Thank you for your hard work this year

Christmas is almost here! I can’t believe how fast 2015 has gone and, like me, I’m sure you are looking forward to having a break and spending some quality time with family and friends.

I know it has been an extremely busy year, and I would like to say thank you for all your enthusiasm, commitment and hard work throughout the year. We have seen a lot of change over the last few years - some driven by increasing service demands and customer expectations - and some as a consequence of the economic climate and the impact that this has had on local authority grant funding.

We know the challenges will continue as we head into 2016. Austerity is not yet behind us and we will need to continue to be innovative and do things in a different way if we are to deliver what our local communities need.

I am extremely proud that you never fail to deliver and to serve the people of Wiltshire so well. We have had another great year and we have made a real difference delivering the three main priorities and achieving many successes. I cannot possibly list them all, but if I focus on our priority areas, we have successfully employed more social workers to support those who are most vulnerable, and we’ve invested in major projects and delivering broadband to help boost the economy and create and protect jobs. Investment to improve roads continues and we helped more people to purchase their own home through the provision of affordable housing.

Our vision to develop stronger communities is a great opportunity for us to work with local people and to do lots more together. We know that healthy, active and resilient communities will do more and delivering events, projects and local services encourages and provides a reason for communities to come together and, when they do, they build relationships, resilience and motivation to do more in their local area.

What a year it’s been - looking ahead we have lots to do including setting next year’s budget and continuing to focus on how we deliver our three key priorities and keep Wiltshire as a great place to live and work in.

And, finally can I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and successful 2016, and a special thank you goes to all of you who will be working or on-call over the festive period ensuring that our essential services are delivered.

Look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Jane