The sun is shining as I write my column for this, the summer edition of Staff Talk, and let’s hope we continue to get good weather over the coming weeks and months.
We are blessed with beautiful beaches, scenery and natural resources and we are lucky to have all that on our doorstep.
We expect many visitors to North Ayrshire over the next few months and I’m sure they will be welcomed and enjoy their stay in the area.
Tourism remains such a key sector for North Ayrshire and we have been involved in discussions and networking events with various partners in recent weeks to see how we can help each other make things even better.
Partnership working remains fundamental to how we operate and in the summer months – with a range of local events taking place – we will continue to shine a light on the brilliant work happening across our communities. The work of all the groups and volunteers – many of whom work for the Council – doesn’t go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated.
This summer also brings the Men’s Open Golf Championship just down the road at Royal Troon and I’m sure many of you will be attending. Just a few weeks later, in what is a real month of golf for Ayrshire, Dundonald Links will again be hosting the Ladies Scottish Open. This is always a brilliant event and a really fantastic and affordable day out for the family. I would highly recommend it.
The coming months will see changes for many of you as we begin the rationalisation of our offices in Irvine. The last few years have seen a massive shift in how we work and carry out our business so it was deemed essential to to better align the Council’s office accommodation to new working patterns. This will also help address the financial challenges facing the public sector by reducing property running costs while at the same time reducing carbon emissions across the Council’s estate.
The process is soon to get underway and we will be communicating with all staff and working closely with those directly impacted to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible. If you have any questions, please speak to your line manager.
A reminder to everyone that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) will become part of Scots law from July 2024. This is now a legal responsibility for the Council and further supports how we are ensuring that children and young people remain at the heart of the public services we provide. Please read the article to understand your role in this important area of work.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our Election team for organising the recent by-election that took place in Kilwinning. Democracy is at the heart of local government. A lot goes on behind the scenes to make the smooth running of the election happen and we have a great team here in North Ayrshire. The team will be particularly busy over the coming weeks now that the General Election date of 4 July has been confirmed. There is a large number of staff involved in the run-up and day itself and a lot of hard work to ensure the democratic process runs smoothly and fairly.
Thanks again for all your work and support and I hope you get the chance for a well-deserved break over the summer months.
Thanks,
Craig