Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Words fail me!

From the council website:
'Haringey is in the running for the major local authority of the year award at the prestigious Good Communication Awards 2008.

The awards recognise excellence in central and local government communications.

The council is shortlisted in two categories: the strategic campaign category, for the Better Haringey "Love your Borough" campaign; and the journalism category, for Haringey People magazine, as well as in the overall authority of the year category.

"This is great news," said Cllr Lorna Reith, Haringey cabinet member for community involvement and cohesion.

"We know that information is vital for our residents. We have made great efforts to make sure that all local people are kept in touch with the council and what it is doing, efficiently and cost-effectively.

"This is reflected in our residents' survey which shows that three out of four local people agree that the council keeps them informed - well ahead of the average for London councils as a whole.

"I'm delighted that the independent experts who judge these awards have now recognised the quality of our communications work."

Contenders for the authority of the year accolade include Coventry, Salford, Stockport and Westminster councils.

The awards ceremony will be held on 26 June at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.'

Just where do you start with the comedy value of this one? Even the HOL blogger is speechless.

Tags for Forum Posts: Haringey, Haringey Council, Haringey People, communication awards

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Gobsmacked!
All I can say is "the independent experts" obviously do not live in our area!
The Better campaign has had some £20m put into it so one would expect it to reach it's citizens eventually. :)
Municipal self-congratulation is one of the fastest growing industries in Haringey - but the trouble is it doesn't actually add to the economy and tends to promote cynicism.

Surely the Council cannot mean "prestigious" ... awards. "Ridiculous" might be more accurate.

With whom do these "Good Communication" awards have prestige? Probably not the folk who find it necessary to get try to extract information from LBH via Freedom of Information requests. They're supposed to be responded to within 20 working days, but from my own experience and asking others, this seems to be honoured more in the breach than observance.

Perhaps some of LBH's communications evince excellence. My own experience of FoI requests is that a mere ratepayer can be treated with contempt.

The most obvious council communication is Haringey Pravda People. This propaganda journal is also the most obvious waste of money. Do we really need a glossy, full-colour, magazine delivered to every door in the Borough (often multiple copies through a single door): monthly, when we all know that tax-payers' money is being used by the Majority Party on the Council to tell its own supporters what a marvellous job it's doing.

It is a one-sided publication not to be taken seriously. It has much in common with tendentious publications like the WatchTower from the Jehovah’s Witnesses. In one AA meeting, Ms Reith practically admitted it was a device to raise morale.

Does performance in Consultations figure in these awards? One councillor admitted that they must be seen to be consulting, but they just don't get it. When there's nothing important at stake, they make a big show of consultation, but when they don't want to, they consult little or not at all.

In the case of the disposal of Alexandra Palace to a property developer, our Council put pressure on the Charity Commission NOT to consult the public properly and this lead to the lease being quashed in the High Court (i.e. stalled) and costs being awarded against Haringey by the Judge, because of the Trustees' conduct (ie. Haringey). Was this an isolated incident?

I have to admit I did mentally check the date that it was not an April 1st Fools joke about the awards and ceremony ...
incredulous, pinch me please!
That Haringey Council think that sending out a pathtic little magazine equals good communication just about sums them up. How about good communication between departments or good communication when you phone them up? I don't think I have ever had a positive experience from the council with regards to 'communication'. In fact, their continued inabililty to communicate effectively is one of their biggest problems.

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