The Judging
The judging process will be rigorous and transparent and to win will be a tremendous achievement. It will be held over two stages. Following the closing date on Friday 7 December 2007 the summary information from each entrant will be supplied to the panel of judges for review early in the New Year, before the panel meets during January 2008. The nominations in each category will be posted on the awards website on Monday 11 February 2008.
ShiNE! is committed to ensuring entries from this inaugural year’s awards are judged as fairly and expertly as possible, and is working with a number of leading professionals throughout the UK to ensure a balanced, skilled and qualified assessment of all entries.
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of the following distinguished individuals to the panel -
Peter Barron, Editor, The Northern Echo
Peter Baron was born in Saltburn and raised in Middlesbrough, Peter joined The Northern Echo in 1984 and rose from reporter to Deputy Editor before joining the Hartlepool Mail as editor in 1997. He returned to The Northern Echo a year later as Editor following Andrew Smith’s move to Northeast Press to take up an appointment as Editor of the Sunderland Echo and editorial director.
Peter also runs training courses around the country for news editors and is a former UK columnist of the year. Married with four children, his light-hearted experiences of parenthood form the basis for a regular column, Dad At Large, which was adapted into a successful book now in its third edition.
Michael Craik, Chief Constable, Northumbria Police
Mike Craik took up post as Chief Constable of Northumbria Police in April 2005.
Prior to his appointment as Chief Constable Mr Craik was second in command of Northumbria Police for five years, after 23 years with the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Craik was born in Newcastle and educated at Heaton Grammar School and Newcastle University before joining the Met in 1977. In 1987 he attended Wolfson College, Cambridge, on a Bramshill Fellowship and obtained an M.Phil in Criminology.
Mr Craik's father and grandfather were both policemen in the North East. He is married and has a teenage son. He lives in Newcastle upon Tyne and supports the Blyth Spartans football team.
Ceri Edwards, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, London Councils
Ceri Edwards is Director of Communications and Public Affairs at London Councils, the body that lobbies and provides direct services on behalf of London’s 33 local authorities. Before joining London Councils Ceri was an assistant editor with the BBC in Westminster reporting and producing for political and current affairs programmes. He has held senior roles at the Local Government Association and Children in Need and started his career as a campaigner with the human rights pressure group, Liberty. Outside work he has chaired two charities, Survivors UK (which works with victims of male rape and sexual abuse); and the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard.
Ben Dudley, Project Manager, Local Government Association
Ben Dudley, on secondment from Southwark Council to manage two of the Local Government Association's key projects: the Local Democracy Campaign and the Reputation Campaign. Both are about working with councils to raise their standing with local people, and to engage people in local government. The Local Democracy Campaign focusses on young people, while the Reputation Campaign is about councils getting the key things right that are proven drivers of reputation: key environmental services and communications.
Ben worked previously at Southwark Council for three years in the marketing department, focussing on internal communications, corporate branding and customer access.
Prior to that, he was account manager in a pr consultancy working with clients ranging from Peugeot to Coutts, from Jones Lang LaSalle to Chiltern Railways.
Carole Hassan, Chief Executive, Local Government Yorkshire & Humber
Carole Hassan has worked in local government for 25 years. Her experience includes being Chief Executive of Watford Borough Council and Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.
She has experience of managing the full range of local authority services and her first Chief Officer appointment was Director of Neighbourhood Services with Harlow District Council in Essex. She also led the Solace think-tank which advised Government on the introduction of the Power of Well Being for Local Government. Also previously a member of Advisory Group to DCLG on Public Private Partnerships.
Developing corporate policy and strategy as Head of Strategic Policy with Harlow District Council she oversaw major organisational development projects and community engagement in decision making.
Her original professional background includes community development, community services, playwork and teaching. She has a Masters in Urban Planning with a specialism in Economic Development.
Carole is currently a board member of Sport England (North West) and a member of a Housing ALMO Board.
Hilary Knox - Deputy Director Association of North East Councils
(Adviser to the Judges for ShiNE 2007)
Hilary Knox is Deputy Director of the Association of North East Councils, the political voice for local government in the North East. Her role encompasses building relationships with a wide range of opinion formers and decision makers on advocacy on policy issues, relevant to local government and the North East region.
She is responsible for External Affairs, including corporate communications and media relations, aimed at raising the awareness and profile of the Association and its activities.
Hilary is leading the communications strand of the Improvement Partnership for North East Local Government, which focuses on improving communication between local authorities and their citizens, partners and the media in order to encourage greater interest, participation and engagement in local government in the North East. Through the Improvement Partnership , she is responsible for delivering a range of projects, including the ShiNE Awards 2008,
Communication Skills and Media Training for local authorities, as well as campaigns aimed at engaging young people with local government in the North East. She works closely with Communications and PR professionals from the region's 25 local authorities and 4 fire and rescue services through a Local Government Communications Network, which provides a platform for improving performance, sharing and disseminating best practice.
