4 October 2024

My first meeting this week was with Jane Edmends, Assistant Director of Housing and A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees, to get an update on her area of work. A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees falls under my Cabinet portfolio and tackles inequalities to improve life expectancy, and the general quality of life across our Borough. We want Stockton-on-Tees to be a place that people are proud to call "home".

Yesterday I had an induction session for the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board. This was followed by the meeting of the board itself which focuses on the wellbeing of children and young people, including education, social care, health, and early years.

Immediately after I attended the Association of North East Council's (ANEC's) meeting of Leaders and Elected Mayors. Items on the agenda included a discussion on local government funding and a presentation from the North East Migration Partnership.

Today I am making the most of a quieter day to catch up on emails and important paperwork.

This weekend I'll be spending some time with my family and relaxing. Middlesbrough had an emphatic win over top-of-the-league West Brom mid-week, lifting us into 6^th place. We played some excellent football and I hope we can bring some momentum into our next game against Watford on Saturday.