Friday 9 December

Can I start by apologising for not updating my blog before now - I really don’t know where the time goes and I often feel like there are not enough hours in a day to do all the things that need doing.

Since my last blog a lot has happened. The new leadership team is in place and working well together focusing on the key priorities for their first 90 days and next year. They have been working closely with me and my cabinet on next year’s budget, and as you may be aware next year we need to make efficiencies of £36 million. Whilst this is a challenge, the team is focused on delivering savings that minimise the impact on our front line services and makes the savings through reviewing many of our service areas including our administrative and business support.

The team has also been presenting with me to all our managers at forums in Salisbury and Chippenham. So far we have met over 500 managers and the forums have had really positive feedback. These events have included an update on where the council is heading, the key priorities and how we will be working together to deliver these. We have welcomed questions and ideas on how we improve in some areas, and the team is already working on some of the ideas. In January we will be meeting staff at a number of forums and I’m looking forward to hearing your views on how we’re doing.

Last week I attended the Wiltshire Assembly, which brings together private and public sector organisations to look at the issues affecting Wiltshire. The event, which was held in Salisbury, was one of the best assemblies so far. The key note speaker, Cormack Russell was really inspiring and talked about how we can really work with communities and get them involved in what we do and help them to do more to help themselves. I was particularly impressed with his view that we should stop focusing on issues and problems and what’s negative in local areas, but instead focus on the positive and assess the strengths and skills that are in abundance in our communities and look at how we use these to do more and improve life in Wiltshire. He also has a theory that if you want to get communities together to inspire them and to take actions then don’t arrange a meeting, hold a party as more people will come to a party and get involved!

Certainly, this is food for thought for next year. 2012 will be a year of celebration and we are talking to all our local communities to encourage them to do something to celebrate and mark the events happening in 2012. Plans are starting to come together for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and for the Olympic Torch Relay. Now that the relay route has been announced we are working with communities to encourage participation in their towns to animate the route as the torch bearers run through and to select their local talent to perform on a stage, which will be erected in Hudson’s Field in Salisbury. We are also working closely with the Lord Lieutenant on a big event at Salisbury Cathedral in early May, where all our communities will be invited to promote what makes them unique.

We really want to showcase Wiltshire next year and there will be many opportunities for communities to do this. I am really positive that 2012 will provide the opportunity to reinvigorate our local areas and communities and already the enthusiasm is spreading and lots of ideas are being generated. Many area boards are committing funding to support community groups and we will be offering help to make hosting an event or street party easy.

Next year will be busy, and I envisage a big community party where people come together to make Wiltshire a better and stronger place. I promise to try and blog more often as there is so much to keep you updated on!

Jane