Her career in an external affairs role spans over 15 years, with previous positions at Newcastle University and Northern Arts. Between 1992 and 2002 she was Media and Corporate Affairs Manager at Newcastle Airport and led on media, PR, lobbying and community relations during a period of major expansion and development.
Hilary, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, is committed to improving the image, perception and reputation of local government in the North East.
Leon Mexter, Chief Executive, Regional Youth Work Unit - North East.
The organisation, based in Gateshead, promotes and supports the development of youth work across the North East. Leon joined the Unit five years ago, having previously worked at a number of youth projects in Newcastle.
Although born in the South of England, Leon has strong ties with the North East, being half Geordie, on his mother’s side. Leon received his full time training in youth work at the University of Durham, and has lived back in the North East for the past 15 years. As well as the opportunity to take part in cutting edge youth work, Leon was inspired to make the move back to the region because of the balmy weather and access to a decent football team. Prior to moving to the North, Leon worked and trained in the South East.
When not indulging in strategic development, Leon likes to spend time with his partner, feigning regular gym attendance, catching up on film and TV and treading the boards of ball room dancing. He and his partner are currently learning the vagaries of the Argentine tango.
John Mowbray, Corporate Affairs Director, Northumbrian Water
John Mowbray is currently Director of Corporate Affairs at Northumbrian Water. Although he joined the company as an accountant, he has now worked in a number of different areas of the business including spells as Company Secretary and Head of Customer Services.
His prime responsibilities include all aspects of external and internal communications, marketing, media and public relations and corporate responsibility for Northumbrian Water, which includes an extensive community programme. He acts as their representative in a number of regional activities and is very involved locally as a Director/Trustee of Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, TEDCO, the Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, Ryhope Engines Trust, Live Theatre and the North East Chamber of Commerce, where he is Vice President and Chairman of the County Durham Committee. He is Chairman of the Tyne & Wear Common Purpose Advisory Group, as well as Durham City Vision. He is a Governor to the Castle View Academy Trust, which has been set up to establish the new academy in Sunderland.
He also chairs the Northumbrian WaterAid Fundraising Committee, which will have raised £2million since 1996 to change and improve the lives of 140,000 people in Africa and Asia forever. Most of his voluntary time is committed to WaterAid.
He is married with two children and counts watching sport (not so much participation these days), reading, walking and socialising as his interests.
James Ramsbotham, Chief Executive, North East Chamber of Commerce
James Ramsbotham is Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce. NECC is the voice of business in the North East and takes the lead in a number of regional policy issues. It has almost 5,000 members and delivers a range of business support services, especially training and international trade advice.
Previously he was Vice Chairman of the Esh Group – the award winning North East construction group. The Group consists of twelve construction related companies jointly employing c.1,000 people producing about £100M annual sales with its Headquarters in Bowburn, Co. Durham. Prior to that he spent 14 years in Barclays Bank plc (throughout the UK) and, before that, he had 12 years soldiering in the Royal Green Jackets (throughout the world).
He is a Deputy Lieutenant for Co. Durham, a non-exec director of Darlington Building Society, Chairman of the LSC in Co. Durham and also gives time to Newcastle University, Durham Cathedral, Auckland Castle, County Durham Development Company, Sunderland AFC Foundation, Common Purpose UK, Tyneside Cyrenians, St John’s Ambulance and the Gillian Dickinson Trust.
James lives with his wife and two teenage children in the Durham Dales – where his wife, who is a Director of the Co. Durham Area Tourism Partnership, runs a holiday cottage. He enjoys sailing, skiing and all outdoor country pursuits.
Claire Riley, Strategic Director of Communications, North East Strategic Health Authority
Claire Riley was born in Gateshead and currently works for the NHS within the Strategic Health Authority. She has a business degree from Sheffield Hallam, a post graduate diploma in Marketing and is a Chartered Marketer and a qualified lecturer.
Claire manages the communications, marketing and stakeholder activity for the strategic health authority working with local health organisations and the Department of Health to deliver strategic communication and social marketing to the north east alongside managing the organisations reputation.
Claires marketing and communications career spans over a decade and, until recently, worked for Northumbrian Water as Marketing and Communications Manager. She lectured for Gateshead College for 3 years, where she also studied in earlier years.
Claire is a married mum of two girls, whose music tastes are firmly stuck in the 80s and is a long suffering Newcastle United Fan.
