Municipal Journal Awards

We are delighted to announce that the pioneering Surrey County Council campaign - delivered in partnership with Age UK Surrey - supporting residents to plan for the later life they want has been recognised as ‘highly commended’ at prestigious national awards.

The Planning for Your Future campaign was commended in the Innovation in Children’s and Adults’ Services category at the Municipal Journal (MJ) Achievement Awards, sometimes described as the ‘Oscars’ for local government.

The campaign aims to equip people to make informed decisions at a time when they may need extra support. A free event programme helps people learn about care and support options, costs of social care and how to stay independent for longer as they get older. Presentations run both online and in person, with regular sessions held in local communities. There’s also a dedicated phone number and an online hub full of useful information, including a handy checklist.

The response to the events has been overwhelmingly positive and engagement continues to grow. More than 2,700 people have now benefited from a Planning for Your Future presentation, either for themselves or on behalf of a relative who they support. Nine in ten of them would recommend attending to others.

Hosted this year by actor and comedian Sally Phillips, the annual MJ Awards celebrate excellence in local government. Planning for Your Future was the only adults-focused entry shortlisted this year in a field of seven covering both adults’ and children’s services. More about the awards can be found here.

Our very own PFYF Adviser, Tel Martin was accompanied by Surrey County Council’s Siobhán DeDoncker, and Laura Downton to collect the award at the MJ Awards Ceremony on Friday 20^th June 2025 in London.

We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the support of so many people from across the whole of Age UK Surrey, who have been there to help over the now 21 months since the project started, particularly the I & A team, Marketing, Volunteers, Help at Home, Finance and the Clockhouse Team who have assisted in so many different ways.  It’s a real tribute to the organisation as a whole. 

Our colleagues at Surrey County Council have also been instrumental in the positive impact the project is making to people across the County, and it is now being copied by other authorities across the Southeast region.