Barnsley MBC

LGC’s Council of the Year will be the council which has the most learning and inspiration to offer the rest of local government. The winner should demonstrate underlying sustained strong performance, innovation and excellent leadership across the broad spectrum of its work. Judges will be asked to disregard any advantages a council has based on its size or location, and they will not award Council of the Year on the basis of the scale of the Covid challenge a council has faced. The winner will be chosen on the basis of the delivery of strong outcomes, the quality of the council’s community leadership, and the evidence that the council is doing the best for its area, all in response to the specific challenge the council has faced in all areas of its work. Judges will also look for qualities including resilience, compassion, inclusion and adaptability, as well as the quality of the council’s cooperation with partners. This award is open to a council or, in exceptional circumstances, a partnership of councils – for instance when two councils share the same officer leadership.

As the 38th most deprived council in England, on paper anyone would think our options are limited, but our past has not, and will not, stop us from believing in Barnsley as the place of possibilities. Our journey is hard-earned; a vision becomes a reality. We’ve reinvented, finding a new economic purpose. We’re bucking the trends and delivering our big ambitions to improve our borough. From our award-winning town centre redevelopment to nationally recognised accessible museums, outstanding 0-19 public health nursing services and dedicated support for businesses, communities and residents. We’re enabling everyone to be the best they can be.