CHAMPION council workers are rehearsing their big speech for the local authority's annual Oscars night next week.

Staff from all four directorates have been nominated for individual and team prizes at the second Employee Achievement Awards, to be held next Thursday at the Elizabethan Suite.

One person will also win the David Burton Award as overall council employee of the year for 2004, last year won by Neil Long, head of parks, countryside and customer services.

For the first time, there will also be a Partnership Award, won by the team judged to have worked most effectively with other local agencies or voluntary bodies such as the NHS.

The nominations are:

l Chief executive's department - Steve Denton (business systems programme manager), Steve Gough (applications engineer) and Kim Griffiths (area co-ordinator, Ramsbottom and Tottington). Up for the team award are the elections office, ICT unit and the register office.

l Social services, health and housing - Diane Breddy (social worker), Monica Crossley (resource manager for residential day care services) and Vicki Haslam (team leader, access and assessment). Group contestants comprise the family placement team, carers service, and housing advice

l Education and culture - Donna Alderson (education welfare officer), Leila Baldwin (advisory teacher, visually impaired), John Carter (borough culture and lifelong learning officer) and Marie Holmes (advisory teacher for looked after children). Team nominations are performance data (quality and advisory service), student support services, and North Area youth work

l Environment and development services - Andrew Chicken (head of repairs and maintenance), Angela Holland (personnel manager) and Gill Howe (fitness manager). Group hopefuls are customer services, North West in Bloom, and Bury schools catering

The new partnership award will be decided between the asylum seekers team, the SRB5 squad and the looked after childrens team.

Prizes will be presented by the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Barry Briggs, and compere for the night is Bury FC commercial director Peter Young.

The awards are sponsored by Polyflor, Portfolio, Liveseys, Euro RSCG Riley, Connaught and PC World Business.

Councillor Tony Isherwood, executive member for performance and change, said: "The council's workforce has had a great year, enabling the authority to be rated good by the Audit Commission.

"Crucially, ever-increasing improvements in public services have allowed us to do that and these awards allow us to recognise the commitment and dedication of teams and outstanding individuals."