Winners 2022
Niamh McCourt
Senior Parliamentary Researcher, Dr Stephen Parry MP
Niamh has played an integral role in helping 27 vulnerable Afghans, who were either under the threat of death or forced marriages following the fall of Kabul, reach safety in the UK and Ireland and build new lives.
Roberta Kirosingh
Office Manager & APPG Secretariat, Dr Lisa Cameron MP
Renowned for her work with disability charities, Roberta works with over 200 Parliamentarians in her role as co-coordinator for the APPG on Disability, to arrange events and meetings, all with the aim of raising the profile of disability issues.
As the parliamentary lead for the Mentoring APPG, she successfully signed up 200 Parliamentarians for National Mentoring Week.
Gareth Wyn Hughes
Office Manager, Chris Bryant MP
During the Welsh Christmas lockdown, he ran the ‘Give a Kid a Present’ campaign enabling 1,000 of Rhondda’s children to receive Christmas gifts, when they might otherwise have gone without.
Matthew Goodwin
Head of Office, Wes Streeting MP
Matthew’s commitment to his role is unparalleled. He has played a leading role in supporting Wes Streeting MP across three frontbench roles and after Wes’ recent kidney cancer diagnosis, he stepped up to become the ‘caretaker MP’, overseeing all parliamentary business in his absence.
Despite high volumes of casework throughout the pandemic, Matthew ensured that constituents continued to receive high quality advice and support in response to their concerns.
Sajid Hussain
Caseworker, Mark Eastwood MP
Sajid works as an Immigration Caseworker and Outreach Coordinator for the office of Mark Eastwood MP.
He has helped resolve hundreds of immigration cases affecting constituents, putting all his attention and efforts on ensuring families are protected. The pandemic highlighted his strong commitment to supporting constituents abroad in places such as India and Pakistan, as he worked long hours to liaise with people in a multitude of time zones to coordinate their safe return to the UK.
Gill Lee
Office Manager, Sir David Amess MP
Gill, as a loyal friend and office manager to the late Sir David Amess MP, has felt the loss that the country has felt to a great degree.
Notorious for being a dedicated constituency MP, Gill helped Sir David deliver for his constituents, often going beyond the call of duty to achieve success on all his priorities and goals.
Since Sir David’s tragic passing, Gill has personally spent a lot of time responding to the many messages of condolence and support, whilst also ensuring that she supports the rest of the office’s staff.
Freddie Russell
Parliamentary Assistant, Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox
Freddie’s work and commitment to the issue of cladding in light of the Grenfell disaster has not only benefited those living in North Somerset, but also people nationally, earning him a stellar reputation for his service.
Despite its sensitive nature, Freddie has gone above and beyond to understand the issue of cladding and concerns regarding its use.
Ameet Jogia
Chief of Staff, Lord Popat of Harrow
Ameet helped set up the first International Women’s Day debate for non-Parliamentarians in Parliament and worked tirelessly to put Africa on the Parliamentary agenda in the Lords, working with APPGs, embassies and other organisations to enhance Africa’s status. Passionate about outlawing discrimination, he also spurred Lord Popat to host a debate in Parliament focused on anti-Semitism.
Martyn Atkins
Committee Clerk, Procedure Committee
The Commons Procedure Committee was actively engaged in the arrangements for the House to continue functioning during the pandemic from the day it was announced.
During those turbulent and uncertain weeks, Martyn brought his calm manner, long experience of the committee’s work and considerable practical and procedural knowledge to assist the newly appointed committee. He played a key role in drafting the Committee’s recommendations on implementing hybrid Chamber proceedings and remote voting, and in securing the procedural arrangements for select committees to meet virtually.
Legislation Office
House of Lords
The Legislation Office is the engine room of the House of Lords as a legislative Chamber, supporting members in the scrutiny of all legislation – a task made increasingly difficult by the pandemic.
Not only were the team been able to manage business as usual, dealing with extremely heavy workloads, but they have also managed to push future initiatives such as progressing two transformational IT projects forward.
Sally Freestone
Deputy Director of Parliamentary Broadcasting (Audio/Video), Broadcasting Unit, Houses of Parliament
Sally has been crucial in providing exceptional levels of support to hybrid proceedings to both the House of Commons and Lords from autumn 2020 onwards.
As a direct result of her work, members of both Houses could contribute to debate in large numbers when required, and both Houses were able to sit at short notice in hybrid form.
Parliamentary
Test & Trace Team
Rt Hon Lord McFall of Alcluith nominated the Parliamentary Test and Trace Team to win The Lord Speaker’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the House of Lords this year. Thousands of people work on the estate and throughout the pandemic, many continued to attend in person in order to maintain a seamless approach to House business, emphasising the important of the Test and Trace Team in maintaining a safe environment for both Members and staff.
The G7 Speakers
Conference Community
In September 2021, Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons hosted the G7 Speakers’ Conference in his constituency of Chorley, Lancashire.
The delivery of a Conference such as this one was no small feat, not least during a pandemic and ever-changing circumstances. However, the team worked tirelessly over the nine months of planning to put together an international conference that put the constituency of Chorley, Mr Speaker’s hometown, in the spotlight.
The event showcased the best of Chorley and the House of Commons – professionalism, collaboration, courage and inclusivity.
Gill Lee
Office Manager,
Sir David Amess MP
Gill, as a loyal friend and office manager to the late Sir David Amess MP, has felt the loss that the country has felt to a great degree.
Notorious for being a dedicated constituency MP, Gill helped Sir David deliver for his constituents, often going beyond the call of duty to achieve success on all his priorities and goals.
Since Sir David’s tragic passing, Gill has personally spent a lot of time responding to the many messages of condolence and support, whilst also ensuring that she supports the rest of the office’s staff.