Agenda item

Armistice

 

The County Council marked Armistice Day with a service and two minute silence on Tuesday 11^th November. The short and dignified service was very moving, and the Chairman thanked Leanne Plummer for playing the Last Post and Reveille so competently. He was also pleased to see that County Hall was illuminated in red for the duration of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. He thanked those Members who were able to attend local services on Remembrance Sunday and lay a County Council wreath.

 

On 6^th November at Bosworth Battlefield, the Chairman unveiled over 3,200 hand knitted poppies which had been hand crafted in schools, homes, community groups and libraries. It looked fantastic.

 

King’s Award for Voluntary Service

 

The Chairman was pleased to inform Members that four local voluntary organisations had been awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. The announcement was made on 14^th November to mark the King’s birthday.

 

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service held the same value as an MBE and acknowledged the remarkable efforts of volunteer groups in their communities.

 

The winning organisations were:

 

• Asfordby Amateurs Ladies, Girls and Inclusive Football Club, based in Melton. The club provided a welcoming and safe environment for all abilities and ages to develop their skills through football, setting their community up for future success.

 

• Bright Hope in Swannington. The charity was committed to serving the community by providing a range of free and accessible support including adult social care, counselling, wellbeing support services, and a community café in a purpose-built day centre.

 

• Heather Scarecrow Festival, a week-long annual scarecrow festival open to residents, businesses, and schools in Heather to raise funds to support local groups that serve the village. The festival provided creative activities, social cohesion, and financial support to the local community.

 

• There was also a winner in Leicester City. Shama Women’s Centre, based in Leicester, was recognised for the work they do in supporting women to gain independence through education, training, counselling, and peer support.

 

Members joined the Chairman in congratulating all the organisations for their award.

 

 

John Sinnott

 

John Sinnott was retiring from the County Council after today’s meeting, marking the end of an era in local government leadership.  He was appointed Chief Executive in 1994 and was the longest serving chief executive in the country.  During this time, he had overseen significant organisational change, managed numerous financial challenges and ensured the council maintained strong performance and stability.

 

John successfully led the Council through the last local government reorganisation in 1997.  Following a number of years of no overall control, he played a critical role in brokering discussions that led to the first joint administration following reorganisation.  He implemented a wide range of important corporate improvements which led to the Council being named ‘Council of the Year’ in the 2009 Local Government Chronicle Awards, as well as achieving the highest rating of ‘4 star, improving strongly’ when national council rating systems were in place. 

 

John had been at the helm for many notable achievements for the county including the reinterment of King Richard III, the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, and the council’s trio of Impower awards which recognised value for money. As the Clerk to the Lord Lieutenant, he coordinated efforts to pay local tributes to the late Queen.

 

John demonstrated strong leadership through the Covid pandemic which put a great strain on the county and tested councils up and down the country. John’s calm approach steered the County Council through that difficult time.

 

Under John’s leadership, the Council had earnt a reputation as one of the highest-performing councils in the UK, and one that delivered for the people of Leicestershire.  The Council had consistently been in the top five of the county benchmarking league table over many years, despite being the lowest funded county authority.  John’s ability to balance political complexity with operational excellence earned him wide recognition and a high level of respect across the local government sector, Whitehall, academia and with partner agencies.

 

John was awarded a CBE for services to local government in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List, recognising his outstanding service and commitment to public life.

 

He was highly regarded by politicians and officers alike and would be greatly missed as the chief executive.

 

Lauren Haslam

 

This was also the last meeting before Lauren Haslam retired.

 

She had been Director of Law and Governance since 2016, having first joined the Council in 2000 as a solicitor in the employment team.

 

The County Council had a great deal to thank Lauren for.  The Council’s reputation for good governance and high standards of conduct was a result of her hard work, professionalism and integrity. Her expertise had ensured that the Council had operated with transparency and fairness. She had been a champion for staff wellbeing and made a key contribution to the corporate management of the Council.

 

The Chairman, on behalf of himself and his predecessors as Chairmen, expressed his sincere thanks to Lauren for her sound advice on the conduct of meetings and calming presence.

 

Members joined the Chairman in wishing both John and Lauren a long and happy retirement.