Organiser of the Year Awards 2007
No Smoking Day's success is built on the dedication and commitment of thousands of local organisers, who work tirelessly year after year to help smokers achieve their goal of quitting.
We're always so impressed by the great ideas of our local organisers in planning their activities, and the No Smoking Day annual Organiser of the Year Awards acknowledge and celebrate that creativity.
We received a huge number of entries for the 2007 awards and they were all of an incredibly high standard.
Winners received a certificate, a limited edition No Smoking Day pin badge and a voucher for £50 to spend on 2008 materials. Commended entries received the certificate, pin badge and a voucher for £20.
We'll be opening nominations for the 2008 awards in April 2008, so make sure to enter your event!
And if you'd like some inspiration about organising a great event in 2008, check out the 2007 winners by clicking on the categories below.
Newcomer of the year
Winner - Lt Cdr Lorraine England, the British Forces Clinic, Naples
Lorraine developed an activity-based workbook for children and young people. The workbook can be used in school or community settings with a limited budget.
Lorraine delivered ideas from the workbook to the British Forces School on No Smoking Day. The workbook then was incorporated into children and young people's education plans as well as the British Forces Clinic health promotion programme.
Lorraine also had a stand at Agrippa Arms, AFC HQ, where she conducted carbon monoxide testing and provided advice on smoking cessation methods and products.
Best use of the 2007 Make a fresh start theme
Winner - Linda Rainford, Warrington NHS PCT
On a minimal budget, Linda and her team created an effective campaign by asking smokers to swap their cigarette for flowers. The team had various stands during the week of No Smoking Day, including hospitals, bus stations and shopping centres.
Most innovative location for a No Smoking Day event
Winner - Linda Hughes, Calon Lân Gwynedd
Linda Hughes of the Calon Lân Gwynedd won two an award for most innovative location for a NSD event by challenging Owain Llyr of Champion 103 to quit smoking and live in the window of Debenhams in Bangor. She got the presenter to stay in the window for four days and got support from the public and smokers to help him stop smoking.
Best photo
Winner - Joy Boyes, Dudley Stop Smoking Service
The Dudley stop smoking service recruited local British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) racing champion Matt Neal to encourage residents of Dudley to go smokefree.
Best baby photo
Winner - Amanda Parkes, Dudley Stop Smoking Service
Whilst promoting No Smoking Day in the maternity unit at Russells Hall Hospital, Amanda and her team helped and supported a new mother through her quit attempt.
Best local partnership activity
English winner - Nancy Singleton, Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Nancy and her team worked with local organisations to reach their community through a free health checks event. It was a partnership with eight different organisations all committed to supporting smokers in their quit attempt.
Scottish winner - Rab Sneddon, Cloud Nine Smoking Cessation Service
Rab and his team worked with young people using a combination of smoking cessation and an activity-based event. The project, which involved adult basic education and vocational-based youth employment services, used Fresh Start themed posters, quizzes and a decorated wall competition.
Highly commended - Peter Lord, Lancaster City Council
Best evaluation of the campaign
Winner - Robert Sage, Smoke Free Cardiff
The Smoke Free Cardiff team submitted a comprehensive evaluation report detailing its success in reaching an estimated 28,000 people across Cardiff on No Smoking Day. Deputy Health Minister John Griffiths AM, a No Smoking Day enthusiast, visited the team's information trailer.
Most creative use of No Smoking Day materials
Winner - Linda Rainford, Warrington NHS PCT
Linda's team created a giant daisy and placed top tips within each petal of the daisy. It was displayed prominently in various locations including hospitals and shopping centres.
Best activity on a large budget (over £1,000)
Winner - Claire Newall, Islington PCT
Claire Newall and her team at Islington Primary Care Trust won the award for the best activity. They persuaded 25 cafes, restaurants and pubs on Upper Street, Islington to go smokefree on No Smoking Day with the presence and support of comedian Arabella Weir. The workplaces were given resources and support for the No Smoking Day giving the day a community festive feel.
Achievement in the local media
English winner - Sarah Button, Bath and North East Somerset PCT
This team started their media plans well in advance of No Smoking Day. As a result, they gained a lot of local press coverage before, during and after No Smoking Day. They also organised many photo opportunities with Big Cig and the Avon Fire and Service, generating widespread publicity of their services.
