Header image

Community champions Capes not required Wed like to say a big thank you to all our parking heroes who have gone the extra mile to improve the profession, help those in need and play an active role in their community, as this years brilliant nominations show Civil enforcement officer (CEO) Mike Francis has been nominated by James Hughes, parking strategy and processing manager at Herefordshire Council. Mike is a very keen, community-spirited individual who always strives for the best for members of the public and others, says James. Over the summer, he spearheaded our contribution to the dogs die in hot cars campaign. In fact, Mike made it into the local press when he noticed a dog in a car that was becoming distressed, so he alerted the police. He is also Unison representative for the parking team and is piloting a new CEO-on-cycles scheme. In his home life, he has helped to raise 80k for a childrens play park; he is a parish councillor and regularly gets involved in litter picks. He has just become a guide for visually impaired people, and recently helped a local resident to attend their Remembrance Sunday parade. He really is an all-round asset to the community. North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) group manager Richard Walker wishes to nominate civil enforcement officer (CEO) Patrick McDermott. No-one likes getting a parking ticket, but the truth is that we dont really like giving them either, says Richard. Thats why our CEOs are encouraged to give directions and advice to motorists when theyre out and about as part of their roles. Wed prefer to ensure motorists park safely, considerately and legally, rather than issue tickets. This approach accords with the work of the Positive Parking Agenda (of which NEPP is a founding member) an initiative that aims to build public confidence in the parking sector by changing perceptions, challenging misconceptions and making the parking experience a better one for all concerned. Recently, a customer contacted Richard to compliment Patrick, saying: The signs to say whether I could park in certain areas were very confusing. I parked in a bay, and then spoke with your officer who explained I couldnt park there. Rather than be rude and give me a ticket, he gave me advice on where to park and even checked himself to see if there was space because I didnt know the area. I saw him help multiple other people, all of whom could have been angry at the confusing signage, but because he was so nice everyone was happy. It was great to see. Its fantastic to see compliments such as these and, thanks to staff like Patrick, were beginning to see a shift to peoples perceptions of the parking sector, which is fantastic, says Richard. Well done, Patrick, and keep up the great work. For Paul Kelly, client services director at Jacobs, there are two champions that deserve mentions: Roy Tunstall (pictured left) from Liverpool City Council, and Ken Prior from Cheshire West and Chester Council. Both these individuals are professional and work with a smile on their faces. They like to get things done and have the interests of the service and the public at heart, says Paul. Roy has done loads for the profession including tackling Blue Badge fraud. More recently following the fire at the Liverpool Arena Car Park he has been spreading the news on how to ensure disaster recovery planning takes place on the lessons learned from this tragedy. Ken has transformed the profile of parking at Chester, by constantly looking for improvement and making sure he develops his staff. He attends the BPA North West Parking Managers Group and the North West regional meetings and is always prepared to drive the group forward by asking awkward questions and sparking the debate. 32 britishparking.co.uk PN Dec19 pp32-33 Unsung Heroes.indd 32 25/11/2019 13:31