Dame Kelly Holmes
"I am delighted to give my support to these prestigious awards, which celebrate and recognise the work of public service professionals and their dedication to people and communities. Last year's overall winners were the Birmingham City Council in partnership with the Heart of Birmingham PCT for their Gym for Free scheme. The scheme enabled all residents in the Ladywood Constituency to use council sporting facilities for free. Since winning the award the scheme has been rolled out across the entire city, meaning that all 1.1 million people in Birmingham now have access to free leisure opportunities. It's these kinds of inspirational and replicable projects that I'm looking forward to seeing in this year's awards."
Dame Kelly has set up her charity, the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust, to inspire young people to find and fulfil their potential in sport and in life. www.dkhlegacytrust.org
Wayne Hemmingway
"The Guardian Public Services Awards are vital in that they pay tribute and reward people who work hard to underpin essential services in our country. It's wonderful to hear about projects where ingenuity and excellence within the public services have contributed to making real differences in people's lives. Being truly passionate about the provision of affordable and liveable places for everybody, I am eager to see entries in this year's Housing and Regeneration category."
