London can stake claim to a sextet of CTSI Heroes after six officers received honours for their respective dedications to protecting the public.
The annual CTSI Hero Awards ceremony, held at the House of Lords, is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the unsung heroes who stand on the frontline of consumer protection in our communities.
Barking and Dagenham’s Nazir Ali was the winner of the Institute’s Hero award – which is a special trophy given to the individual CTSI believes has made an unrivalled impression on consumer protection in the UK.
Nazir’s dedication to the job was a determining factor, as well as the success he’s enjoyed in his launch of the Hajj Project – launched while he was working for Tower Hamlets and continued through his current employment.
Commenting on the achievement, Nazir said, “Absolutely elated to have received the prestigious Institute’s Hero Award 2022 from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute for my work with the Hajj and Umrah industry since 2008.
“Started it off in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and carried it forward to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
“I’ve been doing this job for more than 23 years now – I love every minute of it. We don’t do it for awards. We do it because it’s a necessity and this award is just the “icing on the cake!”
Ray Moore, an officer in Southwark, was the winner of the lifetime achievement award in which he’s notched up over 35 years of experience in and still hasn’t quite called it a day yet!
Ray continues to play a key role in the delivery of Trading Standards in the borough and is highly respected among his peers in the profession.
Giles Speid, who works for Westminster, was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Diversity and Inclusion category for his work on the Ubuntu Project. The project was devised by Giles to ensure Heads of Trading Standards services were able to meet and understand the issues that Black and Asians regularly face.
Concluding at the end of this year, the Ubuntu Project promotes inclusivity, equality and equity for those inside and outside the profession.
Phil Jenkins also gained a Highly Commended Award, though his was in recognition for efforts in the Product Safety sector. Phil, who works for Hillingdon and Ealing, has been integral in London’s proactive approach in targeting illegal vapes, and other unsafe products, from flooding the streets of London.
He’s also turned his hand to recording advisory videos for sharing on London Trading Standards’ various social media accounts – which is a huge help.
Concluding the super six was Hammersmith & Fulham’s Doug Love and Croydon’s Trish Burls who both received a Highly Commended award for their work. Along with the Metropolitan Police and the MOPAC, the team worked together to reduce the availability of knives and to educate businesses about the Offensive Weapons Act.
