Staff praised as Council toilets receive top awards

7th January 2015

Cleaning staff responsible for looking after The Highland Council's Care and Learning services' toilets are been praised after scooping 7 national category awards, and 2 major national awards in the annual Loo of the Year Awards. With 20 facilities receiving platinum certificates and a further 23 gold, the Council has also been awarded a Champions League Standards of Excellence Certificate.

Chairman of the Education, Children and Adult Services Committee, Councillor Alasdair Christie thanked staff for their hard work and commitment in providing top class toilets. He said: "To win so many national awards is a great achievement and reflects the hard work and commitment of our staff who take pride in ensuring the very best of toilet facilities are provided. Our school pupils and teaching staff should also be given credit for their support and efforts to ensure the work of cleaning staff is respected."

Competition from across the whole UK for these awards has got stronger each year. Our percentage of platinum awards has increased by over 46% so everyone involved should take pride in the fact that they are setting the high standards for the rest of the UK to follow and behalf of the whole council I give them our sincere congratulations."

The Scottish National Category Award for Primary Schools and Play Centres went to Alvie Primary in Badenoch and Strathspey while Invergordon Academy won the Higher and Adult Education category and the Education Early Years top prize went to Carbost Primary Nursery on the Isle of Skye. The Scottish Historic Buildings award went to Inverness Town House with Merkinch Community Centre taking the best Community Centre category. The other two national awards went to The Glen Centre in Aviemore for best Day Centre and Osprey House in Alness in the category for Commercial & Public offices.

The two Scotland National Award Winners were The Highland Council for the Local Authority Entries category and Alvie Primary School for the Toilets in Education Entries.

Each successful entry was assessed using a strict judging criteria which included signage, decor 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.

Highland facilities, maintained by Care and Learning staff which were awarded top Platinum gradings are:

· Council Offices, Golspie

· Golspie Service Point

· Osprey House, Alness

· Ben Wyvis Primary

· Assessors Office, Dingwall

· Ullapool High School

· Milton of Leys Primary, Inverness

· The Highland Archive Centre, Inverness

· Inverness Town House

· Merkinch Community Centre

· Aldourie Primary

· Court House, Nairn

· The Glen Centre, Aviemore

· Aviemore Primary and Community Centre

· Alvie Primary

· Highland Folk Museum (Main offices)

· Lochaline Primary

· Acharacle Primary

· Roy Bridge Primary

· Carbost Primary Nursery


Those awarded Gold gradings are:

· Halkirk Primary

· Mount Pleasant Nursery

· Pultneytown Academy

· Reay Primary

· Thrumster Primary

· Thurso High School

· Thorr House

· Dornoch Primary Nursery

· Golspie Primary

· Beachview Lodge

· Invergordon Academy

· Kinlochewe Primary

· Ullapool Primary

· Kirkhill Primary

· Council Headquarters, Inverness

· North Tower, Inverness Castle

· Merkinch Family Centre

· Caberfeidh Resource Centre

· St Brides Primary

· Inverlochy Nursery

· Ballachulish Primary

· Eigg Primary

· Tigh Na Sgire, Portree