Caption: Nazia Khaliq receives her award from CGM CRC’s chief exec Chris Edwards (right) and User Voice’s chief Mark Johnson (left).

Service users, staff and volunteers met to celebrate the best work carried out by the Cheshire & Greater Manchester Community Rehabilitation Company at the organisation’s inaugural recognition event.

Certificates for all of those nominated were handed out by CGM CRC’s chief executive Chris Edwards and Mark Johnson, User Voice’s chief executive.

User Voice is a charity commissioned by Interserve that helps its five CRCs build the structures which enable productive collaboration between service users and service providers.

Chris said: “This unique event brings together staff, mentors, volunteers and service users and I believe encapsulates the new probation environment our CRCs are trying to create.

“Rehabilitation is not achieved in isolation but can be achieved through a collaborative approach that tries to engage, listen and learn with those that we supervise whilst keeping in focus the delivery of the court’s sentence and the accountability of all parties.

“Today’s event underlines this approach. I am humbled to hear the heartfelt stories from our service users who have taken the time to nominate people who they believe have played a role in their progress.”

Mark talked about his life as a homeless drug addict who eventually quit illegal substances before setting up a successful company.

He said: “As people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, we know we cannot change things on our own. Probation helped me get into rehab and I recognise professionals play an absolutely pivotal role in introducing people to a new life.

“I know from my time on the streets that probation is the only organisation out there that everyone knows about; whether you are seeking change but don’t know how to through to those who aren’t ready to do so yet.

“I also want those service users who have made the commitment to change to realise that the sky is the limit.”

CGM CRC had more than 20 nominations. These had been submitted by staff, volunteers, service user council representatives and service users.

Nazia Khaliq, a receptionist based at the CRC’s Stockport office, was one of those to be nominated. Her citation praised her “thoroughly professional” approach and referenced how “fully supportive and genuinely enthusiastic” she is about helping others – all of which “exemplifies what the immediate public face of CRC should be”.

Naz said: “I was delighted to get the recognition, I enjoy my job and was pleased that people took the time to nominate me.”

The event was organised by the council together with the CRC’s Sharon Reddy and Gail Churchill. It was hosted at CGM CRC’s Salford office yesterday.

The winners were: Kevin Corlett; Karen Atherton; Jane McCaskill and Beth Whittle; Carrie Hodgson; Alistair Lorimer; Yvonne O’Mara; Dave Ankers; Annie Carter; Phil Barlow; Caroline Evans; Chelsea Owen; John Burke; Val Holmes; Amy Willinscroft; Sam Bradshaw and Helen May; Nazia Khaliq; Mike Clegg; Emma McMahon and Mohammed Tariq.