Graduate of the year

Olivia Rope

Breckland DC

The business case which secured the funding for Olivia's role fixed-term trial role included the phrases “question: can early-stage career people be relied upon to deliver quality outcomes” and “risk: hiring graduates for these roles could lead to an initial period of c.6 months where time invested is disproportionate to outcomes achieved”. What nonsense (I wrote)! The evaluation of her first year will undoubtedly confirm that hiring the right early-stage career people can bring fresh perspectives and positively transform our own occasionally stale thinking; and hiring the right graduates can exponentially improve the Councils productivity and effectiveness.

Talha Ghaffar

Kent CC

Talha has developed a cutting edge software system with ThinkProject to manage complex, high risk tunnels on the Kent County Council highway network, delivered challenging capital replacement bridge schemes and volunteered to represent both local authorities and his profession on a regional level by putting himself forward and being successfully elected as Vice Chair of the ICE Early Careers Network. Talha's dedication, innovation and aptitude for learning and development shines through in everything he does and he is truly the future of our industry.

Lucy Shayle

Knowsley MBC

Lucy joined the organisation in October 2023. She quickly established strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. She bought enthusiasm, creativity, innovation and an inherent curiosity to all that she does. Working with HR she has reviewed recruitment, bringing a fresh perspective, and reset our approach, changing policies, procedures and the voice we use as an employer. This has had a significant impact, including on hard to recruit roles such as social care posts. Her work has had a lasting impact, improving capacity and capability in the organisation through recruitment so we can deliver for residents.

Grace Hudson

Lichfield DC

We are delighted to nominate Grace Hudson for this award. Since she joined Lichfield District Council, she has become an essential part of the team and made a huge impact. She has led on key Cabinet priorities including our application for Purple Flag accreditation and developed and delivered our new ‘Meet The Leader’ events. She has actively contributed to the wider organisation, including delivering a presentation to all staff on neurodiversity and jointly organised our International Women’s Day events. Grace is passionate about local government, she is a ‘rising star’, and has all the makings of a future Chief Executive.

Curtis Reah

Liverpool City Region CA

Curtis Reah is a talented, locally born young professional, currently working in housing delivery at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. He began his role in August 2023 and has demonstrated significant leadership and innovation from the outset across all work-streams including housing retrofit , engagement, data consolidation and working with local residents to support them improve their health, wellbeing and quality of their homes. Curtis' talent is essential to innovate the future of local industry within the City Region and he has been a key team player in the LCR's net zero ambitions to grow local retrofit expertise.

Holly Harwood

Liverpool City Region CA

Holly should win the Graduate of the Year Award as they demonstrate true potential in creating significant impact within local government. Holly champions collaboration, creativity and curiosity, and works with colleagues and partners to deliver projects centred on creating meaningful outcomes for residents and places across LCR. As Chair of the Young Members Union Group, and member of the LCRCA Equality Champions Network, Holly is a true advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. An outstanding member of the organisation and wider LCR community, Holly is role model for fellow Graduates and peers starting an ambitious career in local government.

Laura Barlow

Manchester City Council

Laura joined our team with no background in external relationship management and no experience of our specialist area of work (forced migration). She took to the role expertly, developing not only herself but our processes too. She has supported the delivery of hundreds of hours of learning and development for practitioners working with refugee children, and was instrumental in the region's first conference on best practice for services for unaccompanied children. It is an emotionally challenging area of work, but Laura threw herself into her tasks and shone throughout!

Susmita Dave

Oxfordshire CC

Susmita Dave is a remarkable graduate who has made a significant impact and difference in her role as a National Management Trainee at Oxfordshire County Council. She has demonstrated exceptional skills and abilities in delivering high-quality projects, engaging with diverse audiences, and contributing to the strategic vision and objectives of various services. She is a passionate and committed advocate for local government and its role in improving the lives of our residents and communities.

Shona Galt

Redbridge LBC

Shona Galt has proactively brought together over 60 senior Council decision-makers and 70 partners, with young people leaving care. Through this, she embedded a strategic whole-Council approach to corporate parenting, and encouraged local organisations to pledge their support for care leavers, with leisure discounts, decorating services for those moving into new accommodation, training, and guaranteed job interviews. She has supported individuals with mentoring, applications, and increasing their networks to enable them to be offered places at Oxbridge and Ivy League universities. Shona is a team player, a relationship builder at all levels, and implements practical changes which are already changing the lives of care leavers in Redbridge.

Alexander Virtue

Sutton LBC

Alexander Virtue is a graduate currently serving in the London Borough of Sutton. He is in his second year of the National Graduate Development Programme and has attained a Level 7 qualification in Leadership and Management from the Institute of Management.Alexander has exhibited exceptional ability in creating new opportunities for colleagues and the broader Sutton community while addressing their diverse needs. His remarkable contributions have earned him two staff awards for his work with the climate team and staff networks.

Sameehah Ahmed

Tower Hamlets LBC

Sameehah Ahmed is a Household Resilience Officer in the Tackling Poverty Team at Tower Hamlets Council, having recently finished the NGDP. Her remit is to deliver on the council’s strategic priority to tackle the cost of living crisis, leading on delivery of £6m of support for the most vulnerable in the borough through the Household Support Fund. Her impact has been enormous, all while displaying the kind of strategic thinking, partnership work and strong commitment to public service which suggest she will have a long local government career at the highest levels.

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