South West Councils Challenge Cup Winners Announced… Spoiler alert – it’s Weymouth Town Council! 

15 teams from councils across the South West came to Exeter recently to compete against each other for the South West Councils Challenge Cup. 

Organised by South West Councils, the teams experienced what it was like to run a council under extreme pressure. During the day they had to deal with hypothetical scenarios ranging from sorting £M budget issues. They also got an insight into challenges facing senior managers, negotiation, and collaboration skills, building their partnership and customer service skills, and faced scrutiny over the decisions they took along the way. 

The staff team from Weymouth Town Council beat stiff competition from the other local authorities and Fire and Rescue Services to win the coveted cup which is on its way to the council offices in Weymouth, Dorset. 

Jane Biscombe, Town Clerk at Weymouth Town Council, said: “Huge congratulations! This is such a fantastic achievement and just goes to show what a dedicated and committed group of officers we have working for us in Weymouth. It’s especially pleasing to learn that this is the first time a town council has scooped the award, so I’m really proud of the team and everyone who works at Weymouth Town Council.” 

Bryony Houlden, Chief Executive at South West Councils, added: “The Weymouth team produced a great performance, whatever was thrown at them during a fast-paced day they remained calm and positive and showed a clarity. It was great to see the strong teamwork – congratulations from all at SW Councils.” 

Officers taking part come from different areas of the council including parks and open spaces, the resort team, procurement, and customer services. They included Emily Brown, Parks Operations and Development Supervisor, Ben Heath, Projects Officer, Will Holmes, Resort Manager, Jacob Drew, Contracts and Procurement Officer, Cassie Hall, Parks and Open Spaces Operations Officer, and Freya Stewkesbury, Customer Services Officer.  

They said: “It was a great experience and although it was a challenging day it gave us such a good insight into the pressures faced in running a local authority. It was good to work as a team with members of staff you don’t always work so closely with.”