Dame Joan Bakewell has been named Communicator of the Year by the British Association of Communicators in Business (CiB).

She has been recognised for her achievements as the Government’s czar for the elderly, a role introduced last year to give the generation a channel for making their voices heard.

Bakewell, 75, who epitomised cool, intellectual beauty during the 1960s as one of the first high-profile female broadcasters, was recruited to scrutinise policy and ensure that it does not discriminate against older people. She enters the fray as the Government prepares its new Equality Bill. Sex, race and age discrimination are to be rolled into one piece of legislation, which will cover everything from equal pay for women to provision for the elderly in hospitals.

However, she made it clear that she will not simply comment on policies affecting her generation, but also wants to “celebrate the achievements of older people” and help the middle-aged to prepare for decades of active living.

David Fairhurst, Senior Vice President for UK and Northern Europe at McDonald’s Restaurants, has been been named CIB Business Communicator of the Year 2008. He received his award from CiB Vice President Simon Hughes MP at a gala lunch in London on Friday 14 November 2008.

David has been recognised for his outstanding achievements in promoting career progression, qualifications, employee engagement and pride in the workplace in a sector often identified with low wages and high staff turnover, as well as working tirelessly to counteract the public and media perceived stereotypes that can impact negatively on staff morale.

Confronting stereotypes head on, he has campaigned to change the negative dictionary definition of “McJob” (“an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects”) with a high-profile petition that attracted 105,0000 signatures from employees and the public.