Rob's Weekly Round Up

12 December 2025

Helo Bawb,

As we reach the final weeks of the year, it feels like a good time to pause and look back at the moments that shaped us and the achievements that remind us why our work matters.

Across every service, colleagues have continued to show remarkable commitment to our communities. It’s often by reflecting on the year gone by that we see most clearly the value of all our collective efforts, especially the wealth of experience of those who have helped shape the Council over many years. Their dedication plays a huge role in being the best Council we can be, one of the central aims in our Vale 2030 plan.

This week, I had the pleasure of joining colleagues – alongside the Leader of the Council – to recognise and celebrate those who have reached significant career milestones. It was a privilege to be able to acknowledge the contributions they have made, not just over the past year, but across decades of service in the Vale.

We came together to honour staff marking 25 and 40 years of service, representing a wide range of teams and professions. This included colleagues from schools across the Vale – teachers, LSAs, headteachers and support staff from our primary and secondary schools – as well as long-serving colleagues from across the organisation, including IT, C1V, Big Fresh Catering, Highways and Neighbourhood Services, Flying Start, Inclusion and VCRS. Their work underpins so many of our wellbeing objectives, particularly our ambition of giving everyone a good start in life and supporting and protecting those who need us.

Their decades of commitment to our communities is both inspiring and deeply appreciated. To each and every one of you, thank you for everything you have given, and continue to give to the Vale.  Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi i gyd.

Keeping with the theme of gratitude, I also wanted to pass on a personal thank you to Gemma Jones and her Accountancy Team for their work on the closure of the Council’s accounts for last year. At the recent meeting of the Council, Councillors expressed their thanks for the significant work involved in this exercise which led to an unqualified opinion from Audit Wales. I am particularly grateful to the team given how busy they now are preparing the draft budget for 2026/27.

A few weeks ago, we learned of our financial settlement from Welsh Government for 2026/27 and a report on the Council’s latest position was presented to Cabinet last week. You may have seen that Welsh Government has made further announcements this week with some additional funding and over the next few weeks we will be working through the details to see what this means for us.

A consultation on the Council’s spending plans and savings proposals will run for four weeks from January 15, before a final budget is presented to Cabinet on February 28 and Full Council on March 9.

It takes a lot of hard work to get to that point and the efforts of all concerned are greatly valued. Gwaith arbennig!

On the subject of celebrating good work, Dinas Powys Library and Activity Centre (DiPLAC) was recognised by the Community Libraries Network with an award this week, for its outstanding contribution to Community Hubs across England and Wales.

It is now one of five community libraries in the Vale that are run by local community groups, with support from our Libraries and Information Service.

Thanks to the dedication of over 70 community volunteers, the centre has grown into a vibrant, inclusive hub that now serves visitors from the local community in Dinas Powys, and beyond!

From seasonal fayres and art exhibitions to partnerships with health services and social prescribing initiatives, DiPLAC has become a cornerstone of community life in Dinas Powys.

Its café and activity room not only provide welcoming spaces but also generate more than half of the centre’s annual running costs, ensuring self-sustainability as a valued community asset.

At its heart, DiPLAC’s success shows what becomes possible when communities take the lead in shaping the places they rely on.

When we support local people to take stewardship of facilities like community libraries, they can design and run them in the way that they want to - because they understand those needs better than anyone – which allows us to reallocate resources to other library services across the Vale.

This award is a powerful reminder that when we place valued spaces into the hands of the communities that know them best, and the results speak for themselves. Llongyfarchiadau mawr i chi gyd!

That’s all from me this week – thank you all for your continued efforts, especially those of you working to keep our services running smoothly as we head towards the upcoming festive period.

Diolch yn fawr iawn,

Rob