Nottingham's Mary Potter Joint Service Centre in Hyson Green has scooped the Users' Experience award at the 2009 Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) public private sector partnerships awards in London.

The award recognises world-class design, innovation and service improvement in health and social care. It demonstrates increased choice, access, service delivery and clear improvements for the users, both public and staff. It was one of 12 awards presented at the 2009 Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) public private sector partnerships Awards in London.

The Mary Potter Centre beat off competition from two other short-listed finalists, the Kentish Town Health Centre, north London and Walkden Gateway Centre in Manchester. It was among 90 organisations competing in 11 categories for LIFT Awards.

The £14 million centre on Gregory Boulevard is the second of three planned joint service centres for Nottingham being developed and owned by Greater Nottingham LIFTCo working in partnership with NHS Nottingham, Nottingham City Council, construction,and design partners Laing O’Rourke and architects CPMG

The centre is one of the most important regeneration projects in one of Nottingham’s most culturally and ethnically diverse areas. It opened last year with GP surgeries, health clinics, Nottingham City Council social care and children’s services, the Acorn Resource Centre and a SureStart Children's Centre, along with Nottingham City Homes Housing Office and the City Council's Neighbourhood Management team.

The building has been designed to be airy, attractive and fully accessible to all the community and a splash of colour has been added by Nottingham City Arts and Nottingham Development Company-run arts project to produce local artwork to exhibit in and around the centre.

Judges were impressed by the ‘one-stop-shop’ approach at the centre and that the ‘Ask Here’ Desk, where trained advisors can answer queries concerning the services available, made a significant contribution to meeting the needs of users.

Centre Manager Judy Merrin said: “Our most recent survey in October 2008 showed that 98 per cent of people coming to The Mary Potter Centre were satisfied or very satisfied with the current services, and more than 90 per cent said services benefited from being together in one place. It’s lovely to see the great feedback from local people reflected in this wonderful award win. The Mary Potter Centre is an important way in which we can improve local people’s access to Council and NHS services, all housed under one roof – closer to home and in the heart of their community.”

Councillor Eunice Campbell, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio holder for Customer Services, said: "We are thrilled to receive this award. It celebrates not only the improved support and services for Nottingham people but local centres that make local communities proud.

"Residents and local organisations gave their ideas to help develop centres that they can call their own and make full use of for community and social activities as well as for all the services available. It demonstrates the commitment of NHS Nottingham City, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham City Homes. Greater Nottingham LIFTCo and our other partners in working together with our local communities."

Commenting on the award, Peter Jones, General Manager of Greater Nottingham LIFT Co said: “This award is a fantastic and a very well deserved recognition of the benefits to the community of the Mary Potter Centre. It represents the hard work and dedication of both the public and private sector team to bring the best and clearest improvement to the experience of service users as far as increased choice, access and service delivery is concerned.”