Hull City Council youth enterprise manager wins Guardian public servant of the year

A Hull City Council youth enterprise worker has scooped a prestigious national public service award.

Charles Cracknell, the local authority’s employment and youth enterprise manager, won The Guardian’s public servant of the year award at a glittering ceremony last night.

He was chosen for the honour by Guardian readers after seeing off competition from four other public servants who meet criteria to “embody the very spirit and ethos of public service, have gone the extra mile for service users and made a real difference to outcomes and have overcome challenges in their public service role”.

Charles set up the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank in 2004 to offer grants of up to £1,000 for the region’s young people to finance business ideas.

So far, more than 565 young people from Hull have benefitted from the funding to invest in computers, business stationery, websites, photography equipment, bicycle repair equipment, chocolate making equipment and more.

Charles said: “I am in a total state of shock to have won the award for my work supporting young entrepreneurs. This award honours all of my colleagues who work so hard to help the area’s talented and ambitious young people to set up their own businesses.

“I hope this award goes some way to show young entrepreneurs in the area that all they need is a good idea and there is help out there to help them get it off the ground.”

Hull City Council Chief Executive Matt Jukes said: “This award is very well-deserved and I am extremely proud that Charles’s incredible work to support Hull’s young entrepreneurs has been recognised. Charles is a real example of how public servants can and do make a really positive difference to people’s lives.”