A HARD-WORKING team that overcomes personal challenges to help to clear fly tipping, pull up weeds, dig allotment plots and repair fencing has been nominated for a national award.
Leicester City Council’s park services amenities team is made up of adults with disabilities or additional support needs. They have been named as one of three finalists for the Keep Britain Tidy Team of the Year award.
The award seeks to honour a team that consistently delivers exceptional service through strong teamwork and leadership, resulting in a positive impact on their local community.
Parks manager Victoria Hudson, who nominated the team, said: “The members of this team have a range of complex medical and support needs, but that doesn’t stop them coming to work every day with a smile. They show great empathy, always going the extra mile to support each other. There’s no job that they aren’t happy to have a go at, and they display the most fantastic camaraderie, always willing to praise each other’s work and recognise a job well done.
“This year, the team has been through a monumental change, which could easily have overwhelmed them. They have moved from their base of 15 years, transferred over to the council’s parks service and seen their work remit increase, so that they now work across all of our 190+ parks and green spaces in Leicester.
“The scale of change they have embraced and overcome this year is awe-inspiring. The team, their parents and carers have all worked really closely with us to make the transition a success. They have learnt new bus stops and routes, and still manage to attend work early each day. Their work remit has expanded to include grounds maintenance, cleaning, improvement and repair work tasks and they have embraced it all. I am very proud to nominate them for this award.”
Assistant city mayor responsible for parks, Cllr Vi Dempster, said: “This nomination is very well deserved. This team has long made an outstanding contribution to our allotments in the city, digging over sites to prepare for new tenants, and helping those who are unwell to maintain their plots.
“Since moving over to the parks service they have started to undertake a huge array of tasks and it’s amazing how they have risen to the challenge. Their enthusiasm is infectious and I’m delighted that they have been shortlisted for this award.”
Winners of the Keep Britain Tidy awards will be announced at a ceremony in Manchester on 26 February.