Culture
Future Forum: ICSs provide chance for culture change
Integrated Care Systems (ICS) must not be ‘driven by structure,’ The MJ’s Future Forum heard today.
Council accepts peer review's call for change
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has accepted a peer review’s calls for change after it found the authority’s culture was ‘inward-looking’.
Levelling up: the digital challenge
The MJ and BT recently held a round table debate with nine leading council chief executives from the Midlands and the North to debate the challenges and opportunities from the digital revolution. Michael Burton reports.
Peer challenge criticises councillor infighting
Councillors at Windsor & Maidenhead BC are ‘showing the council in a poor light’ according to a corporate peer challenge.
Councils end Russian twinning arrangements
Councils are ending their twinning arrangements with Russian cities as a show of their opposition to the military action being carried out by Russia.
Getting on top of the climate crisis in South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire DC has embedded tackling climate change into the council’s culture and its efforts have been recognised by Climate Emergency UK, says Allison Thomas.
Jackie’s funny turn
Councils have never dodged the very serious business of debating difficult issues and making important decisions.
Edinburgh to be hit by costs after damning reviews
Edinburgh City Council faces ‘significant ongoing costs’ to implement recommendations from independent investigations into the handling of historic child abuse allegations and poor councillor behaviour.
Council slashes heritage assets figure
East Ayrshire Council has been found to have about half the number of heritage assets it had claimed following an investigation by auditors.
Supporting staff through crises
David Bibby explains how leisure and cultural centre provider Everyone Active has been working with local authority partners to rise to the challenges of the pandemic and support the workforce.
Council faces £25m Games funding bill
Birmingham City Council has been left to pick up another £25m for the staging of the Commonwealth Games after partners failed to come forward.
Ongoing tensions highlighted at Edinburgh
An independent review of whistleblowing and the wider culture at Edinburgh City Council has highlighted the impact of ongoing tensions between elected members.
Cultural steps can get us back on our feet
While evidence is growing that shows how important the arts can be for our health, Bob Neill says that the cultural sector should be seen as an ally in efforts to turbocharge our recovery from the pandemic.
Christmas treeson
Regular festive Diary readers will recall past incarnations of our unofficial Worst Public Christmas Tree Award, designed to keep self-deprecating town halls on their toes.
Levels apart
The Thick of It’s Malcolm Tucker barely hid his contempt for the slogans he ordered hapless ministers to push to the gullible media and public.
Art attack
We art lovers had rather hoped that those Young British Artists had banished forever that most philistine of questions: ‘But is it art?’
St Albans festival pulls out all the stops
National Graduate Development Programme trainee Thomas Wrench says councils’ investment in activities such as the St Albans International Organ festival will be fundamental to COVID-19 recovery and uniting communities.
Lifting up our high streets
Engaging with and empowering communities are crucial to rejuvenating our high streets, and we must ensure citizens’ voices are heard and listened to, says Kathy Kyle Bonomini.
Community spirit and movie magic
Paul Wheatley explains why a Leicestershire town’s cinema in the park is an innovative use of Welcome Back funding.
Waiting with anticipation for the levelling up White Paper
Sheila Oxtoby says that like many in local government, she is keen to see whether the levelling up White Paper creates opportunities for more power and funding to be devolved to a local level.
