Local posties up for '1st Class' award

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http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/po ... topic&f=18

By Staff reporter
Local postmen Dean McMonagle and David McFeeters are among nine postmen and women from across the North shortlisted for Royal Mail's annual '1st Class People Awards' 2008.

Customers were invited to nominate Royal Mail people who they thought were the unsung heroes of the local community, '1st Class' charity fundraisers or individuals who performed a public spirited act of bravery or had helped with an emergency whilst out on their deliveries.

Mr McMonagle - from Derry - is short-listed in the 'charity fundraising' category for raising funds for a group of orphans from Lasi, Romania and organising a holiday for them at a Black Sea resort. He demonstrated the exceptional contribution that Royal Mail employees make to their local communities and will receive £100 in prize money. Mr. McFeeters - from Strabane - is shortlisted in the 'bravery' section for his life-saving efforts in coming to the aid of a herd of cattle in a burning shed and will receive £100 in prize money.

Michael Kennedy, Area General Manager for Royal Mail, said: "Because our people make daily deliveries to all 27 million addresses in the UK, they are more visible on the streets than many other public sector workers, and are often first at the scene in ca
ses of fire, road accidents, and robbery, and instinctively get involved. Postmen and women frequently discover problems when making deliveries. Someone may have had a fall or been taken ill and collapsed, and because they visit the same neighbourhood on a daily basis postmen and women notice when an old person isn't around and can raise the alarm."

From these nine individuals, judges will choose a regional winner in each category - Bravery, Community and Fundraising together with a team award winner who will attend a national award ceremony on March 31. The regional winners will each receive a cheque for £500 and a trophy at the award presentation, where national winners in the three categories will be announced; they receive £1.000.

At the ceremony one of these winners will be overall UK winner of 'Royal Mail's 1st Class People Awards, winning a luxury holiday and spending money.

The full article contains 361 words and appears in Foyle News newspaper.
Last Updated: 27 February 2008 9:55 AM