ORGANISATIONS across East Lancashire were today celebrating winning the prestigious Government Charter Mark.

Charter Marks reward services which listen and respond to their users and staff and winners had to pass tests, including maintaining an effective complaints procedure and co-operating with other services.

Among the award winners for 1999 are:

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust Paediatric Directorate, for its development of the role of parent representatives in creating a "partnership in care" nursing model for children and their families.

Lancashire County Council Welfare Rights Department, for its generation of £100million in extra benefits for the county's residents since it was formed in 1987.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's rights, advice and entitlements department which has developed advice and service centres all over the borough for residents.

Pendleton Brook Day Centre in Clitheroe for promoting independence in its users, and uses independent advocates to enable them to have their say in the kind of service the centre provides. Burnley NHS Trust Learning Disability Service, which has won the award for the third time for developing several initiatives including its development of communication aids and better disabled access.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, Queen's Park Hospital, Directorate of Medicine which has opened four new wards in the last three years along with a rehabilitation department and a rheumatology service.

Blackburn College which was described in a recent Further Education Funding Council report as a place where there is "a strong sense that all staff work in students' interests".

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust Accident and Emergency Department, the sole major accident unit in the area.

HM Prison Wymott, Leyland, for its education, occupation and offending behaviour programmes, links with the community and prevention of re-offending.

Lancashire County Council Crossways Centre, Leyland, which provides day services for adults with learning disabilities.

Calderstones NHS Trust Chestnut Drive/West Drive medium secure unit, for providing specialist health services for people with learning disability.

South Ribble Borough Council parks service, for building up a close relationship with customers.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.