Robs Weekly Round-Up
12 August 2022
Dear colleagues,
This
week has seen the return of very hot weather. It was lovely to hear yesterday that residents had been stopping some of our waste crews to offer cold drinks. It was a great reminder of how much people value our work, but also of how difficult working in such high temperatures can be. I know it will be a busy weekend for those working in our resorts, our parks and country parks, as well as those out in the heat on waste collection duties. The advice that was issued back in July about how to stay safe while working in the heat is still available on StaffNet+. There will also be more general messages about how to stay safe and enjoy the warm weather on our social media accounts across the weekend.
There can be no doubt that more frequent extreme weather like we are seeing today is evidence of climate change. Tackling this is one of the biggest challenges we will face and a major priority for the Council so I’m pleased to be able to share that our Project Zero programme has this week been featured as an example of best practice by the Carbon Copy website. The site showcasing ‘big thinking local action’ is supported by Climate Action and Friends of the Earth. While we still have a huge amount to do to meet our local climate challenges, it is really encouraging to see our work so far receiving so much attention.
A key plank of this work is our 21st Century Schools programme and I would like to give a shout out this week to Kelly Williams who I hear this week aced her RICS Construction Project Management exam with a very impressive 84%. Da iawn Kelly. The 21st Century Schools team are rightly often celebrated for their sector leading work and I have no doubt this will continue as they continue to develop and hone their skills.
Also this week the work of our Libraries team that has made me immensely proud to work for the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Some of you will already have seen the national news coverage by ITV Wales and BBC Wales while others will have read the full story on StaffNet+ of how libraries in Barry, Penarth, Llantwit Major and Cowbridge were packed out this week for the hugely popular Drag Queen Story Hour.
The performances by drag artist Aida H Dee delighted the children present and were made possible by weeks of hard work from our Libraries team. Unfortunately, Aida’s appearances are not received so warmly by a small minority of protestors. Other councils had opted to cancel events because of this. But this Council was determined not to be influenced and the work of the team, with support from colleagues in Safer Vale and Communications, meant that not only did our events go ahead but that they became a very high-profile celebration of the inclusivity that our organisation stands for.
Diolch yn fawr to everyone that made this possible. We are all proud of you.
Another issue to receive a lot of media attention this week was the likely increase in fuel bills later this year, projections for which have gone up again. This will have a huge impact on very many people, and I’d like to again draw colleagues’ attention to the cost-of-living support hub we have developed for our website. Targeted support for those that most need it is being developed and I hope to have details on this to share soon. In the meantime, I know many of you will be speaking to clients and customers with very real concerns about how they will cope. The information online provides some excellent advice for you to share.
Thanks as always to you all for your efforts this week. Diolch yn fawr pawb.
Rob.