Sally Meecham, broadband strategy adviser at the county council-led partnership, has been named the top individual in the country in the local government section of the e-Government Excellence Awards, while she and her colleagues took a runner-up place in the team section.
The awards, held to highlight the best in UK e-Government, were presented at a glittering ceremony at the Institute of Directors in London.
It’s the fourth time in the last 18 months that the Broadband East Sussex team has been recognised nationally for its outstanding work in encouraging the spread and take-up of broadband in the county.
After winning the Broadband Britain Challenge for the most innovative approach to broadband awareness, the Lewes-based team was a runner-up in the Innovation in Technology category of the 2004 Tif Awards – recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the corporate IT industry.
Sally’s individual award, presented to her by Ian Watmore, head of e-Government in the Cabinet Office, recognised her skills and commitment in creating a highly successful programme to promote the benefits of broadband to businesses, the voluntary sector, education and citizens of East Sussex.
This has resulted in more than 85 per cent of the county’s exchanges now being enabled for broadband with all bar one of the remainder scheduled to be upgraded by May.
At the same time, take-up rates among small businesses and individuals have been running well above the national average, putting the Broadband East Sussex team 14 months ahead of schedule.
Sally beat two other finalists to her prestigious e-Government National Excellence Award – Roger Bramwell, head of Customer Services at Braintree Council, and Martin Skeats, e-Government Programme Co-ordinator at Shepway District Council.
In the team award, Broadband East Sussex shared the runners-up honours with six other authorities behind the winners, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
Congratulating all the finalists, Ian Watmore emphasised the increasingly important role that e-government will play in transforming the way that central and local government interact and communicate with their citizens.
Councils, central government departments, non-departmental public bodies and national e-Government projects were among the finalists in the eight separate award categories. PublicTechnology.Net, the free online news and job service for people involved in e-Government and IT, organised the awards for the first time to highlight the many innovative services being provided across the public sector and to reward the most deserving.
Councillor Bob Tidy, Broadband East Sussex Chairman and Lead Cabinet Member for e-Government at East Sussex County Council, said: “This latest double success for Sally and her team is recognition of the innovative and commercial approach they have brought to the vital task of ensuring that the people and businesses of East Sussex recognise and take advantage of the vast benefits that broadband brings.
“We are passionate in our determination to increase broadband take-up and make the county a more competitive, innovative and exciting place to live and work.”
East Sussex County Council’s partners in Broadband East Sussex include the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), BT, Learning and Skills Council, East Sussex Economic Partnership, Business Link, Access East Sussex and Sussex Enterprise.
To find out more about how broadband can benefit you or your business, visit www.broadbandeastsussex.co.uk/, phone 01273 482288 or email broadband@eastsussex.gov.uk
Reference:
05/037/DB
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