OLYMPIC gold medallist Sally Gunnell is pictured presenting an award to Staffordshire Connects.

The public services partnership won first place in the Partnership Working discipline of the annual awards of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE).

The honour recognised the partnership's achievements in harnessing technology to provide public services in convenient new ways across all 10 Staffordshire local authorities.

The chairman of Staffordshire Connects is Biddulph South councillor John Redfern, who is pictured holding the award.

"I'm thrilled APSE has recognised all our hard work to provide services seamlessly for the customer's convenience," he said.

"The award was made even more special when Sally Gunnell announced that Partnership Working had been the most keenly contested category."

The partnership received an elegant glass trophy, framed certificate and the right to use the APSE logo on its official communications for 12 months.

Photo supplied