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Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the LGA Conservative Group’s newsletter, in which we highlight the latest information associated with COVID-19 and other topical issues.
Since my last bulletin, new national restrictions have come into force and councils across the country have worked tirelessly to support their residents and local businesses. Thank you for all your hard work.
To support the work of local authorities, the Government will provide a £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme to councils and increase the value of Healthy Start Vouchers to support pregnant women and low-income families with children under four.
The Government has also promised to provide additional £16m for food distribution charities and will extend the Holiday Activities and Food programme until 2021 to help children in need.
Moreover, councils will receive an extra £15 million to provide accommodation to rough sleepers during lockdown and throughout the winter.
These support packages will allow all councils including District and County to work closely together and target support where it is needed the most and protect the vulnerable residents.
Last week, I was glad to welcome Amanda Milling, the Conservative Party Co-Chairman, to our webinar. Amanda thanked Conservative councillors for their dedication and hard work in supporting their local community during this pandemic and acknowledged that councils have been playing instrumental role in the COVID response.
Whilst the new national restrictions are still in place, she also highlighted that telephone canvassing and digital platforms are good ways to promote campaigns for next year’s election and get the message out to voters.
I hope you will find this information useful and as always, if there is anything I or our regional lead peers can do to assist, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can find more details about our lead peers at the bottom of this newsletter.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE
Leader, LGA Conservative Group |
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For all the latest news from the LGA Conservative Group please follow us on Twitter at @LGACons
If you’d also like to subscribe to the LGA’s monthly e-bulletin of First Magazine, please visit the dedicated website.
Economic support
The Government has published a guidance for local authorities on distributing support to businesses during the period of national restrictions. This covers both the Local Restrictions Support Grants and the Additional Restrictions Grant.
Schools
The Department for Education has published new guidance for education and childcare settings to reflect the new national restrictions.
Waste and recycling
MHCLG has published non-statutory guidance aimed to provide some advice on the operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres in line with public health requirements.
Transport funding
The Road Safety Trust has launched its 2021 Main Theme Grants Programme. Councils are able to apply for grants for projects that explore how technology can reduce road offences and improve road safety.
Thriving Communities funding
The National Academy for Social Prescribing and Arts Council England has launched a new £1.4 million Thriving Communities Fund to develop local social prescribing activities across the country.
LGA ‘Be a Councillor Campaign’ – highlighting the contribution of councillors with disabilities
The LGA's ‘Be a Councillor’ campaign aims to increase the pool of talent from which councillors are elected and ensure that everyone who wishes to serve their community has the opportunity to put themselves forward for election.
As part of the campaign, we are currently highlighting the contribution that disabled councillors make to local government and their local communities through profiles of individual councillors.
As well as recognising individual achievements, it is hoped that these profiles will encourage more people with disabilities to put themselves forward for election.
The profiles are short (200-300 words) and aim to explain why the individual first became a councillor and how they have served their communities.
If you are a Conservative candidate with a disability who would like to be included in one of these profiles please email paul.mccannah@local.gov.uk. For further information, please call Paul on 07747 564 920.
LGA ‘Be a Councillor Campaign’ – highlighting the contribution of councillors with disabilities
The LGA's ‘Be a Councillor’ campaign aims to increase the pool of talent from which councillors are elected and ensure that everyone who wishes to serve their community has the opportunity to put themselves forward for election.
As part of the campaign, we are currently highlighting the contribution that disabled councillors make to local government and their local communities through profiles of individual councillors.
As well as recognising individual achievements, it is hoped that these profiles will encourage more people with disabilities to put themselves forward for election.
The profiles are short (200-300 words) and aim to explain why the individual first became a councillor and how they have served their communities.
If you are a Conservative candidate with a disability who would like to be included in one of these profiles please email paul.mccannah@local.gov.uk. For further information, please call Paul on 07747 564 920.
Best Practice
We are looking for examples of best practice from Conservative-run councils on a range of activities, including local test and trace schemes, supporting local businesses and high streets, as well helping local communities at a neighbourhood level.
The examples highlighted are obviously not exclusive and please do email us any best practice example that you feel demonstrates how Conservative councils and councillors are supporting their communities during the latest phase of the pandemic.
Conservative Regional Lead Peers
The regional lead peers and the areas they cover are as follows:
- Lord Porter of Spalding CBE - National Lead Peer & Regional Lead Peer for the South East
- Councillor Paul Middlebrough - Regional Lead Peer for the South West, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
- Councillor William Nunn - Regional Lead Peer for the East of England
- Councillor Teresa O’Neill OBE - Regional Lead Peer for London
- Councillor Glen Sanderson JP - Regional Lead Peer for the East Midlands, North East and Yorkshire & Humber
- Councillor Mike Wilcox - Regional Lead Peer for the West Midlands and North West.
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