At last the Easter break...

I don’t know about you but the weeks just seem to fly by and I can’t believe we are almost into May!

 

My apologies for not writing before now, but between council commitments and being chief midwife for my heavily pregnant ewes, I’ve had little space to take a pause and put pen to blog.

 

Spring is always a positive time in the annual calendar – it’s a time to embrace new challenges, to spring clean and to look forward to warmer, sunnier and longer days ahead. It’s also a time to make pledges and to do something that makes a difference either to yourself or others. I know lots of you have already made a Big Pledge, along with hundreds of other people in communities across Wiltshire, to get more active, lose weight, run a marathon, raise money for charity and to give your time to help others. These are just a few of the great things that people have committed to do. It's always good to have a prompt to do more and to be motivated to take up a challenge. It is always inspiring to see the targets set and sacrifices and time that people are prepared to make for the good of others.

 

This got me thinking…. I should also do something that will make a difference and hopefully motivate and inspire people to get involved. I have therefore decided to have a leaders charity, and will be supporting Hope for Tomorrow, which provides mobile cancer therapy units that can travel to rural locations. This means that people suffering from cancer can avoid the long and often painful trip for regular cancer treatment at their nearest hospital. One of the Hope for Tomorrow cancer therapy units was at County Hall recently – for the launch of the health and Wellbeing Strategy – and it inspired me to want to do more so that other units can be purchased to support those in need across Wiltshire.

 

My first fundraising event will be a quiz and curry night, which I am aiming to host in the atrium in June – so watch this space for the date and details as I hope many of you will take part! I am also delighted that one of our corporate pledges is to start a choir and I am hoping this will be up and running in time for the launch of my leaders charity and for the quiz evening – a bit of live music always lifts the spirits. Another pledge – by several of you, but I hasten to add, definitely not me – is to take part in the rides as part of the Cycle Wiltshire event on Saturday, 3 May. Staff and other keen cyclists will be cycling 20, 60 or 100 miles around the beautiful countryside in the Salisbury area, and I will look forward to welcoming them all back at the Five Rivers Leisure Centre for a well-earned lunch. If you haven’t signed up and would like to cycle one of these distances, it’s not too late as you can sign up right up to the day.

 

And, finally, I know I need to challenge myself more, and I have decided to take up the Wiltshire Challenge, which has just launched, and try to walk a lot more and clock the 10,000 steps each day. I promise to try and not lose the pedometer in the washing machine as I did last year and will keep you updated of my progress!

 

Whatever you decide to do this spring - I’m sure it will make a difference and if you haven’t decided a pledge - maybe the pledges made by others will provide you with some inspiration.

 

I’m lambing all this Easter weekend, and will be thinking of all of you having a well-earned break and my thoughts will also be with those of you on call providing the essential services needed by our communities. Thank you for all you do.

 

More soon, I promise – or, should I say, I pledge!

 

Jane.

 

PS I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the staff forums in May!