Kevin Rowan, Northern Regional Secretary, TUC
Kevin Rowan is Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC, representing some 69 trade unions and half a million trade union members in the Northern Region.
Kevin began working life in the VSEL shipyard of Barrow in Furness, becoming a trade union representative shortly before his 18th birthday.
In 1993 he enrolled on a Government and Public Policy Degree course at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle. Whilst studying for his degree Kevin worked as a part-time TUC tutor for Newcastle College.
Kevin joined Preston College in 1995 and was part of the team which established the Carlisle Trade Union Education Unit and moved to join GMB Northern as Education and Research Officer in 1997, becoming Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC in July 2002.
From April 2001 to 2003 Kevin chaired the Northern TUC’s Education, Learning & Skills Forum, which brings together Trade Union Education, TUC Learning Services, representatives, providers and stakeholders in the trade union lifelong learning agenda. In its first year the Forum has established the first TUC Regional Education Strategy, including delivering the Learning for All Programme, the first regional trade union learning fund, and has seen tremendous development in the areas of trade union education and lifelong learning, particularly in the TUC's contribution to tackling the Region's basic skills challenge.
Kevin represents the TUC on the Regional Skills Partnership, the Regional ESF Committee, the Talent Attraction Strategy Group and the Executive of the North East Assembly.
Kevin joined the board of the Regional Development Agency in December 2002, and is a member of the Education and Skills and the Regeneration Committees. He is chair of Equality North East, a member of the Regional Equality and Diversity Board, Northumberland LSC and the regional LSC Equality and Diversity Steering Group, the Regional Health at Work Group and Fresh NE; the campaign for a smoke free north east. He has recently joined the board of Newcastle Futures and the board of Norcare.
Graeme Thompson, Managing Director/Controller of Programmes , ITV Tyne Tees
Born in South Shields and trained as a journalist. Worked in the Midlands and London for newspapers and BBC Radio. Credits since moving to ITV include He’s Done It -The Jonny Wilkinson Story, Dr Rock’s Guide to Hollywood, Chris Rea – Hard is the Road, The Dales Diary, North East Tonight and dramas such as Girls Club, Waiters and Starman. He is chair of the newly-refurbished Live Theatre in Newcastle and is a board member for Northern Film and Media.
He is a director of Tees Valley Regeneration, chairs the North East leadership team of Business in the Community and is a trustee of the Royal Television Society. He is married with three children and in his spare time writes pantomimes.
Julia Veall, Deputy Regional Director, Local Government Practice (North East), Government Office for the North East
Julia Veal grew up in Hertfordshire and went to University in Leicester. She has a degree in Public Administration, a post-graduate diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring and is also a Chartered Secretary.
Julia spent nearly 20 years working in Local Government in London, Hertfordshire and York. During that time she undertook many different roles but these all involved delivering transformational change to services and organisational culture. Her last job was as Assistant Chief Executive in York where she led on all organisational development matters, the Community Strategy and resilience.
Since arriving in the GO-NE in 2003 Julia has led on our engagement with local government at a strategic and corporate level and has been instrumental in developing our approach and capacity to respond positively to the GO Review particularly in respect of locality management. She has led our approach to LAA negotiations and has been the lead official with several under-performing local authorities who are now well away from this sort of intense engagement and improving well.
Julia is passionate about improving public services and in particular about achieving improvement through people and organisational culture.
Pam Wright, North East Regional Secretary, Federation of Small Businesses
Pam is the North East Regional Secretary of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB is the largest campaigning pressure group in the UK promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. The FSB has over 210,000 members across 33 regions and 230 branches.
Pam currently holds the lobbying Portfolio for Procurement within the North East Policy Unit of the FSB.
Pam runs two small businesses. She is Company Secretary of Briscoe Wright Associates Ltd, a training and management consultancy company. She is also the Chief Executive of Cleveland Accredited Training Centre Ltd (CATC). CATC is a training company specialising in health & safety training, management training/consultancy and first aid training. CATC also provides a health and safety consultancy and audit service. Both businesses are based on Teesside.
Pam previously worked in Higher Education as an Administrator at Newcastle University and then subsequently as a Programme Administrator at Durham University. Pam was a National Executive Council Member of NALGO and a member of the National Education Committee and National Universities Committee.
Pam serves as a member of the Employment Tribunal Service and regularly deals with unfair dismissal cases; sex discrimination cases, TUPE and redundancy/wages act cases in the North of England.
Pam was born in Rowlands Gill but now lives in Guisborough and London. She is married to John Wright, who is the National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses. She enjoys walking, cycling, reading, politics, fly fishing, dining out and watching films.