BLACKBURN, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Trust has been awarded winner of the NHS category for the Health Challenge Awards 2002.

A representative from the Trust was presented with the prestigious award by Olympic silver medallist, Steve Smith.

The award was given for the Trust's creative staff health programme, which includes a very popular range of complementary therapies for staff, an open all hours fitness centre on-site, an award winning tobacco control policy and smoking cessation support, courses on early retirement and career breaks, individual lifestyle assessment and advice, an independent staff counselling service and an on-site citizens' advice bureau.

These services are run jointly by the Centre for Health Promoting Hospitals and the Personnel Department to give staff a better working environment.

Director of personnel, Elaine Baker said: "We place a very high importance on the quality of working life for staff, believing that the way staff are treated and their own health and well-being are key to the quality of service and care that they provide to patients."

The award has been added to the list that the Trust has already achieved including being one of the first two Trust's in the country to receive Improving Working Lives accreditation in 2001 and was Beacon status in 2000 for its Health at Work programme.