25 June, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well at the end of another busy week in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Yesterday our Senior Leadership Team decided to take our usual Thursday morning meeting offline and meet for a 6 kilometer wellbeing walk around Porthkerry Country Park and the Knap in Barry. This is something I’d encourage you to do within your teams, if you are able to take some time out and meet outdoors. As a group we discussed a number of things, including the organisation’s new Culture Book, which is currently being finalised by the Organisational Development Team with input from the staff Engagement and Innovation group. This is a development of the Staff Charter and aims to demonstrate our organisational values in action. I look forward to sharing the final version with you very soon.

On the subject of Porthkerry Country Park, last week I received an email from Mark Shephard, the Chief Executive of one of our neighbouring authorities, Bridgend County Borough Council. Mark had recently visited Porthkerry with his family for the first time in a number of years and took the time to email me to pass on compliments to the team who maintain this excellent Country Park. In his email Mark wrote,

“I thought it was brilliant, excellently maintained, benches in good condition, plentiful bins, easy parking,  lovely café and nice walks including along the beach.”

Very well done to Melanie Stewart, your team and volunteers for all your hard work at the park.

Melanie is also one of a number of officers who have visited Barry Island Primary School this week to support their enrichment week activities, which are all inspired by our Project Zero. Barry Island have been busy tweeting throughout this week, sharing some amazing examples of the pupils’ ingenuity and creativity. Thank you to all who have been involved, to Helen Moses for organising an initial meeting to discuss the project and also putting the school in touch with relevant colleagues. And a big thank you to Mr Gilbert, Miss Davies and all of your staff and pupils for supporting and contributing to Project Zero, it’s brilliant to see what has been achieved in such a short space of time.

Penarth residents have also been in touch with me this week to praise the ongoing footpath improvements and curb modifications along the seafront and esplanade. I’m told the general public have been most complementary and the sub-contractors have been very friendly and informative. Thank you to Highways colleagues who have organised this work. This is part of our work to improve different coastal and town centre locations across the Vale, making them attractive places for residents and visitors. I’m looking forward to visiting the Pier Pavilion and esplanade again myself this morning to see the work that’s underway there.

This weekend Penarth Pier Pavilion is hosting Wales’ first live classical music event since lockdown restrictions have eased and the Council took over operational ownership of the building. The Penarth Chamber music festival is taking place within the building, with a small audience in-person and a live stream through their YouTube channel, for anyone who wishes to watch. To celebrate the event a special piece entitled ‘Pier’ has been composed and will be performed today, for the first time. I’m very proud that in a short space of time the Council has taken over management of the Pavilion, established a busy and popular Big Fresh Café and is now in a position to host live music events. I’d like to say a big thank you to all of thosewho have supported this work and I look forward to seeing what else is on the horizon for Penarth Pier Pavilion. 

With increasing numbers of cases of coronavirus in our communities, I’d like to take the opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of staying safe by maintaining a social distance, washing hands regularly, wearing a face covering when indoors (and outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible). I would also encourage everyone to consider taking up the offer of the vaccine. The Bayside Mass Vaccination Centre is operating a walk-in facility every weekend for anyone who lives and works in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff, between 8am and 4pm. No appointment is needed, just arrive with some ID and you can access the vaccination service.

Finally, congratulations to Wales (and England) who have made it through to the final 16 at Euro 2020 – pob lwc yn y rownd nesaf! Wales will be playing Denmark on Saturday evening at 5pm. 

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend. Take care.

Diolch,

Rob.