Welsh winner - Linda Hughes, Calon Lân Gwynedd
Linda worked with her local radio station to create an interactive campaign that reached smokers right across her area. During this collaboration, Linda recruited a radio presenter to live in the window of the local Debenhams store for four days whilst quitting smoking.
The event helped Linda's team to recruit 500 pledges from smokers who wanted to quit.
Best use of a health setting
Winner - Linda Rainford, Warrington NHS PCT
This team had a fantastic display stand in the maternity ward of their local hospital which brought in a large number of referrals. They also created a giant daisy and placed key messages within each petal, advising mothers-to-be the danger of smoking to them and their baby.
Best use of a pharmacy setting
Winner - Tracey Clayton, Boots the Chemist, Lakeside
Tracey organised a feature stop smoking table and worked with her local Primary Care Trust (PCT) to give advice to those who were considering quitting on No Smoking Day.
Best education site activity
Winner - Kathryn Cross, Torfaen Public Health Team
Kathryn organised a number of events in schools across the Torfaen borough. They held a half day session with a variety of activities, including working with an artist from Successful Art Inspired Learning, role playing, karaoke and puppet shows, with all activities conveying anti-smoking messages.
Another school held a 'sign the pledge day' with teachers, parents and pupils signing up to quit smoking.
Best workplace activity
Northern Ireland winner - Granville Lavin, Translink
Translink supported and encouraged its staff and customers to stop smoking by with stands in various locations. They used Age Progression software to give smokers a glimpse of what they could look like in the future if they continue to smoke.
In the months leading up to No Smoking Day, they had two employees who stop smoking. Translink used the success of these two employees to encourage other staff and customers to follow in their footstep and stop smoking.
English winner - Angela Murphy, BASF Plc
Angela trained to become a smoking cessation advisor. She worked closely with her local PCT to use No Smoking Day as an opportunity to prepare for smokefree.
At her workplace, there were five smoking rooms and she managed to reduce that to three on No Smoking Day. As a result, seven employees requested help and quit smoking via her programme.
Best community activity
Winner - Lt Cdr Lorraine England, British Forces Clinic, Naples
The British Forces Clinic delivered an effective health promotional programme, targeting communities at two sites.
Best homemade prop
Winner - Leanne Whitehouse, Dudley Stop Smoking Service
We loved Leanne's creativity when creating homemade props for her No Smoking Day stand. Leanne created a large daisy in a flower pot using balloons, and daisy garland arches using a cut up paper daisy and balloons.
Best armed forces activity
Winner - Lt Cdr Lorraine England, British Forces Clinic, Naples
The British Forces Community Naples worked with great dedication and heaps of enthusiasm on a minimal budget to promote good health on No Smoking Day. They worked through the British Forces School and the British Forces Clinic to provide information to all age groups.
Most unusual event
Winner - Claire Pilling, Erewash Borough Council
Erewash Council marked No Smoking Day by organising a 'Yoga for Fingers' event to help smokers kick the habit. The event used origami to distract smokers from cravings and get them doing something more creative than lighting up.
Biggest No Smoking Day activity
Winner - David Culy, Phoenix Stop Smoking Service
The Phoenix Stop Smoking Service organised numerous events at major shopping centres and public areas throughout Lincolnshire.
They also had a media campaign with a local radio station, with 60 advertisements leading up to the day, as well as three separate live transmissions on No Smoking Day.
As a result of the events and broadcasts, they received over 140 referrals.
Best use of local MPs or celebrities
Winner - Claire Newall, Islington PCT
Islington PCT recruited comedian Arabella Weir to support No Smoking Day. Arabella, who is a local Islington resident, supported No Smoking Day by speaking at the Islington PCT's smokefree event.
Best use of smokefree legislation award
Winner - Neil Tonks, Dudley Stop Smoking Service
The Dudley Stop Smoking Service ran a stop smoking group at a local pub to help staff and customers who wanted to stop smoking. The pub also went smokefree on No Smoking Day and was a leader in preparing Dudley ahead of the ban.
GASP award for best use of a Big Cig costume
The winner of this category receives £50 of GASP vouchers which can be used towards GASP materials.
Winner - Rose Melvin, Rushcliffe Borough Council
We loved how Rose used the Big Cig to generate fantastic photo opportunities with Nottingham Forrest Football Club and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. The photos then were distributed to the media and received lots of TV, radio and newspaper coverage.
Congratulations to all our winners. Please don't forget to send us your
entry this year!