CLES Commendations

CLES Commendations are awarded annually at the CLES Summit. At the Summit 2009 three commendations were awarded celebrating projects whcich CLES feels have been excellent examples of local economic activity.

In 2009 we were looking to recognise projects that had:

demonstrated resilience;
a significant impact on beneficiaries;
tackled a project in an innovative way;
tackled a particularly difficult regeneration challenge;
delivered transformational change.

At the Summit in July 2009 CLES awarded Commendations to:

Staffordshire Procurement

Staffordshire County Council procurement website

Staffordshire County Council has a massive procurement budget, spending £380 million and placing 400,000 purchase orders per annum. However the need to procure more effectively drove the Council to re-think its procurement processes, contracts and relationships. This process began with engagement by the Council of the local Chamber of Commerce and SMEs, asking them how Staffordshire could become their ‘customer of choice’ rather than an awkward and bureaucratic client. After a range of negative responses were made about the difficulties of doing business with Staffordshire, the Council undertook a range of ‘smart’ measures to reshape the way it procures goods and services. The aims of these measures were to yield community benefits – economic, social and environmental in nature – from expenditure of public money to procure goods and services. The good practice and innovation of Staffordshire’s procurement can broadly be categorised as an approach of robust engagement; of common sense; of dismantling aversion to risk; of strong leadership; and of effective category management.

Photograph (above) shows Neil McInroy, Chief Executive of CLES congratulating Paul Moulding, Head of Categories at Staffordshire County Council on the award.

Northern Kites

Northern Kites website

The basic aim of this project was to re-introduce red kites to an urban fringe environment in the North East of England. But this project has gone much further than this remit and has used this biodiversity/environmental project to deliver social and economic benefits to the local community. The project demonstrates an innovative and organic approach to place shaping. The red kites introduction was primarily a bio diversity project but it has been taken on board by the local community which has led to benefits which were not originally envisaged. The project has been delivered within budget and timescales. The project has achieved its aims of developing a sustainable community of redkites but has also begun to demonstrate that it has led to economic and social benefits. Project also represents an alternative approach to economic development which is cost effective, environmentally sustainable and low/slow growth.

Keith Bowey (pictured above with Neil McInroy) gave an informative and entertaining overview of the Northern Kites project at the Summit.

BNENC logo

Breckfield and North Everton Neighbourhood Council

Breckfield and North Everton is one of the most deprived areas not only in Liverpool but also in the UK. It suffers from a host of social and economic issues including high levels of worklessness and crime, poor housing and poor local infrastructure. Breckfield and North Everton Neighbourhood Council (BNENC) was set up with a number of aims and objectives relating specifically for the local community of Breckfield and North Everton. including: stimulating enterprise and employment; providing key local services; tackling local deprivation; tackling health and other inequalities; undertaking community activity in a sustainable and locally focused manner and drawing the community together. BNENC currently deliver over 30 projects using a social enterprise model of delivery.

The photograph (left) shows Frank Prendergast, Project Manager with Neil McInroy, Chief Executive of CLES.