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Last year, at our first National Happiness Awards, something special happened

Last year, at our first National Happiness Awards, something special happened. For the first time in the UK, organisations and people from diverse sectors and backgrounds got together to celebrate happiness in all its guises. The award ceremony, held in London last November, gave guests the opportunity to swap ideas, meet like-minded people and, most importantly, have a lot of fun.

The event attracted plenty of attention and proved a talking point for education and business. Our winners basked in the limelight and enjoyed positive media attention which focussed on the excellent work they do to promote and deliver happiness in their organisations.

Liz Miles is headteacher of Silverdale Primary Academy in St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex. The school won the Happiest School 2016 award.

Liz said: “I believe you enable people to fulfil their potential by actively helping them to flourish. You don’t get the best out of people by stressing them out.

“The award is brilliant for our school. It is validation for our children and staff to see that the journey we have been on has been recognised in a national award. It is good to know people think what we are doing is right. The media interest has been positive. News of the award was instantly picked up by Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary and our local MP. She came to the school, she met staff and pupils, she invited us up to the Houses of Parliament for a tour and has been so supportive of the work we have done. What we do is a long-term project, and to win an award is a great part of being aspirational and seeing that together we can achieve. It goes much broader than Silverdale Academy. It sends a powerful message for the whole community.”

Her sentiments are echoed by Francesca Scott, of The Outward Bound Trust, Cumbria, which won the award for Happiest Workplace.

She explained: “We are over the moon. We worked hard to make The Outward Bound Trust somewhere vibrant where people want to come and work. We couldn’t believe it when we were announced as the winner. There were some amazing businesses on the shortlist, so we were honoured.

“The media interest since the awards has been good. Staff within the organisation have been thrilled. It is something that will help us, particularly in terms of recruitment and encouraging people to come and work for us.”

The build-up is now well under way for this year’s awards, which will be held in Wimbledon, London, on November 17 and promises to be even bigger and better. Nominations are open for Happiest Workplace, Happiest Employee, Happiest Team, Happiest Future Leader, Happiest School, Happiest School Employee and Happiest Pupil.

It is easy to nominate via our website and when you do, you also help people in need because the £5 entrance fee goes to our charity partner, Combat Stress.

So, if you are doing great things to make the people in your organisation happy and healthy, or if you know someone in your organisation who deserves a nomination, here’s the advice from Jane Thomas from St Matthew’s Primary School in Luton, 2016’s Happiest Headteacher.

“If you are thinking about entering, get off your butt and do it. Be a force for change,” she says.

As does, last year’s Happiest Employee, Rob Smith, from The Outward Bound Trust.

“It means a huge amount to win. It was worthwhile entering. If you have someone in your organisation you think might be the kind of person who could win, enter them, send the email.”

What are you waiting for? It couldn’t be easier and the rewards could be huge.

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