Pictured above: Kathryn Cooper, PR & Marketing Manager, centre, receives the award from comedian Jason Manford and Ros Kindersley, the managing director of JFL Search & Selection, sponsors of the best in-house team category 

Cannock Chase Council joined major companies like Cadbury, Virgin Media, Marks & Spencer and Orange in scooping a prestigious national award at a recent ceremony which promotes excellence in communications. 

The Council's PR & Marketing team won the "best in-house team" category at the respected CorpComms Awards 2009 at the Park Lane Hotel in London on Wednesday 25th November.

An initial shortlist of 27 was narrowed down to three for the awards ceremony, and Cannock Chase Council's PR & Marketing team beat news agency Thomson Reuters and tourism body Visit Scotland to claim the title.

The judging panel included heavyweight figures from the world of corporate communications, including the National Lottery's head of communications, the director of internal and external relations at Cable & Wireless and global head of media relations at Rio Tinto.

Stephen Brown, Cannock Chase Council Chief Executive, said: "This award is not just a great achievement for the team and for this Council but, given the competition, it demonstrates a huge achievement for Local Government. The team plays a vital role in informing residents about the services provided by the Council and it is a major achievement to have our work in this area recognised on such a national scale. I would like to say a huge well done to them."

Cllr Neil Stanley, Cannock Chase Council Leader, said: "The Council recognises the importance of effective communications in the delivery of our services to residents. The award is a major recognition for the whole Council - some of the biggest companies in the country were at the awards ceremony and this success has given our reputation a major boost."

Back in 2005, just 35 per cent of residents in the Cannock Chase District said they knew a good deal about the Council and the services it provides. The team's target is to increase this to 60 per cent by 2011 and they are well on their way - a survey in July this year revealed that 58 per cent now consider themselves well informed.