Yesterday, I and senior officers had the latest round of discussions with Cabinet as we continue to work on budget proposals for next year. We also discussed the importance of tackling budget challenges in the current financial year against a background of rising costs and increased demand for services. It won’t surprise anyone that we are working in a very difficult financial environment, so it’s vital that action is maintained to restrict and minimise our spending to protect jobs and services. Corporate Management Team has updated it’s positon on spending restrictions and I’d urge everyone to have a look at them. They’re for all of us, not just managers. I’ll update you in the coming weeks on next year’s budget proposals as they evolve.
This week the staff engagement group discussed our emerging Values and Behaviours document that’s due to be seen by CMT in the near future. It’s an important piece of work because, when finalised, it will set the tone for how we conduct ourselves with colleagues and the public in our everyday work delivering services that make a difference in people’s lives. My thanks to all those involved in progress so far.
I was pleased to be invited to the LC this week to see first-hand the great work being done to develop the next generation of Swansea’s young ambassadors for sports in schools. Around 600 young people have been involved in the scheme over the last 11 years and another 100 were at the LC this week to complete their training and take it back to school to share with classmates. It’s a really good initiative designed to promote physical and mental well-being among young people, good habits they’ll hopefully carry with them into adulthood. It was great to see so much positivity, energy and enthusiasm on show. Thank you to the sports development team and our partners for delivering this important scheme.
Don’t forget next Wednesday’s Winter Fayre in the Guildhall to help raise funds for vital medical treatment for Kobi-Jai Morgan whose dad, Connor, works for the council. You can find more details about getting involved here.
Finally, farewell and thank you to senior planning officer Lynne Davies, who is retiring on Monday after more than 34 years service in the planning department. She’ll be missed by colleagues and we all wish her well in retirement.
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