Celebrating success is always important, but after the last two years, it's essential. It was great therefore to catch up with the winner of The MJ Senior Leadership Team for 2022 – Chorley Council and South Ribble BC.

Chief executive Gary Hall and deputy chief Chris Sinnott inspired us with the work of their team to unite two district authorities and create change in their local communities. So, we hope their interview will inspire others to enter for 2023.

Gary and Chris were clear that a united team was essential for success. ‘The secret is that we fundamentally get along with each other. We have different strengths and different personalities, but we understand we have a job to do.'

Like many local authority teams, they had worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support their communities and keep services running. Gary explained that ‘even through times of austerity, we're not here to do just the bare minimum. We're here to serve the public'.

This leadership team had transformed two governing bodies from a ‘catastrophic failure of governance', into the now award-winning team of today.

Their passion for the work could be seen when Chris commented: ‘Creating change across one organisation can be quite difficult so doing it across two has been a bit of a challenge. But with challenge comes opportunity.'

Congratulations once again to the Chorley and South Ribble leadership team for your amazing work and award. To find out more about their winning solutions check out Penna's website.

For those interested in entering next year, the team had simple advice: ‘Focus on what really matters to you, your organisation, and your district. That way, you'll get a benefit just from entering!'

Chris Langan is strategic marketing manager at Penna Enterprise

Chris.Langan@penna.com