I am very aware that I have not blogged for a while and can only apologise and put it down to finding the space to reflect on what’s been happening and translate this into something readable and hopefully interesting and informative!
I can’t believe that in less than four weeks the Diamond Jubilee event in Salisbury will take place. Block out your diary on 1 May as we know following a recent meeting with all the communities across Wiltshire that this is going to be an event to remember. We invited all the community areas to update on their plans for exhibiting at this event and how they will promote what makes them unique and special. I have to say I was overwhelmed by their response. People are brimming with ideas about how to showcase their communities at the medieval themed event in Cathedral Close which will be packed with jousting tents, entertainment and activities.
A senior member or members of the royal family will also be attending the event and I am just so proud that they will get the chance to see what makes Wiltshire so very special.
This year is a real opportunity to showcase everything our city, towns and villages have to offer, promoting businesses and showing visitors just how great this county is – I can’t thank everyone enough for seizing this opportunity with enthusiasm and creativity.
The Diamond Jubilee event and the Olympic Torch Relay Route, which will be travelling through the county in May and July, means we will be in the spotlight this year. The torch route has been announced along with the list of torch bearers and the towns are planning how they will bring the route to life.
And the Festival of Celebration at Hudson’s Field in Salisbury on July 11 will be the culmination of the torch route. I’m sure many of you will be aware that the Salisbury Military Wives won the Shine 4 Wiltshire competition and will perform alongside LOCOG’s act as part of the entertainment programme. We will be announcing all the full line up of acts soon and it promises to be a great event for Wiltshire.
To make sure all the events are a success, we need support with marshalling and other key roles. I understand that the corporate leadership team has asked all the service directors to nominate 8 or more staff to be involved in the events. This will be a great opportunity to work alongside people you don’t normally get the opportunity to work with and to build some lasting relationships. I know you will enjoy the experience and your help is most definitely needed and vital to making this year a success!
Without a doubt the next four months are going to be very busy and exciting but we need to all recognise the impact these events will have on the economy. In these tough times we all need to use every available opportunity, and what better way than making sure the millions of people from across the world who will be tuning in to watch the Olympic torch route and the royal visits can see for themselves just how beautiful and vibrant our communities are.
Speaking of the economy ...we have had some good news; we found out we were successful in a bid for up to £4m funding to help create and support up to 450 new businesses in Wiltshire and Swindon. It was announced as part of the government’s budget. Swindon and Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership will be part of a pilot to support local people to start up new businesses, with a focus on military personnel and their spouses – we are very proud of our close ties with the military and this scheme is great news.
This just goes to show there are all sorts of innovative ways in which we can boost our economy; from securing multi-million pound grants to showcasing communities as the Olympic Torch followed by the world’s media visits.
I would like to talk a bit about our services and the steps we take to continually improve. We are a listening council. We talk to a lot of people, organisations and businesses in so many different ways and we act on what is said. Last month Ofsted inspected our safeguarding and looked after children services. Councils don’t often talk about inspections before reports are published but I want too. These inspections are tough but absolutely necessary and we are determined to learn from this. We are awaiting the official report which will highlight areas where we need to make improvements, as well as parts of the service that we are doing well. We are already taking action to make improvements.
And...the campus programme, which will totally transform how services are provided in local communities, took another step forward when the planning application for the new Corsham Campus was submitted. This is a radical programme which will see key services brought together reducing our need for out dated and inefficient buildings. This will save taxpayers millions as well as improving services. The programme is about finding out what communities want and need and then supporting them in delivering it. Each campus will be as individual as the community it serves – we are listening to local people and empowering them.
More soon....I promise...
In the meantime, have a good Easter break everyone!
Jane.
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