Staff Presented With Top Toilet Awards

5th February 2009

Following The Highland Council's success at the Loo of the Year Awards, staff from the Education, Culture and Sport service who are responsible for looking after the award winning toilets were presented with their certificates at a special ceremony in Inverness held on Tuesday 3rd February 2009'

Mike Burton, Managing Director of Albany Washroom Services who sponsor the Awards travelled to Inverness to make the presentation. He congratulated everyone involved for the superb results and said: "It is obvious that Highland Council has galvanised an enthusiastic team of motivated cleasing personnel and management that take tremendous pride in the standards of the toilets that they maintain.

"Highland Council is a shining example of what can be achieved when head teachers and councillors support and empower both pupils and staff to drive continous improvement. Staff in schools deserve particular praise for constantly raising the bar to improve the health and hygiene of our children and the Council commended for putting school toilets high on the agenda."

28 of the toilets cared for by ECS staff received the top grading of 5 stars, 3 of which were for new entries - Grantown Service Point, Drummuie Council Offices in Golspie and the Youth Action Team office in Wick. A further 31 toilets were awarded 4 stars of which 7, including Eigg, Durness and Dalneigh Primary Schools, were new entries. 6 received a 3 star grading.

In addition, the Council scoped the following 9 national category awards;
· Parks and Gardens: Countryside Visitor Centre, Lairg
· Visitor Attractions: Brora Heritage Centre
· Historic Buildings: County Buildings, Dingwall
· Primary Schools: Hilton of Cadboll Primary
· Secondary Schools: Thurso High School
· Day Centres: Beachview Lodge, Brora
· Commercial & Public Buildings: Drummuie Council Offices
· Team of the Year: Highland Council Schools
· Champions League: Highland Council's ECS and TEC Services

The Highland facilities, maintained by ECS staff which were awarded the top grading of 5 stars are:
· Grantown Service Point
· The Glen Centre Aviemore
· Caberfeidh Resource Centre, Kingussie
· Council Headquarters, Inverness
· Inverness Museum
· Kirkhill Primary School
· Strathpeffer Primary School
· Hilton of Cadboll Primary School
· Assessors Office, Dingwall
· Ullapool High School
· Ullapool Primary School
· Drummuie Council Offices, Golspie
· Altnaharra Primary School
· Beachview Lodge, Brora
· Dornoch Primary Nursery
· Bonar Bridge Primary School
· Gledfield Primary School
· Kinlochbervie High School
· Youth Action Team, Wick
· Community Education Office, Wick
· Mount Pleasant Special Education Unit & Nursery
· Reay Primary School
· Inverlochy Nursery
· St Brides Primary School
· Struan Primary School, Isle of Skye
· Tigh na Sgire, Portree
· Portree Primary school
· Elgol Primary School

Each successful entry was assessed using a strict judging criteria which included signage, décor and maintenance, cleanliness, fixtures and fittings, accessible facilities and overall management and customer care made during an unannounced visit by an authorised Loo Of The Year Awards Inspector.

Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee, Councillor Bill Fernie attended the award ceremony. He said: "We have a remarkable track record of success in these awards and it is down to the dedicated teams of staff working across the Highlands. What is particularly good news is the number of new entries which have got five star rating. I would like to congratulate all the staff involved and thank them for their dedication and hard work."

Iain Wilson from Loo Of The Year who travels the country from John O'Groats to Lands End inspecting toilets said: "The Highland Council continues to impress us year after year. It is all very well wining these awards, but been able to maintain such a high level of cleanliness and maintenance over the years is a real credit. I was particularly impressed with the efforts in schools to make the facilities child-friendly and in promoting the importance of hygiene in a fun way."

Pictured receiving their national category Award for the best Secondary School from Mike Burton are pupils from Thurso High School with Cleaning Operative Mary Macphee (centre) and Music Teacher Heather Lewry (far right). During the event held in the Council's Headquarters in Inverness the pupils entertained guests by performing a selection of traditional songs accompanied by a clarasach followed by medley of Abba
songs from the hit movie Mama Mia.