Award Winning Customer Service for The Beacon

Whitehaven’s Anne Cook and Averil Dawson (centre in the photo) have won the Silver Award at England’s tourism “Oscars”.

Held on Wednesday 18th April at Banqueting House in London, Anne and Averil, visitor hosts at The Beacon in Whitehaven, attended the grand award ceremony with colleagues Sue Palmer, Beacon Manager and Mana Pookduang-Smith, fellow visitor host who entered them into the first round of awards for Cumbria.

The England for Excellence Awards celebrate the people behind tourism, from large national hotels to the smaller local attractions.

The ceremony was hosted by presenter and broadcaster, Sandi Toksvig and was a glittering affair with guests being treated to a spectacular reception dinner.

Both Anne and Averil have worked at the Beacon, Whitehaven since it was opened in 1996. Local people recognise them as the faces of the Beacon and they are delighted that they have now been able to bring national attention to the museum and Whitehaven as a whole.

Their award for Outstanding Customer Service is well deserved.

Always willing to go that extra mile for customers, their knowledge and enthusiasm makes them indispensable to the Beacon and to Whitehaven.

The Mayor, Councillor Mrs Willis Metherell commented;

“I am delighted that Anne and Ave have won the Silver Award for Outstanding Customer Service. Customer Services is a key role to help both locals and visitors alike. In Anne and Ave we have two outstanding individuals whose skills and abilities have been duly recognised and this award is in recognition of their hard work and dedication.

This is a great achievement for them personally and for Copeland and not only have they received a National Award they have again put Whitehaven and Copeland on the Map”

Also flying the flag for Cumbria were the Low Wood Hotel at Windermere who won the Silver Award in the Business Tourism category and Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside who won the Gold Award for Caravan Holiday Park of the year.