as well as national and regional charities.
A number of representatives from different public organisations in the Merton Partnership gave practical examples about how partnership working in Merton has been and continues to be so successful. Examples came from the borough commanders of Merton police and Merton fire services, the borough’s Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise , the Merton Clinical Commissioning Group, Merton Council and Merton Voluntary Service Council.
Leader of Merton Council Councillor Stephen Alambritis said: "Merton has an excellent track record when it comes to partnership working. Winning a national Compact Award for the last seven years is testament to the hard work of all the partnership organisations and the successful way in which it carries out its work. We have a good model which we want to share with other public sector organisations."
Chair of Compact Voice, Simon Blake said: "It has been wonderful to hear all the great examples of how a diverse range of organistations can successfully work together for the benefit of the community. It is the voluntary sector which can go where angels fear to tread. This is what makes it so effective in partnership with other organisations which may have more constraints to deal with. The voluntary sector can be creative, drive change and add a huge amount of value to organisations' work."
November 16, 2012