8 August 2025
I had a wonderful time attending Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) last weekend and I hope you were able to come along and experience the festivities. SIRF was once again a great success, and it was brilliant to see so many people come together in Stockton to enjoy the celebrations. I attended all three days, and it was great to wander around different acts and speak to people.
My highlight is always the Community Carnival where our communities, schools and organisations come together in a wonderful, colourful display of music, dance, and performance. Once again, it was truly amazing.
I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who was involved in making the festival such a triumph.
On Monday, my week began with a Cabinet member session with Mark Edgell from the Local Government Association (LGA). I wanted Cabinet to come together as a team to have a productive, structured sessions on how we work together, with officers and with our partners. We also looked at roles and responsibilities and set our priorities for the years ahead. It was also an opportunity to catch up and discuss our respective portfolios.
This week I chaired the appointments panel to shortlist for the Assistant Director of Education, Inclusion and Achievement role. This role is currently held by Eddie Huntington who will be retiring in the Autumn. I have worked brilliantly with Eddie during his time with the Council and I wish him all the best for the future.
On Wednesday morning I headed to Teesside Airport to Chair the Education, Employment and Skills (EES) Advisory Group meeting for the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA). This was a really productive meeting where we had reports on Get Tees Valley Working, ICB Health Accelerator update and an update on Adult Skills. I am looking forward to seeing the results of these plans.
I then rushed to Dunedin House to have my regular catch up with Mike Greene, Chief Executive and Ged Morton, Director of Corporate Services. Mike has just returned from his holidays, and it was good to update him on everything that had happened whilst he had been away. I am sure he now feels like he hasn't had a holiday!
Today I honestly had the pleasure of attending the official opening of the Teesside Reuse Shop at the Tees Valley Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) with Dale Rowbotham. The shop is part of our long-standing partnership with Suez and will give residents the chance to repurpose still useful items, helping them to save money and reduce waste across our community. I couldn't believe the treasure trove of items that people were disposing of! I had my eye on quite a few items but managed to come away without getting my purse out. The quality of the items and prices were amazing. You really need to take a look.
This weekend, I'm really looking forward to supporting Darlington Pride with my friends and family. It really is a great event with lots of music, stalls, parades, and events.
Whatever you are doing, have a great weekend.
