Pav<strong>in</strong>g the Way to a Brighter Future As Leader of <strong>Lichfield</strong> District Council, I fully understand that the money we have at our disposal comes not from the organisation’s pockets, but directly from our residents. It is our duty to utilise these funds responsibly, ensur<strong>in</strong>g they are used wisely for the benefit of the entire community. Our overarch<strong>in</strong>g goal is to strike a balance between fiscal prudence and ambitious endeavours, allow<strong>in</strong>g us to realise our long-term aspirations while efficiently manag<strong>in</strong>g the council’s resources. Two years ago, I went on the hunt for a new Chief Executive to lead the 350 or so people that work for the council. After the <strong>in</strong>itial round left me feel<strong>in</strong>g slightly deflated, I was <strong>in</strong>troduced to Simon Fletcher, our current CEO. I knew immediately that with his mixture of local government and private sector experience and his focus on creat<strong>in</strong>g high perform<strong>in</strong>g teams and superb company cultures, he was the right fit to take our vision forward. He has led on the transformation of underused office space <strong>in</strong>to a vibrant bus<strong>in</strong>ess hub and cafe. This <strong>in</strong>novative <strong>in</strong>itiative, which even <strong>in</strong>cluded convert<strong>in</strong>g my own office, has proven to be a resound<strong>in</strong>g success. The revenue generated from this venture now covers the annual expenses of runn<strong>in</strong>g the council build<strong>in</strong>g, reliev<strong>in</strong>g the burden on taxpayers and pav<strong>in</strong>g the way for further entrepreneurial growth with<strong>in</strong> our district. To further enhance our services and generate additional revenue, we established a wholly owned subsidiary focused on provid<strong>in</strong>g a wide range By Doug Pullen, Leader of <strong>Lichfield</strong> District Council of services that had previously been outsourced to the private sector. With projects rang<strong>in</strong>g from leisure centres to disabled facilities grants and communications, this is now projected to yield a substantial six-figure surplus this f<strong>in</strong>ancial year. This surplus will be re<strong>in</strong>vested directly back <strong>in</strong>to the council, empower<strong>in</strong>g us to pursue even more projects right across the district that elevate the well-be<strong>in</strong>g of our residents. Our commitment to excellence extends beyond the services we provide to our residents; it also encompasses the welfare of our dedicated team. As a testament to our dedication to foster<strong>in</strong>g a motivated workforce, we have taken a brand-new approach to recruit outstand<strong>in</strong>g staff members - even offer<strong>in</strong>g private healthcare benefits (at no additional cost to the taxpayer). By prioritis<strong>in</strong>g employee satisfaction, we ensure that we have the very best team <strong>in</strong> place, work<strong>in</strong>g tirelessly on behalf of our residents. Over the past two years, we have witnessed a remarkable transformation <strong>in</strong> our organizational culture. Our CEO’s leadership and our collective efforts have resulted <strong>in</strong> a 33% <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> employee satisfaction. This newfound synergy among our staff members has ignited a cha<strong>in</strong> reaction of positive changes, enabl<strong>in</strong>g us to achieve even greater feats for the benefit of our community. We know that there is still more to be done, but our focus rema<strong>in</strong>s steadfast on turn<strong>in</strong>g our grand ambitions <strong>in</strong>to tangible, transformative realities for our residents. I hope that we are demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g our passion for empower<strong>in</strong>g our community. With astute f<strong>in</strong>ancial management, clear leadership, and a dedicated team, we are confidently tread<strong>in</strong>g the path to a brighter future with<strong>in</strong> our district. A Better Burntwood By Darren Ennis, Leader of Burntwood Town Council The council that asks, the council that listens and the council that acts! It’s a bold statement but it’s someth<strong>in</strong>g that is at the heart of what we do. We recently asked residents: "What should our priorities be when distribut<strong>in</strong>g our grant fund<strong>in</strong>g to local charities?” We want to make sure that the issues that residents feel need address<strong>in</strong>g align with where our fund<strong>in</strong>g goes, and the responses have given us a clear direction and help us better understand how our residents feel. We all want a Better Burntwood and no one knows their town better than the people who live, work and thrive here. Over the last month, myself and other councillors have been visit<strong>in</strong>g local primary schools to plant oak tree sapl<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> celebration of HM K<strong>in</strong>g Charles’ Coronation. It was fantastic to see how engaged the children were, how they jumped straight <strong>in</strong> to dig the hole, got their hands dirty and enjoyed plant<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g that will still be there <strong>in</strong> 100 years. Simply brilliant! July is always a busy month at Burntwood Town Council, f<strong>in</strong>alis<strong>in</strong>g plans for our summer events to make sure they’re the best they can be. Burntwood Wakes was held on 22nd July and throughout <strong>August</strong> we are host<strong>in</strong>g Play <strong>in</strong> the Parks events. Sometimes the best days are the simplest ones and there is noth<strong>in</strong>g better than meet<strong>in</strong>g with friends, go<strong>in</strong>g on the sw<strong>in</strong>gs, jump<strong>in</strong>g on a bouncy castle and spend<strong>in</strong>g time outside, and that’s what Play <strong>in</strong> the Parks is all about. A big thank you to our partners Spark, St John’s Church, Plat<strong>in</strong>um Box<strong>in</strong>g, Fun Club Hub and the leisure services team at <strong>Lichfield</strong> District Council for support<strong>in</strong>g us with these events. Burntwood Town Council is committed to keep<strong>in</strong>g these events free and we are proud to make this available to our residents. We know how difficult it can be for families to keep the children enterta<strong>in</strong>ed without break<strong>in</strong>g the bank, particularly over the summer holidays. If residents can’t come along to events because of the cost they may feel less connected to the community they are a part of, and this isn’t what we want. We are here for all our residents, and our amaz<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess and voluntary sector community <strong>in</strong> Burntwood support us with this. Aga<strong>in</strong>, I will say a massive thank you to Lesters Packag<strong>in</strong>g, Techcare, Crown Highways and Tara Group, all local bus<strong>in</strong>esses who are help<strong>in</strong>g us to keep these events free, so please come along and jo<strong>in</strong> us, and let other people know too! More specific details can be found by follow<strong>in</strong>g Burntwood Town Council on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or look<strong>in</strong>g at the events page on our website at www.burntwood-tc.gov.uk. 18
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