HARD-working council and health and social care staff who go above and beyond to serve the people of Inverclyde and make the area a better place have been honoured.
The best of public sector staff from the local authority and health and social care partnership (HSCP) were celebrated at the annual Pride of Inverclyde Awards held in Inverclyde Academy.
There were seven awards presented for Employee of the Year, Team of the Year, Excellence in Innovation, Excellence in Service Delivery, and Outstanding Achievement, plus two special awards hand-picked by the chief executive and provost.
Long Service Awards were also presented to dedicated employees who each have 40 or more years’ service with the council.
Nominations for Employee and Team of the Year were made by the public, as well as staff. Edward Flynn, bus driver and handyman at Hillend Children’s Centre, was named as the 2025 Employee of the Year while the Care and Support at Home Team were crowned Team of the Year.
Among the winners were the council’s waste services team, including binmen Brian Copeland and David Millar, who received the Chief Executive’s Award. The refuse workers have become social media and TV sensations thanks to the sweet friendship formed with local schoolboy Jaxx Robertson during ‘bin lorry Wednesdays’. Jaxx made a surprise appearance at the awards ceremony to present the award alongside chief executive, Stuart Jamieson.
Stuart Jamieson, chief executive of Inverclyde Council, said: “It was a moment of pride for me to be involved in my first Pride of Inverclyde awards as chief executive and be able to celebrate some of the incredible individuals and teams working across council and health and social care services.
“I’ve been lucky over the past five months since becoming chief executive to be able to get out and about and meet so many of our talented and hard-working employees across a range of services and to see first-hand the amount of effort that goes into delivering quality frontline services. A huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists and to our long service employees for their individual and collective efforts.
“A special well done to Brian, David and the wider waste services team, who are very worthy winners of this year’s Chief Executive’s Award for their heart-warming friendship with Jaxx, for the kindness shown by them, by Jaxx and his mum Lucy, and for raising awareness of and celebrating neurodiversity.
“A massive ‘thank-you’ to everyone involved in organising the awards, to staff and members of the public who nominated, and to Inverclyde Academy staff and pupils for hosting the event.”
It was a clean sweep for waste services as technical officer Margaret Vize picked up the second of the two special prizes, the Provost’s Award, which honours an individual or team the provost personally feels has contributed a noticeable improvement in delivering public services on behalf of Inverclyde Council.
Margaret was recognised for years of service managing waste operations and the council’s recycling centres, for playing a key role in the response to a fire at the Pottery Street Depot in May 2025, and for promoting women’s and girls’ football outside of work.
Provost of Inverclyde, Drew McKenzie, said: “I’ve known Margaret for many years and she’s not only well liked and respected within the council but also by members of the public and the local footballing community.
“Margaret’s selfless attitude and dedication to others came to the fore during the fire at the Pottery Street Depot earlier this year when she sprung into action at the weekend to play a vital role in the emergency response. She has a ‘can do’ attitude and carries out her work with such enthusiasm, which is why Margaret is this year’s Provost’s Award winner.”
The other winners were Noel Griffin, digital learning and engagement officer at the Watt Institution, who picked up the Excellence in Innovation prize for his work digitising the museum and art gallery collections to bring ancient artefacts to a 21st century audience, including items that have not been seen for many years.
The Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to representatives from various council services for their role in the demolition of Clune Park, which is currently ongoing. Staff from services including Building Standards, Property Services, Finance and Legal have all been involved.
Excellence in Service Delivery winners Committee Services receiving their award from Cllr Chris Curley.
Finally, the Excellence in Service Delivery prize was presented to the Committee Services Team who often work behind the scenes and whose vast knowledge of processes, protocols, and standing orders ensures smooth delivery of council meetings.
The finalists and winners were chosen by a judging panel of council leader, Councillor Stephen McCabe, senior management from the council and HSCP, staff from various services and a trade union representative.
The 2025 Pride of Inverclyde Awards were hosted by Ruth Binks, the council’s director of education, communities and organisational development, and Morna Rae, who is head of organisation development, policy and communications. The event featured a performance from the Inverclyde Academy Concert Band.
Full list of winners:
Employee of the Year: Edward Flynn, Bus Driver and Handyman at Hillend Children’s Centre.
From the moment children step onto the bus, Eddie ensures their safety comfort and happiness. He takes time to engage with each child creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that sets the tone for their day.
Highly Commended: Jill Morrow – Social Worker; Margaret Vize – Waste Technical Officer; David McIntosh – Rapid Rehousing Support Worker
Team of the Year: Care and Support at Home Team.
This dedicated group has consistently delivered exceptional teamwork. Last year they provided more than 5,000 hours of support each week and facilitated 1,300 discharges from hospital, helping to support independence and positive quality of life for residents across Inverclyde.
Highly Commended: Transport and ASN support team; BSU/Technical services team
Provost’s Award: Margaret Vize
Margaret manages the waste transfer operations and civic amenity sites. She was one of the first women in Scotland to take on this role and has consistently provided a high level of customer-oriented services. Moreover, she was integral in managing the outcome of the recent fire at the Pottery Street Depot, coming into the office at short notice on a Saturday, liaising with the fire service and being on point all day. Her prompt actions and knowledge were invaluable and ensured that the incident was managed safely and minimised risks to staff. Outside of this, she works tirelessly for Port Glasgow Juniors and is integral to supporting local girls and young women into playing football.
Chief Executive’s Award: Waste Services
There were hundreds of votes for the refuse collection teams and, in particular, internet sensations David Millar and Brian Copeland who are regulars in a ‘Bin Lorry Wednesday’ feature on social media. The two men, and the entire team, have made a huge impact on the whole of the community. As one nomination said: ‘Outstanding binmen who are accepting of everyone in the community and actively communicate with those they meet. They are the sort of employees who restore your faith in mankind’.
Excellence in Innovation: Noel Griffin, Digital Learning and Engagement Officer at the Watt Institution.
Noel has improved the digital experience at the Watt with digitised collections, augmented reality and 3D scanning of natural science items.
Highly Commended: The Technology Enablement Team at HSCP; HSCP ELMs Project Team
Excellence in Service Delivery: Committee Services
The team are often behind the scenes but without their exemplary service and attention to detail the council’s meetings and committee processes would not run so smoothly. This work involves an in-depth knowledge of the council’s standing orders, protocols and customs.
Highly Commended: Corporate Procurement Team; Karen McCready, Corporate Policy and Performance Officer
Outstanding Achievement: Teams involved in Clune Park demolition
Multiple teams across Building Standards, Property Services, Finance and Legal have all been involved in Clune Park and the demolition works that began earlier this year.
Highly Commended: Katie Webster and Haillie Murphy, HSCP Clerical Team; Property Services involved in finance and HSCP office relocations
Long Service Awards: For 40-plus years’ service (those present or represented at the awards ceremony are below but there were several more recipients who were unable to attend): Paul Hemphill, James Bradley, Paul McLaughlin, Marjorie Tait, David Shearer, Karen McPherson, Kevin Rowe, Norman Harper, May Learie, Chris Higgins, Karen Robinson, John McLaughlin
