26 March 2021

Dear Colleagues,

This week we have been reflecting on how far we have come as an organisation over the past 12 months. Tuesday marked a year since the first national lockdown was announced and I think I speak for a lot of us when I say it has been the quickest but also the longest 12 months that I can remember.

As an organisation, and as individuals, we have been tested  but upon reflecting on this past year what has been evident to me is that we have consistently gone above and beyond what any of us could have imagined before Coronavirus was a term we used on a daily basis.

It has taught us that we have a huge capacity for innovation and that is what we need to keep in mind as we look forward to life and work post-Covid.

There are several exciting new projects already underway. You may recall that I reported a few weeks ago that the Council had taken over management of Penarth Pier Pavilion. And in that short space of time we have begun a public engagement exercise which has received almost 700 responses from the public, who’ve shared their aspirations for the future of the Pavilion. This is a great response and also a reminder of just how people value the facilities that the Council manages.

A team has been brought together with staff from many departments working to get the Pavilion open to the public again as soon as possible. Initial improvements have already been made to ensure the Pavilion reflects the type of destination we want Penarth Pier and Esplanade to be. And I’m pleased to be able to say that Big Fresh Catering will be opening the doors to its café within the Pavilion for take away sales from today.

If you are taking a walk in Penarth, I‘d encourage you to support this venture as all profits are reinvested in our school meals service. Diolch to everyone involved for a huge amount of work in such a short space of time.

We have  launched another project this week which is a big priority under the Council’s Reshaping  programme. Project Zero is the Council’s climate change response, which has the overall aim of reaching net zero carbon emissions for the Council by 2030.  This project will require further changes to the way we all work but I have no doubt that we can step up and deliver on this promise and encourage our communities to reduce their impact on the environment in our role as a community leader.

I’ve received two messages of thanks for the work of individual members of staff this week. The first was for the fantastic work of Carolyn Tapscott and her support for our schools.

“Carolyn has remained positive and helpful throughout and is a real testament to you and your team. Thank you all again for everything that you do to make our jobs easier.”

Carolyn works as part of our school finance team. I know the team has worked extremely hard to support schools. The end of the financial year is often a challenging time for our finance and accountancy teams and this year is certainly no exception. I would like to add my own thanks to Carolyn and all involved.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Becky Quinn for her role in supporting the Bayside Mass Vaccination Centre at Cardiff International Sports Village in becoming operational. The programme manager, Adam, wrote to us last week to say how grateful he is for Becky’s input.

“In particular, I’d like to recognise that Becky’s been a fantastic member of the PMO team on Bayside and the entire team has valued her contributions and insight.....which has enabled Becky to provide us with assurance on transport matters in relation to the programme.

“It’s really felt (to me at least!) that the PMO team has been a great example of partnership working between Q5, the Health Board, and the Vale of Glamorgan Council, operating as a single team despite our different backgrounds and approaches – so once again, thank you to the Vale of Glamorgan Council and you for supporting us with Becky’s time. It’s been a pleasure to have her on the team.”

Well done Becky, it’s fantastic to read such positive feedback about our staff and their role in a regional partnership team. Diolch yn fawr.

Finally, I promised last week that I would provide you with an update following the Welsh Government’s latest review of restrictions. I’m pleased to be able to say that following a week of reflection on the past 12 months, the First Minister has today announced further easing of restrictions which allows us to look ahead to the next few months with some assurances.

The stay local restriction has now been lifted, allowing residents in Wales to travel throughout Wales. And self-catering accomodation will also be re-opening in time for the Easter holiday.  Organised sport will return for those aged under-18, something I know will make a big difference to many young people, and we will be able to welcome users back to our libraries and for face to face appointments at our receptions from next week.

I know there are many people in our Learning and Skills, Customer Relations, Finance, Housing and Property teams working hard today, alongside many others, to make sure arrangements will be in place for them to do so safely. Thank you to everyone involved.

With that in mind, I hope you all have a good weekend or a relaxing break if you are taking more time off work over the next couple of weeks.

Stay safe.

Diolch yn fawr,

Rob.