Local government can help communities build back fitter after the pandemic.
This is a critical time, as national and local government will be looking to rebuild from a pandemic that has changed so much of our everyday lives.
Our communities have faced significant and, arguably, unimaginable changes in the past 17 months, but through it all one thing has remained constant – the value of local leadership from councillors and their officials.
I have seen first hand how local government is essential to delivering on the issues I am passionate about, whether it be creating the opportunities for people to get involved in sport, assisting people with their care and support needs, or providing a safety net that prevents families falling into crisis.
Local government’s leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, your commitment to delivering high-quality services, and your work supporting local economies are but a few examples of why we achieve better outcomes when national government gives councils the freedoms and flexibilities to deliver for their local areas.
Among the many critical functions of local government is community leisure. Over the past five years, I have been privileged to chair ukactive, representing thousands of leisure centres run by local authorities, and it will come as no surprise to you that physical activity is something close to my heart.
These facilities form the backbone of community activity, ranging from children’s swimming lessons and women’s exercise classes, to post-injury physiotherapy and cancer rehabilitation.
We have seen over the past 17 months what a loss to communities the closure of these facilities has been.
In the coming years, if we are to truly realise a healthy, happy society, we must ensure a sustainable footing for these community assets. This organisation is essential in ensuring the Government doesn’t just build back better, but build back fitter.
In this time of change, the LGA’s role working with government and parliament to make the case for councils has never been more important.
In my previous role as an LGA vice-president, it was very noticeable that never a day seemed to go by without the LGA being mentioned on the floor of the House or in the national media. I am determined that, in taking on the role of LGA president, I play my role as an advocate for local democracy.
“If we are to truly realise a healthy, happy society, we must ensure a sustainable footing for community leisure centres”
A commitment to local democracy will be my guiding principle as your LGA president, because when local government speaks through the LGA with one voice it is powerful, it has impact, and it can make positive and lasting changes for councils and their communities.
I look forward to working across Parliament to make sure local leadership is backed when national leaders take decisions.
It is an honour to be elected your president, a new challenge that I relish – and I hope that, by working together, we can make a difference on the national stage to help your local leadership role.