Colleagues honoured at 2026 ASSIST FM Awards

Colleagues at Knox Academy and Gullane Primary School have been recognised for their excellence at a national awards ceremony.

Maria Millar, Cook Supervisor at Knox Academy in Haddington, was named a finalist in the Scottish Local Authority Cook of the Year competition.

Maria, who has worked at Knox for 11 years, impressed the judges with her main course dish of chicken roulade served with seasonal vegetables.

At the same ceremony, Les Borzyszkowski and Ted Clelland received the Outstanding Contribution to Facilities Management (FM) Services Award in recognition of their roles as Senior Facilities Assistants at Gullane Primary School.

Maria, Les, and Ted attended a gala dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow last month, where the winners of the 2026 ASSIST FM Awards were announced.

Despite narrowly missing out on the top prize, Maria was delighted to be among the final three in the nationwide competition. She said: “I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support throughout the competition and on the gala night. It was a pleasure to represent Knox Academy and our council. I had a wonderful experience and am very grateful for the opportunity.”

Les has worked at Gullane Primary for 11 years, while Ted has been with the school for four years. Headteacher Steven Wood nominated the pair for the award, praising their “unmatched dedication, positivity, and professionalism.”

He added: “In my 27 years working in primary education, I have never encountered janitors as exceptional as Les and Ted. Their contribution goes far beyond the expected duties of the job and has a genuinely transformative impact on the daily lives of staff, pupils, and families.”

Speaking after receiving the award, Les said: “I am delighted to have won this alongside Ted. We were up against staff from 32 councils across Scotland, so it is a real honour to receive this recognition.”

Ted added: “Having worked in the building trade for many years before joining the council four years ago, I am absolutely delighted. I can hardly believe we have won.”

Vanessa Sanal, Service Manager with Facilities Management Services, said: “I am immensely proud of Ted, Les, and Maria for their outstanding achievements. This recognition is thoroughly deserved, and I thank them for representing our organisation.”

Happy Pride Month!

Colleagues explain why LGBTQ+ allyship matters to them

June marks Pride Month, a time to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ colleagues, residents and communities. It’s also a chance to reflect on how we can continue building a workplace where everyone feels respected and valued.

This Pride Month, we asked our colleagues how they show allyship, and why they think it’s important.

What LGBTQ+ allyship can look like at work

Angela Burdett’s allyship shows up in small but significant ways in her role as Rent Officer in Revenues. She said: “When I ask about someone’s relationship, I’ll say ‘partner’, rather than specifying ‘husband’ or ‘wife’, because I don’t want to assume. I think it’s important to show allyship where I can, so that none of my colleagues or the citizens I deal with feel excluded.”

John Marr, Mental Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator, also demonstrates allyship in his everyday approach. He includes his pronouns in his email signature, along with a link to an online learning resource ‘Why I share my pronouns’. He said: “I share my pronouns because, as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I understand how important these small signs of safety are to us. Seeing pronouns in a signature tells us (the LGBTQIA+ community), “this person is safe to show myself to, I don’t need to hide from them” and that means everything to people who often don’t feel completely safe from harm and/or discrimination.

In a time when globally, hate is being directed, particularly at our trans and non-binary siblings, I feel it’s more important than ever to display all the signs of safety we can. My own pronouns are not especially important to me. They don’t form a critical part of my personal identity, and it doesn’t cause me pain if someone gets them wrong however, that is not everyone’s experience. It is a small thing for me to put my pronouns and a pride flag in my signature and to explain to people why I do that, but that small thing can give others a simple but important message, “you are safe here”.

But, what if I say the wrong thing?

It’s normal to feel unsure, especially if this all feels new. If you realise you’ve made a mistake or an incorrect assumption, a quick apology and correction is usually all that’s needed. What matters most is being respectful and willing to learn.

Our commitment to inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. This means valuing the experiences and perspectives each colleague brings, ensuring fair opportunities for all, and fostering a culture where everyone feels they belong.

Inclusion is shaped by everyday actions. These small actions all contribute to a workplace where everyone feels safe to be themselves.

Looking ahead

By listening to each other and making small, thoughtful changes, we can all play a part in creating a workplace where everyone feels respected - during Pride Month and all year round.

Colleagues honoured with award for Open Space Strategy

Colleagues from Amenity Services were honoured at an awards ceremony for their delivery of a new framework on future plans for parks, greenspaces and other public open spaces in the county.

The team picked up a Silver Award in the Parks, Grounds and Streetscene category at the APSE Striving for Excellence Awards held in Aviemore last month.

The award was accepted by Jennifer Lothian, Strategy, Policy and Development Manager, Amenity Services, and Marek Mackowiak, Planner – Development.

Jennifer, who spearheaded the project, earlier delivered a presentation on the East Lothian Open Space Strategy (OSS) 2026 to delegates at the APSE conference during a ‘Designing for Nature’ session chaired by Council Leader Norman Hampshire.

The OSS reviewed the quality, quantity and accessibility of the parks and open spaces in and around the county’s towns and villages, and was informed by feedback from public consultation.

The strategy is designed to protect and enhance existing publicly accessible open spaces with the aim of ensuring high-quality open spaces are accessible to everyone. It also sets out new guidance to provide a high standard of additional locations under the planning process.

Following its approval by Cabinet, the OSS updated and replaced the 2018 Open Space Strategy and established a 10-year framework for the development, management and use of parks, greenspaces, sports pitches, and other open spaces.

The award also recognised the delivery of parks and greenspace enhancement projects underway, including ‘Nature Networks’, tree planting, play area enhancements, new seating and cycling infrastructure, and other park improvements around the county.

The team narrowly missed out on a Gold Award to Aberdeenshire Council but were delighted to share a Silver Award with Glasgow City Council.

Jennifer said: “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of Amenity Services. This new strategy was a team effort, with delivery underway led by Mike Foy and our Amenity depots and operational teams, who are doing fantastic work delivering greenspace enhancement projects around the county, alongside other colleagues from across the council including from Housing, Biodiversity, Active Travel and Sports Development. I would also like to thank Marek Mackowiak and Planning colleagues for all their work in helping prepare the new strategy.”

Eamon John, Head of Communities and Partnerships, said: “This is an excellent example of strategy and policy influencing delivery and enhancement in our communities. The new Open Space Strategy, and its next phase of delivery, will support and enhance our towns and villages, the natural environment, and the health and wellbeing of our communities for decades to come, and I am delighted that it has received this recognition.”

Speaking about the awards, APSE Chief Executive Mo Baines said: "The Striving for Excellence Awards recognise the outstanding work and achievements of local authorities across Scotland; providing a well-deserved opportunity for teams within these service areas to showcase their innovative and impactful initiatives.

“Congratulations to all our award winners and finalists - you are a credit to your communities.”