Posted on: Friday 15 September 2023
The Torfaen School Cleaning Team have been crowned winners of a national award at a ceremony this week.
The team was recognised for their exceptional dedication to making a positive impact both within their organisation and the local community – particularly their commitment to environmental sustainability.
Inspired by the international climate change conference in Glasgow in 2021, the team decided to look into environmentally friendly cleaning products.
They visited local environmental entrepreneurs and collaboration with suppliers to find sustainable, more environmentally friendly alternatives. These have been successfully piloted these at local primaries with a view to further roll out across school sites.
Their nomination at the APSE awards yesterday also recognised their role in helping their colleagues, like Nemat, a Sudanese refugee, who overcame significant barriers to join the team.
Their dedication and teamwork with seven different agencies exemplified their commitment to inclusivity and community integration. They broke down barriers, which led to a successful and meaningful employment.
Lastly, the team have been recognised for their compassion and dedication. A colleague was found injured at home and team went above and beyond normal duties. They made sure she got to hospital and was cared for after she came home.
Jayne Sullivan, Cleaning Manager, said: “On behalf of the whole cleaning team, we are so pleased to receive this prestigious award
“Cleaning is often an overlooked, low profile department, and winning this award has certainly given us more confidence.
“Such recognition will give everyone a boost and also remind them that they are really doing a good job and now officially judged to be the best in the UK”.
Speaking about the Awards, Mo Baines, APSE Chief Executive, said, " Across local government we have an army of unsung heroes going above and beyond to deliver for their local communities.
“The purpose of last night’s celebration was to recognise the very best in public services and to share that best practice with all.
“We received over 300 submissions for the awards this year, with each one demonstrating a clear commitment to the goals of continuous improvement and the delivery of excellence in public services.
“On behalf of everyone at APSE, I would like to congratulate each one of our incredible finalists – you are a credit to the communities you serve."
Read about how all Primary School pupils in Torfaen can now access free school meals thanks to
recent kitchen refurbishments