Chief Executive Monica Patterson
October is always a very busy month, with lots of activity across the council and within local communities.
I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with colleagues from different areas recently to find out more about ongoing work and areas of focus.
Council Management Team
At the most recent in person meeting of the Council Management Team, we had good discussions about a number of important items including budget development and reprioritising the Council Action Plan to reflect our short-term priorities, which are to:
- Ensure the financial sustainability of the council through the delivery of approved savings and transforming the way we deliver services
- Target resources on statutory services and focus on the highest risks and those most in need
- Deliver key infrastructure, economic development and environmentally sustainable projects within available Council resources and maximising external funding.
It is our intention to bring forward an updated action plan reflecting these in the next couple of months.
The meeting was also a meeting to look at upcoming business to be discussed at Council and committee meetings. Elected members will be meeting in February to agree the Council budget and so it is currently a busy time preparing for this, in what continues to be a challenging financial environment.
We were also delighted to welcome Hayley Barnett, our new Head of Corporate Support, who joined the council in September. I know that Hayley, who joins us from National Services Scotland (NSS), is enjoying meeting and getting to know colleagues form across the council and we’re really looking forward to working with her. You can read more about Hayley in the ‘People’ section of Inform.
Recent events
It was a real pleasure to attend the recent Macmillan coffee morning in John Muir House, organised by colleagues in Children’s Services. The grand total of £540 was raised, which will go towards helping to support people and their families through cancer. My thanks and congratulation to everyone involved in this fundraising initiative.
I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate staff and students on the 100th anniversary of Preston Lodge High School. In the century since the school opened its doors, it has become a central part of the communities it serves. I know that former pupils are proud to have studied at the school which I am sure will go to strength from strength in the years ahead.
Looking ahead
Later this month, I’m looking forward to attending events as part of East Lothian Business Week 2024. This includes hosting the East Lothian Investment Roundtable, which is an opportunity to look at investment and growth in the county. There will also be a number of Business Gateway webinars throughout the week, as well as the East Lothian Means Business 2024 event – an opportunity for firms of any size and from any sector to network and find out more about our Local Economy Strategy.
I’m also looking forward to meeting service managers and others as part of our next Senior Management Team meeting, which will be held in John Muir House at the end of the month. These are really important opportunities to hear about ways in which services are implementing change, discuss how all our activities align with our council values of Enabling, Leading and Caring and to look ahead to the future.
Finally, I’d encourage anyone looking to enjoy some local entertainment to check out The Brunton’s programme of upcoming performances and films, which are being held at alternative local venues. You can see details of these elsewhere in Inform.