It has been very hectic over the last month or so with the local elections. Council business slows down, whilst the campaigning continues. All the information about the local elections is included in our borough report in this month’s Your Local edition. Now the elections are over, the pace of work will pick up and committee meetings are back in full swing.
I did undertake some visits during April and May, including a trip to London to meet the Chancellor (more details below). On Friday 28th April I visited Maplewell Hall School, one of the County Council’s special schools that provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, and a range of social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. All pupils have an education, health, and care plan (EHCP).
It was a fantastic visit, and I was warmly welcomed by staff and pupils. The school was visited by Ofsted in February 2023, and I am delighted that they have received an Outstanding Rating in all areas.
I enjoyed watching King Charles III Coronation on TV on Saturday 6th May, and it was a very welcome break to sit down and relax after the elections. It was a fantastic day and a real honour for me personally to have witnessed the Coronation. My bunting was up, and nobody does tradition like the British do. On the Sunday, I dropped into St Mary’s Church Rooms in Anstey to enjoy their sharing lunch and to see how the kitchen upgrade was getting along. These renovations have been supported by Cllr Baines and myself through our Member Grants Scheme at Charnwood Borough Council.
On Tuesday 9th May my husband and I headed down to London to attend the Royal Garden Party. We were due to attend in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.
It was an amazing day, a lovely afternoon tea and ice cream. We were also able to wander around Buckingham Palace gardens and lakes. We were able to see the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at close quarters. We feel very honoured to have been invited and will cherish these memories forever.
During May, many councils hold their AGM, this includes elections for roles within their own political groups and membership of the different committees at the council.
I was delighted to be returned as the County Council's Deputy Leader for my third year and retain my Children and Families, Community Safety and Regulatory Services portfolio, a role I enjoy immensely.
I also welcome a new Cabinet Support Member to assist me with my very large workload, and I am delighted that Craig Smith will take on this role officially in July. Craig is the County Councillor representing Coalville North.
Fair Funding
Leicestershire County Council continued the push for fair funding. This has taken a step forward after a positive meeting with the Chancellor in Downing Street.
County council chiefs and local MPs met Jeremy Hunt to set out how an outdated system means that Leicestershire receives less than half the money of the best-funded areas.
Along with Council leader, Nick Rushton and cabinet member for resources, Lee Breckon, we travelled to 11 Downing Street on 25th April. We presented a pragmatic, temporary fix which would see Government put in an extra £350 million to level up 32 of the lowest funded councils.
Follow-up meetings with local government minister, Lee Rowley, and Government officials are already being arranged so we can progress this request further.
If Leicestershire were funded at the average level for English councils, it would receive an extra £130m a year.
Family Hubs
Leicestershire County Council has received £1m of government investment to create new spaces across the County called ‘Family Hubs’.
'Family hubs' will be 'one-stop-shops' where parents and carers can access family advice and support services in Leicestershire.
The hubs will be a mixture of physical and virtual spaces, where people can have easy access to a range of guidance on issues such as social care, education, debt management and mental and physical health.
Leicestershire is one of twelve local authorities to secure a slice of a £12m pot of grant funding to transform the way services are delivered for families. The scheme will benefit families with 0–19-year-olds (or 25 for young people with special educational needs or disabilities).
The full details of the rollout of the family hubs for the county are still being finalised, but the physical hubs will be in existing buildings such as libraries, and children and family wellbeing centres, where staff will be specially trained to offer and signpost to the right support.
It is envisaged that information, advice, and guidance will also be available at the time families need it through outreach, a catch-all website with a long-term ambition of adding virtual support such as video calling.
The county’s family hubs are set to be up and running by spring 2024 and I will be visiting the first family hub at the end of May in Coalville.
Wildflower Areas
The ambitious plan to transform roadside verges into wildflower areas across the county is continuing to gather pace.
Around 60 parish councils have so far signed up for the county council run scheme, which involves volunteers giving up their time to restore the verges, including sowing native wildflower seeds and learning about the local wildlife within these important habitats.
The initiative, a partnership with local wildlife charities NatureSpot and British Hedgehog Preservation Society, aims to improve biodiversity and encourage wildlife, with verges being allowed to flourish between April and August, as wildflowers and grasses reach maturity and provide local species with food and habitat.
The initiative forms part of the council’s wider work to tackle climate change, including fresh proposals to make Leicestershire a net zero carbon county by 2045.
Expressions of interest for the 2023 scheme will be open from July 2023 to September 2023 this year. Parish councils interested in joining the scheme can contact the council’s environment team at: [email protected].
The annual programme of grass cutting has started across Leicestershire and residents can check when their grass will be cut on the county council’s map: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/grass-cutting
Lord-Lieutenant’s Young Person of Year 2023
A group of 16 remarkable young people from Leicester and Leicestershire along with their families and friends joined the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire at County Hall on 27 April 2023 for an awards ceremony to celebrate their achievements as our 2023 finalists.
This year’s red carpet’ awards evening and dinner was hosted by the Lord-Lieutenant, Mike Kapur OBE and the four finalists shortlisted in each of the four categories were recognised as remarkable examples of dedication, going above and beyond to help others and for their outstanding personal achievements.
The category winners were:
- Young Person of Courage - Joshua Bailey, who attends South Charnwood High School.
- Young Volunteer – Sofia Omar, who attends Crown Hills Community College.
- Young Artist of the Year – Jessica Mawby, who attends Sir Jonathan North Girls' College.
- Young Leader – Clem Beardmore, who attends the Priory Belvoir Academy.
These young people were all considered for the overall award of the Lord-Lieutenant’s Young Person of the Year.
Congratulations go to Joshua Bailey who received the top prize of the evening, becoming the Lord-Lieutenant’s Young Person of the Year 2023.
This is a fantastic opportunity to thank our young people across the county for all their remarkable work and it is something that I am immensely proud to support.
