Three Union Learning Representatives from Cumbria, Lesley McLean, Unison from Morecambe Bay Health Trust, Dave Ferguson, Amicus from Shepley Engineering and Jim Reed, Amicus from Pirelli Tyres, have all received Excellence in Cumbria Awards in the Lifelong Learning category.

All three received their awards from John Monks who, during his keynote speech, made clear the Trade Union Movements commitment to the concept of Lifelong Learning. He also outlined the role that he felt individual trade union members could play in getting involved in learning themselves and encouraging other union members to do so.

The overall award, which was announced on the night, went to Lesley McLean who has been a ULR within the Morecambe Bay Health Trust for over a year. During this time Lesley has recruited over 100 union members onto a wide variety of training, much of which was free as a result of negotiations that she carried out with the local training provider. Lesley received a cheque for £500 together with a framed certificate.

Lesley said, "I couldn't believe it when my name was called out. My Dad nearly fell out of his chair and 1 was absolutely ecstatic."

Having already undertaken a variety of training, Lesley had recently started the City & Guilds 9281 Initial Certificate in Teaching Basic Skills. 'I'm really enjoying the course and the teaching I'm doing. This may be something I'll get more involved in, in the future."Lesley gets a great deal of job satisfaction out of being a union learning rep. When we first started out as reps we were looking for people to find out if they were interested in learning, now they are looking for us."

Both Dave and Jim received cheques for £100 plus their certificates and were pleased with the recognition that they felt the awards gave the training that they have been involved in as individuals as well as the work they have undertaken as union learning reps.

In the near future Jim and Dave both hope to be involved in Union Learning Fund projects at their respective places of work. The project at Shepley's will be based around Key Skills assessments whilst it is hoped to set up an open learning centre at Pirelli. This latter bid sees Amicus working in partnership with T G W U.

Managers from Morecambe Bay Health Trust, Pirelli and Shepley Engineering were in attendance and all were pleased with the positive light that their companies were seen in as a result of the work carried out by ULR's in their organisations.