Mansfield District Council’s Head of Licensing, Susie Rhodes‑Best, has been honoured with the National Pubwatch STAR Award for Outstanding Achievement, recognising more than 25 years of dedicated service to licensing, community safety, partnership working and an advocate to Pubwatch across Nottinghamshire.
The award was presented by Paul Horton, East Midlands Regional Representative for National Pubwatch, during a surprise ceremony at Mansfield District Council’s Civic Centre with her family and work colleagues.
Susie, who previously had vast experience of the licensing trade, joined Nottinghamshire Police in 2021, as part of the newly formed Licensing Enforcement Officers team under Operation Shield, a Home Office funded initiative. Working across areas such as Broxtowe, Bestwood, Bulwell, Arnold and Nottingham City Centre, she helped tackle alcohol‑related violence and supported responsible management of licensed premises.
She moved to the Licensing Department at the old Central Police Station in the City Centre and she later became Senior Licensing Officer for Nottinghamshire Police’s County Division, based at Mansfield Police Station.
She also played a key role in establishing and supporting local Pubwatch schemes, securing training funding for licensees, and strengthening partnership working across local authorities and agencies.
Susie joined Mansfield District Council in 2018 as Licensing Manager and during the Covid‑19 pandemic she provided vital leadership to Environmental Health and Environmental Protection services. In 2021 she became Chair of Mansfield’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), overseeing safe event management across the district. Her responsibilities expanded again in 2025 when she was appointed the Environment & Community Protection Manager, taking on Licensing, SAG, CCTV and Emergency Planning.
Paul Horton praised her long‑standing commitment to safer communities, saying:
“Susie has dedicated more than 25 years to improving safety, supporting operators and strengthening Pubwatch schemes across Nottinghamshire. Her professionalism, knowledge and passion for helping others make her an outstanding ambassador for our industry.”
David Evans, Assistant Director for Health, Communities and Insight at Mansfield District Council, added:
“Susie is a really positive leader of people. She continually delivers and always has the best interests of our communities and her teams at heart. She can always be relied upon to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. She is a rock.”
The Star Award is sponsored by HIT Training.
Jeremy Scorer, Licensed Trade Director for Hospitality Industry Training, highlighted the significance of the award: “At HIT Training, we are immensely proud to sponsor and support the National Pubwatch STAR Awards scheme, celebrating the extraordinary individuals, venue teams, and community partners dedicated to building a safer night‑time economy. Everyday safety relies on the people on the frontline, and these regional awards champion those who show exceptional bravery, decisive emergency response, and proactive partnership to protect vulnerable people. As a leading training provider for the hospitality sector, empowering staff with the skills, confidence, and resilience to look out for their guests and communities is central to everything we do. Susie’s unwavering commitment to supporting operators in this sector is testament to her well‑deserved achievement of a STAR Award.”
Mansfield District Council congratulated Susie on her national recognition, describing the award as a fitting tribute to her exceptional service and leadership.
