The 2019 TUC Communication Awards bestowed two honours on the FDA, naming the trade union Highly Commended in its best print journal and best designed communication categories.

The latter prize was awarded to the union’s centenary movie and commemorative booklet FDA: Our Story.

These materials were designed as part of the FDA 100 campaign, which highlights the incredible history of the union and celebrates past achievements, even as it looks to future goals.

The Communication Awards judges lauded the “great initiative”, stating it was “executed with flair and style.” The film was described as “powerful and well-made”, and the booklet “an unusually good way to draw attention to the campaign.”

Public Service Magazine’s (PSM) autumn 2019 edition won the print journal award. This issue included FDA Communication Officer Tommy Newell’s feature on the union’s continuing fight to protect members from bullying and harassment, and an interview with Philip Rycroft, the former Permanent Secretary of the Department for Exiting the European Union Permanent.

The judging panel called PSM a “really good journal”. “Everything about it reflects the membership of the union,” they elaborated, “with a lot of measured and balanced takes on a range of issues.”

FDA Head of Communications Kay Hender and Newell received the awards from TUC President and PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka at the official prize-giving ceremony. 

Hender said she was “really proud of our Communications team after being highly commended in two TUC Communications Awards last night, for our centenary work, and bullying and harassment campaign,” describing it as “quite an achievement for our team of three.”