Our Town Community Awards, recovery plans and Leigh archives

Our Town Community Awards, recovery plans and Leigh archives

In the next few weeks we will be revealing more details about our recovery plans for the borough and our build back fairer approach.

As I have mentioned previously, the response of our communities to our recent challenges has been inspirational.

And we have an opportunity now to address some of the immediate pressures posed by the pandemic and refresh our priorities for the future.

So please look out for further details, including a major new engagement process where we will be asking residents to have their say.

On the subject of inspirational characters, last week it was a pleasure to be part of the Our Town Community Hero Awards.

It was an opportunity to hear about all the remarkable achievements from individuals across the borough who have gone above and beyond during the past 12 months.

Each of the shortlisted candidates has made a significant contribution to their neighbourhoods and communities, typifying the positive spirit and pride we know is out there.

We had hundreds of entries to the competition and I know the judging panel had a tough job picking the eventual winners.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, your efforts and contributions during such a challenging period have been fantastic.

In further positive news, this month will see the new archive facilities at Leigh Town Hall open to the public.

The renovation has been helped by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and includes state-of-the-art features.

It means historical records dating back more than 800 years will be more accessible than ever before along with new exhibition spaces.

In recent days we have seen that our borough and the rest of Greater Manchester has become an enhanced response area following an announcement from the government.

Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in cases across our communities, coinciding with surges in neighbouring areas and across the North West.

Throughout the pandemic we have been urging residents to be kind and take personal responsibility to help keep themselves and loved ones safe, and we continue to do so.

Remember the 3Ws; wash your hands, watch your distance and wear a face mask when required and book a vaccination when invited to.

We hope that the additional support for our city-region will help us regain the momentum and help our rates revert back to a state of decline as soon as possible.