The thing that most makes my heart fill with happiness is the moment a local resident says thank you.
It was never my intention to go into politics, it was always just an interest of mine – education has always been my calling.
But as we approached the 2018 local elections, two councillors in the area where I live and now represent stood down, and I had a lot of encouragement from local members including my MP at the time, Stephen Twigg.
It’s funny how unexpected opportunities can just land in your lap!
At first, balancing some supply teaching with representing my area and driving change was quite difficult. It’s hard to say how, but you just learn to manage your time more effectively.
In 2021, I became Lead Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, helping steer Liverpool through a turbulent recovery post-COVID-19.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be spearheading the city’s bid to host Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine!
For the first time in the contest’s history, we ran a full community and education programme that saw community parties, children learning Ukrainian sign language, and artists going into care homes to sing and dance to some old Eurovision classics.
That’s the power of culture – bringing communities together. Thanks Abba!
Perhaps your journey may not be as sparkly as Eurovison, but then, who knows.
And yet, despite the huge achievements in my leadership role, the thing that most makes my heart fill with happiness is the moment a local resident says thank you. As councillors, we’re there to serve our communities – nothing quite beats getting that right!
A version of this case study was first published in the LGA’s first magazine.