TERRIFIC teams, unsung heroes, and dedicated staff were honoured at this year’s Bolton’s Best awards.

The awards celebrate and reward the work council staff do to improve residents’ quality of life.

Members of the public and council employees voted for the winner of the Best Customer Care award, supported by The Bolton News.

The winner was the Albert Halls team, who have successfully delivered a wide range of events including the General Election count, council meetings, the Bolton Vision Conference, and gala dinners.

A council spokesman said: “The level of customer care the staff provide is fantastic. This was shown particularly at the recent University of Bolton graduations ceremonies where they provided front of house and back of house cover for four days during the ceremonies.”

The winner of the Unsung Hero prize was Jackie Gavin, a senior legal assistant at the council who also runs the North West branch of The Compassionate Friends support group for bereaved parents and siblings.

Mrs Gavin has coped with the deaths of her three children — Mollie, aged six, Lucy, four days, and Luie, three hours — and says the group has given her ‘wonderful support’.

She said: “I always try and turn everything into a positive.

“Although I only had my daughter for six years, they were wonderful years.

“The group is not for everyone but I think it is something every bereaved parent should try because there is so little support out there.

“I don’t know where I would be without it.”

Linda Duckworth, the council’s head of regulatory services, was given a lifetime achievement award in recognition of more than 40 years of work at the council.

She began her working life as an environmental health trainee and has worked in all aspects of the council’s environmental health service across her career.

Dawn Lythgoe and Kelly Warriner, from the town hall’s policy and performance team, picked up the Innovation, Improvement, and Sustainability Award.

They work with councillors and community organisations to set up and develop new community hub facilities.

Gaynor Joy Cole, the kitchen manager at St Mary’s Primary School, won the Best Manager award, while Best Team went to the Boundary Gardens Adolescent Support Unit.

Darcy Thompson was named Best Young Worker. She is employed by the council through the Looked After Supported Employment scheme, but is placed in a beauty therapy salon where she is undertaking an apprenticeship.

Waste and recycling technical officer Jon Nuttall won the Best Team Member award for ‘always going above the call of duty’ to improve the council’s services.

The Schools Library and Museum Team, which works with Bolton schools to support learning and literacy, won the Partnership Working prize.

At the ceremony, Cllr Cliff Morris was also presented with a certificate in recognition of his 11 years’ service as council leader. Cllr Morris is due to step down at the end of the year.

Council chief executive Margaret Asquith, who is retiring next March, also received a bouquet of flowers as thanks for her work.