It feels like a long time since I last wrote one of these updates. A lot can happen in six weeks. The biggest thing during that time was the local elections. There was a lot of hard work—knocking on doors, handing out leaflets, speaking at events, posting online, and walking many miles. My phone says I took over 134,000 steps in the last five days alone.
The election count took place on Friday 8 May at Manchester United. It was a day of mixed feelings. Trafford Labour won enough seats to have a good working majority on the council, which is great news. But I also had to say goodbye to some colleagues who lost their seats. These are people I’ve known for years and consider friends. I will miss working with them, and I hope they will be back in the future.
On Monday, I returned to the Town Hall to start planning for the year ahead. I began getting ready to deliver our plans for 2026, including putting together the new Executive for 2026/27. We were the only party to publish a comprehensive manifesto for Trafford and I look forward to seeing it being implemented. The Labour Group also chose new committee chairs ahead of our annual meeting later this month. During the week, I met with colleagues, our Deputy Leader Liz, and the Chief Executive.
On Wednesday, I joined staff at a Wellbeing and Inclusion Day. It was a chance to highlight staff groups and share support services. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with some of our council workforce.
Outside the Town Hall, I spent time at Victoria Park Junior School, where I am a governor. I went to a meeting on Monday evening and helped supervise Year 6 SATs on Tuesday morning. Later that day, I went to a HomeStart meeting at their new offices in Stretford Library. It’s great to see them using this space so well.
On Tuesday afternoon, I went to Sale for the Pride in Trafford flag raising and launch event. The festival is growing each year and is very important, especially as we still see negative, and at times offensive, comments online. The launch event featured local LGBTQ+ performers and was a great success.
On Thursday, I was back in Sale to visit Trafford Local Studies for a new exhibition about Kellogg’s. Since Kellogg’s announced the closure of its factory in Trafford a couple of years ago, the council has been helping workers find new jobs. The exhibition celebrates the company’s history in the area since the 1930s. It will be open all summer and is well worth visiting- it will certainly trigger a few memories.
Finally, on Friday, I cycled to Trafford Bar tram station for a double celebration. New murals have been added to the old station building, and improvements have been made to the local roads and cycle lanes. OT Creative Space helped facilitate the creation of the murals, where people over the age of 50 were engaged as part of the Greater Manchester Ageing Well initiative. It was good to end the week among familiar faces from the local community and to be reminded of the good things that happen in communities across Trafford every day.