'Coronation Street' wins award from Queen's representative for 'Services to Humanity'

Legendary ITV soap opera Coronation Street has won a prestigious award from the Queen’s representative for its ‘Services to Humanity.’

The soap, which has been running since 1960, has received a Certificate of Commendation in recognition of services to humanity from the Queen’s Representative and High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Dr Robina Shah.

This is the first time the High Sheriffs Certificate of Commendation has ever been awarded for a television programme. Dr Shah said the it has been selected for focusing on the lives of ordinary people living extraordinary lives, and particularly the series focus on mental health in recent years.

“As the High Sheriff of this wonderful County I have chosen to commend Coronation Street for this award. For almost 60 years, Coronation Street has served us well by creating and producing innovative story lines that powerfully reflect profound and often unspoken real life social issues that influence the dynamics of the society in which we live.

“Through the lens of Coronation Street cameras, viewers have learnt about the impact on individuals and on families experiencing personal trauma, social exclusion, domestic violence, drug addiction, sexual, physical and emotional abuse, the list goes on. In real life these challenging issues are often faced alone and in isolation, slowly eroding self-esteem and self-value, affecting mental health and overall wellbeing.

“Coronation Street is not only a worthy recipient, but also most deserving of this award, for its role in promoting and raising awareness about sensitive social issues that affect many vulnerable members in our community. I am extremely pleased to honour and recognise the iconic and national treasure that is Coronation Street. Many congratulations indeed to all of you who work on the programme,” Shah said.

Coronation Street’s producer, Iain McLeod said he was honoured for the series to receive the award.

“It is a genuine honour and privilege to receive this commendation on behalf of everybody who works on the programme. We’ve always strived to tell important stories and sometimes within those stories we are in a fortunate position where we can help inform, educate and sometimes even lead change.

Indeed, two of our recent storylines have had such a dramatic impact on our audience that our charity partners have seen a huge surge in people using their services. There is no doubt television drama can both alter and save lives and that will always be an immense source of pride for all of us,” McLeod said.

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