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And Finally... 27 Jan 2023

Our weekly round-up of shareable resources!

Welcome to 'And finally'

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Global Local: Air Quality

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Global Local is our weekly newsletter with a topical lens sharing local solutions to global challenges. This week's Global Local takes a look at air pollution and how local government can take steps to improve air quality in the places we live, work and breathe . With inspirational local government examples from Colombia, South Korea, Germany, China and resources from Australia and North America (and more). Available to all readers until 31 January.

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LGIU articles and comment

NASA, weather stations, schools and climate action.

Find out how Fingal County Council (Ireland) promotes staff innovation and delivered an award-winning project in this short blog.

What will the National Care Service mean for local government in Scotland?

LGIU’s Local Democracy Research Centre is working with the University of Birmingham to investigate the potential impact of a new National Care Service in Scotland. The proposed centralisation of care in Scotland will have widespread implications for local authorities. In this blog, the Birmingham team explain the project, which will be launching very soon.

Celebrating local heritage: Forth Bridges Trail

How can we best promote local heritage? Karen Stewart from Forth Bridges Area tells us about how a local government partnership results in new initiatives to highlight Scotland’s iconic Forth Bridges and the historic communities of North and South Queensferry.

A requiem to the Schools Bill in three parts – Part 2

This blog series explores the progress of the March 2022 Schools White Paper (England)– several aspects of which require parliamentary legislation before implementation. This second post explores the details of the Bill and what might be salvaged during this parliamentary session.

Event: Growing trust in local democracy

A strong local democracy relies on good relationships. That’s why the theme of the Notwestminster 2023 local democracy event on 18th February is all about trust. Find out how to get involved in this collaborative, local government driven event in Huddersfield.

Country policy roundups

Keep up with key developments in LGIU sister countries.

All things Scotland, January Policy roundup: Leadership updates, housing, climate and highlights of the reports and findings that matter in Scotland.

All Things Ireland: What's on in local government? In a week where fallout over Sunday’s events in Croke park captured headlines, we've collected all the key reports, policy development and funding calls to keep Irish local government informed and connected.

All things England: LGIU’s Peter Smith rounds up the policy news with a look at finance, ethics and and 'other news' section you don't want to miss.

The Australia Policy Roundup is included in the Monday Daily News and is brought to you with twice monthly updates from the Australian Local Government Association.

We want to hear from you!

We're always looking to amplify the voice of local government. We can help you showcase your developments. We are particularly looking for contributions on air quality, tech and social care, the role of women in local government, risk management and maternal and infant support. Got another idea? Drop a note in our online suggestion box.

LGIU staff picks:

This week, we're sharing articles that made us think, laugh or just piqued our interest. What would you recommend?

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Things that make you go hmm...

We recommend the articles and think pieces that stuck with us this week:

Simone Short, our very diligent and indefatigable events co-ordinator, was intrigued by the idea of a shorter work week: No more Fridays: A real-world experiment just showed that we should all shift to a four-day workweek from Insider.
Our boss, Jonathan Carr-West, pointed out that none of us might have jobs soon enough after having read: How ChatGPT Will Destabilize White-Collar Work in the Atlantic. (So I guess that's a no, then.)
Sean O'Riordain, our Ireland Commissioning Editor, spotted a piece by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in The Guardian: What would a genuine plan for levelling up the north of England look like? Ask a German
Hannah Muirhead, Head of International Operations, thinks not enough has been made of Hunga Tonga. If you don't know what that is, that means she's probably right. This one year on article highlights the implications in an accessible way. Learning the lessons of the Hunga Tonga eruption from CNRS News.
Andrew Walker, our Head of Research, also has calamitous events on his mind after reading Underwater Living:James Meek on housebuilding in the aftermath of the 2013 floods in the London Review of Books.

Exclusive LGIU member policy briefings

Our latest Membership briefings, find out more about joining LGIU.

Meeting the challenges of an ageing society UK
Oireachtas report: January 2023 Ireland
Truth Telling: What is it, and what role can local government play? Australia

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Learn something new, tailored for you

LGIU's in-house training

From the Scottish Isles to south London and from Ireland to Wales, we’ve been working with councils across these islands to hone their skills in report writing, managing conflict, local government finance, and more. Let us know what you’re working on and we’d love to help your team with bespoke training and bring you the tools you need to make progress.

Find out more

And finally..

This story made us smile.

The awards keep coming to Achill Island

Image by Sharon Fisher from Pixabay

We knew our staff picks were influential!

As if being picked four times in And Finally staff recommendations weren't enough, news that Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin has been nominated for nine Oscars was met with delight at an Oscars party at McLoughlin's Bar on Achill Sound. The film, which scooped three Golden Globes earlier this month, was largely shot on Achill Island in 2021. Chris McCarthy, manager of Achill Tourism, said he and his team have been busy accommodating a barrage of media requests in recent weeks that will only intensify after the film received nine Oscar nominations. A Banshees of Inisherin Locations Trail has already been launched on the Achill Tourism website. It is now working with Mayo County Council, Fáilte Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way to provide physical infrastructure at the locations on the trail. Irish Times Online

This story comes from Daily News an LGIU member-only service.
Daily News keeps you connected to all the local government stories in the national and regional press.

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