Robs Weekly Round Up

26 January 2024

Dear colleagues,

I’d like to start this week by sharing a piece I saw in the media over the weekend. Gosia Buzzanca one of our Library Assistants wrote a letter from Barry Library which was published by Nation.Cymru. Reading this on Saturday absolutely made my day and by Sunday evening I had lost count of the number of people – colleagues and friends – who had sent me the link.

Gosia’s letter is an insightful, caring, funny, and honest account of what it means to be a public servant in 2024. Delivering council services is not an easy job. It’s also one that is changing quickly and can sometimes put us all in the space that now exists between some residents’ expectations and what we are able to deliver. But what Gosia’s letter shows is that our best people – like her – come to work every day motivated by seeing the value of the services they deliver and the impact they have on the community. 

It is impossible to pick any one section of the piece to share with you in this message so please do take the time to read it in full online. I guarantee it will take you into the weekend with a smile.

I’ve already messaged Gosia to tell her how much I enjoyed it and say thank you for going above and beyond in all the ways she describes but I will say it here again. Diolch yn fawr iawn Gosia and to everyone else in the libraries team and indeed all of our colleagues who work to these values every day.   

That was not Barry Library’s only media exposure this week. Wednesday’s Ti a Fi session, run in partnership with Menter Bro Morgannwg, was joined a team from BBC Wales reporting on the importance of vaccinations. It’s always nice to see our facilities on television and even more so when they are full of happy faces.

Another of our venues that has been attracting media attention and a fair few autograph and selfie hunters this week is Penarth Pier Pavilion. Although it might by now be the worst kept secret in Wales, under the terms of our agreement with the production company I can’t yet disclose just Who has been filming on the seafront this week. What I can say is that Penarth Esplanade has seen a very different form of regeneration in the last few days and later this year, by the magic of television, you’ll be able to see the seafront double for 1950s Miami, with a retro blue police phone box also featured heavily.

The Vale has hosted a number of high-profile film and television shoots in recent years and in terms of interest this was one of the biggest. Facilitating filming is great for putting our towns and coastline on the map. Perhaps more importantly it is also a very valuable source of income to the Council. The need for us to generate more income to help sustain local services that would otherwise be under threat is one I’ve spoken about before. As well as a lot of excitement, this week’s filming generated tens of thousands of pounds for the Vale and I’d like to thank all of those officers that ensured it ran so smoothly. Our Tourism and Marketing, Highways Maintenance, Neighbourhood Services, and Big Fresh team all played a part, and of course everyone at the Pavilion.. Gwaith da pawb.  

This week also saw some filming with the Vale Youth Service that I wrote about last year make it to people’s screens. The Her Voice Wales project were featured in Byw Mewn Ofn on S4C on Tuesday evening.

The group were invited to talk about their #WEDONTFEELSAFE campaign after presenter Jess Davies saw them speak at the Senedd. The programme addresses the very serious issue of sexual harassment, particularly of young people, and the young women who make up the Her Voice Wales project speak very candidly about the impact this has.

While the issue is a depressing one, watching the participants, all of whom are supported by our youth service, standing up for themselves and their peers gives a real sense of hope for everyone trying to tackle this.

Away from the small screen I have two other important updates to share. Firstly, the Estyn citizens survey that will inform the inspectorate’s review of the Vale of Glamorgan Council is now live. Estyn is seeking to hear how well the Council supports its education services so if you are a parent of carer of a young person in the Vale please share your views.

Secondly, the Annual Leave Purchase Scheme has opened for applications for 2024/25. The scheme gives staff the opportunity to purchase either one or two additional weeks of annual leave which can then be paid for in equal instalments over the year. The closing date is 04 March.

Finally, I’d like to close this week’s message in a similar way to how I began it by sharing a letter I’ve had the pleasure of reading. On Monday I received a letter from a resident praising the support and assistance one of our Housing team provided to her elderly parents at Longmeadow Court in Cowbridge.

Writing about Steffan Dyer, one of our Sheltered Scheme Coordinators, the resident said: “Mr Dyer demonstrates his care and compassion for the residents within the scheme, raising their self-esteem and reassuring extended families that the loved ones are safe and happy… He is truly an asset to this scheme, and it would not be the same without him. Many residents feel safe and secure living at this scheme knowing he is present”.

Thank you again from me Steffan. The impact you have in a role you are clearly so committed to is commendable. Keep up the great work.

As always thank you to everyone for their efforts this week. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Rob.