The winner of the Local Government Challenge was announced at the Local Government Association’s (LGA) annual conference in Bournemouth on Wednesday 3 July 2019.
After competing in five challenges between January and June, the 10 contestants were whittled down to four finalists – Hollie Stone (Barking and Dagenham LBC), Rob Comber (Kent CC), Sarah Thistlethwaite (Kirklees Council), and Matthew Snelling (Merton LBC).
The quartet then attended the LGA’s annual conference, and along with the support of the other contestants, pitched their proposals to conference delegates and a panel of judges which included the LGA, Kent and Essex CCs, Wates and The MJ.
At the Awards ceremony, it was announced that Rob Comber won for his project, ‘Summer Slide’, which will engage with four primary and four secondary schools in Kent to deliver an academic enrichment programme, targeted at no cost to children and communities living in poverty. The £10,000 award was presented by Lady Bruce-Lockhart, the wife of the late Lord Bruce-Lockhart, former Chairman of the LGA and leader of Kent CC.
After he won, Rob Comber said ‘It has been an honour to work with nine incredible people over the five Local Government challenges. Looking at what these individuals have achieved in the last six months, the future of local government is in the hands of some seriously talented individuals.’
He added: ‘I’m excited to go back to Kent and start my project to see if we can make some real tangible difference to young people’s lives. It will look at the impact that poverty has over the summer holidays and the effect that has on their education’
The LGA would like to thank the members and officers at the host councils who contributed to making the five outstanding challenges a success, and all the contestants for their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment – our four finalists, plus Adam Wassell (Gloucester City Council), Bob Allen (Wigan Council), Celia Prado-Teeling (Cherwell DC), Emily Kindred (Wigan Council), Katy Smith (Kent CC) and Susie Grounds (Merton LBC).
With thanks to Wates, as our generous sponsor in 2019, and to Kent and Essex CCs as the providers of the Bruce-Lockhart Scholarship in memory of Lord Bruce-Lockhart.