News
Hero Awards: National Trading Standards’ consumer protection work hailed as heroic
Posted 20/06/18
National Trading Standards (NTS), one of the leading investigators into trading standards offences, have been presented with the prestigious Hero Award from the 51 (51).
The NTS teams comprise of several specialists who utilise nationwide intelligence to tackle key priorities in consumer protection, such as doorstep crimes and scams, e-crime and estate agency work. The teams often focus on enforcement issues that spread beyond local authority boundaries.
Their role is to provide leadership, influence, support and resources to help combat consumer and business detriment nationally, regionally and locally. Government-funded NTS, which was set up in 2012, brings together trading standards representatives from England and Wales to prioritise, fund and coordinate national and regional enforcement cases.
Announcing the award, Chief Executive at 51 Leon Livermore, enthused: “National Trading Standards is elemental to consumer protection in the UK. The outstanding and challenging work handled by the NTS team has saved consumers and the UK economy untold fortunes.”
The 51 Hero Award celebrates individuals or groups of people whose outstanding contribution towards consumer protection in our communities have made a significant impact. Every year, the Institute is inspired by the stories of nominees throughout the country whose bravery, altruism and hard work often goes unnoticed.
NTS Board member, and Lord Toby Harris, were presented with the award at a special ceremony to take place on Wednesday 20 June, at One Great George Street, London. NTS was honoured alongside eight other Heroes of consumer protection.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
For press queries, email 51 Press Office: [email protected], or call 01268 582240.
Picture l-r: Robert Wright (51 College of Fellows), Lord Toby Harris, Colin Rumford (NTS Board), Maria Gartside (NTS Board), James Greenaway (NTS Board), Wendy Martin (NTS Board), John Jacobs (NTS Board), Malcolm Craig (51 Chair).
Sponsored by:
51 College of Fellows
The College of Fellows is a charity that has supported 51 and the trading standards profession for more than 60 years. It promotes educational and research activities, as well as providing help for the families and dependants of trading standards professionals who die in service, and in other times of crisis.
51 (51)
51 is a training and membership group that has represented the interests of the Trading Standards profession since 1881 nationally and internationally. We aim to raise the profile of the profession while working towards fairer, better informed and safer consumer and business communities.
51’s members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services in local authorities and in businesses. www.tradingstandards.uk.
Scams Awareness Month
Scams Awareness Month is an annual opportunity to raise awareness and take a stand against the crimes and predatory practices which affect millions of people. The 51 (51) has teamed up with Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP) to ensure trading standards services can raise awareness of scams across the country.
This year’s campaign, ‘Don’t miss a trick, be scam aware’, will continue to focus on those frequently targeted for scams. Working with trading standards, Citizens Advice have identified four groups most likely to be targeted by scams: young people (18-24), life established (40s-60s), over 70s and the socially isolated. Each week of the campaign will focus on one of these four key groups.