Civil Service in the news
CSSC Sports & Leisure Volunteer of the Year 2007
Debra Allott from the DWP Contact Centre Directorate, Sheffield, could hardly contain her excitement when Lord Turnbull, former Head of the Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary announced she was the inaugural winner of the CSSC Volunteer of the Year - The Turnbull Award.
From the many nominations Debra was selected as one of five finalists who attended CSSC's Annual Conference in Manchester on 16 June 2008. At a special presentation in the presence of Lord Turnbull, Debra and her co finalists were introduced to the 200 strong audience drawn from across the Civil Service before Lord Turnbull announced she had won the Award.
It was primarily for her significant role in creating the CSSC's South Yorkshire Area Association (AA) that Debra became the first recipient of The Turnbull Award.
Debra was more than instrumental. She made an AA happen in a large city (Sheffield) with a growing Civil Service population and an existing AA (Sheffield AA) whose only focus was to offer a limited range of activity at its sport ground. CSSC's image within Sheffield was consequently very low. Debra through her efforts, determination and commitment was able within 2007 to create a separate AA, committed to producing a wide range of activity for CSSC members in Sheffield and the surrounding area. This was not an easy task. It meant engaging with many employers; being able to provide effective and persuasive leadership, often to people whom, at first, had little interest in CSSC.
Debra's inter personal skills ensured that she was able to stimulate and motivate colleagues and other members to get involved. A committee was soon formed. She took the lead in setting up the Association's administration including financial management, communication with members, committee structure and constitution.
If Debra had not risen to the challenge during 2007 the AA would not have happened and local CSSC members would not now be reaping the benefits of Debra's hard work and commitment to make a difference.
In addition Anne Davison from DWP on the Isle of Wight was also a finalist. Anne was the linchpin of the CSSC's Isle of Wight Association during 2007. Had Anne not taken up the reigns during 2007 the AA would not have continued to function.
The AA had experienced a series of failings in recent times culminating in the departure of several officers. Anne chaired her first AA meeting in January 2007 and from that moment she took control; ensuring the AA's administration was tightened up. In addition she went about improving the AA's activity programme which resulted in the AA offering a far wider range of activity, the introduction of an AA newsletter and the setting up of awareness talks with many eligible employers across the island.
If you are interested in volunteering for CSSC, please contact Hedley Featherstone. Tel: 01494 888440 or email: hedley.featherstone@cssc.co.uk
