best campaign - CWU's Keep the Post Public (winner),

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USDAW scoops the top prize at the 2010 Trade Union Communications Awards

The USDAW magazine Arena has beaten off stiff competition to win the coveted best journal/magazine prize at the TUC's annual Trade Union Communications Awards tonight (Thursday).

The professional style and positive tone of Arena caught the judging panel's eyes, and they were impressed with its outstanding balance between union news and giving vital information to members. The extremely readable pieces in UNISON's U magazine and the excellent format of Nautilus' Telegraph newspaper also won high praise from the judges.

CWU fought off stiff competition to top the best campaign category with its Keep the Post Public campaign, an imaginative campaign that used visual aids well and impressed the judges. UCU's Stand up for Research campaign was highly commended.

UCU hit the top spot in the best one-off publication category with The Holocaust: It Happened! Never Again! - a well presented educational wall chart with strong visuals and clear expression. The judges thought it perfect for its audience.

CSP scooped the best feature award, just ahead of NASUWT, for Party Without Pain - an amusing article with a serious message about the number and variety of injuries at major festivals and events.

The FDA won the best use of a photo or illustration award for a detailed and eye-catching cartoon by David Simonds about unemployed professionals using job centres. The CWU and ATL were also applauded for their entries.

The best website award was picked up by Nautilus, for its smartly produced site and PCS topped the best use of electronic media category with Motions Online: Submission of Motions for the 2010 Conferences.

The judges for the 2010 Awards were IPA Director Nita Clarke, freelance journalist Gaby Hinsliff, Liberal Conspiracy Editor Sunny Hundal, FBU Head of Communications and Research Duncan Milligan and Chief Executive of Grandparents Plus Sam Smethers.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The third year of the re-launched awards has seen them go from strength to strength with a wide range of excellent entries from across the union movement.

'The best journal or magazine remains the most popular, and most strongly contested, category. A wide range of formats and styles are used to share information, promote the union and generally enrich the lives of union members. The smooth and professional end results belie the hard work that we all know goes on behind the scenes to produce entertaining and informative journals that are accessible to officials, activists and 'ordinary' members alike.

'Other categories also had strong entries and we reflect on their winners here too. It was particularly inspiring to see such a strong batch of entries from smaller affiliates who so often punched remarkably above their weight.'

2010 Trade Union Communications Awards judge Nita Clarke said: 'The judges were inspired by the range and vibrancy of this year's entries. It is clear unions take campaigning very seriously, whether it's on specific issues of immediate and direct relevance to their members or of wider social concern.

'The communications managed the tricky balance of appealing to both union activists and ordinary members, and many of the campaigns were so effective they belied their small budgets! Entries demonstrated a high professional standard in design and content, with imaginative layouts and clever use of illustrations.

'Keep up in the good work!'

The full 2010 Award winners are:

best journal/magazine - USDAW's Arena (winner), UNISON's U magazine andNautilus' Telegraph (both highly commended);
best feature - CSP (winner), NASUWT (highly commended);
best use of a photo or illustration - FDA (winner), CWU (highly commended), ATL (commended);
best one-off publication - UCU (winner), NASUWT (highly commended), ATL (commended);
best campaign - CWU's Keep the Post Public (winner), UCU's Stand Up For Research (highly commended);
best website - Nautilus (winner), PCS (highly commended), CWU (commended); and,
best use of electronic communication - PCS (winner), SoR (highly commended), CWU (commended).
NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All 57 unions affiliated to the TUC are eligible to submit entries to the annual TUC Trade Union Communications Awards, which are sponsored by TUink, communications advisers to the union sector.

- The ceremony will take place from 6-8pm at the TUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. For more information please contact Alen Mathewson on 020 7467 1242 or email amathewson@tuc.org.uk

- Immediately prior to the awards ceremony is a seminar about campaigning in a new political environment from 5-6pm at Congress House. Confirmed speakers include UNISON Head of Campaigns Donna Govan, who will talk about the Million Voices campaign that has been running in local government. The Daily Mirror investigative journalist Nick Sommerlad will also attend to speak to union press officers about how they can flag examples of mistreatment at work with him, for the Penman and Sommerlad Investigates pages every Thursday.

- All TUC press releases can be found at http://www.tuc.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit http://www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Congress 2010 will be held at the Manchester Central Convention Complex from Monday
13 September to Thursday 16 September. Free media passes can be obtained by visiting http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-18063-f0.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and returning a form. Applications must be in by noon on Monday 6 September. Any received later than that will be processed in Manchester and will cost £50.