A message from APSE National Chair 2024/2025 - Cllr Archie Dryburgh

Cllr Dryburgh was sadly unable to attend the APSE Annual General Meeting in person, he delivered the following address remotely.

Hello Colleagues, I am sorry that I cannot be with you in person at the AGM, but I wanted to say a few words to commence my year in office.

First of all, I would like to thank my colleagues within APSE Scotland for placing their trust in me to represent them as APSE National Chair on their behalf. It is truly an honour to take on this role.

Many of you will know that I am currently undergoing treatment for a health condition. However, I want to reassure you that with the support of my APSE colleagues - particularly Cllr Lynne Short as APSE Scotland Chair - I will be steering the good ship APSE over the next year.

As is tradition for the incoming Chair, I wanted to take this opportunity to set out my vision to you.

As you know, I am committed to the neighbourhood level services that our local councils provide. For too long, these services have been diminishing under a cloud of cuts to local authorities. During my term of office, I want to ensure that the value of these services is placed front and centre of APSE’s campaigning work on behalf of our member councils. Neighbourhood services are hidden in plain sight. Everyone relies on these services from waste and recycling, through to our local parks, and yet we face an uncertain future for these services, which are often left to the bottom of the pile in funding terms. This must change.

Secondly, the value of a decent, warm, affordable home is a basic human right. However, we are witnessing right across the UK the growth of households in temporary accommodation. This is damaging to the life chances of too many people, denying them access to work, and for children a terrible impact on their wellbeing and educational opportunities. I want to step up APSE’s campaigning work right across the UK to ensure that the value of new social homes, at affordable rents is a fundamental pathway to addressing inequality in our communities.

Thirdly, many of you will know of my work as a veterans’ champion. It is very dear to my heart that those who have served their country should not struggle for jobs, housing, or to get the support they may need. Too often the intentions of government, and indeed charities, are not realised because of a lack of understanding about the role of local authorities. During my term of office, I pledge to raise the profile of local council engagement with forums for veterans’ champions and to work to secure a better understanding of their role and better collaboration between all partners and agencies.

Finally, as you will see from the AGM agenda, APSE is going through its own process of change to secure a resilient future for the organisation, including the development of a trading company. Whilst we reflect that our member councils will see little difference in the delivery of our services to them - we equally want to ensure that all of our operating platforms provide the best business base for APSE and de-risk the association, so that we can continue to provide our valuable services to our member authorities for many years to come.

I will be overseeing this period of change with my colleagues on National Council, whose support I know I can rely on.

In closing, I want to thank Cllr Jacqui Burnett for her last twelve months as Chair and leaving APSE in such a strong and capable position, alongside Colin Rowland as National Secretary. Your service to APSE has been outstanding. I also thank Andrew Kennedy who has agreed to serve as my National Secretary. I know that I can rely on Andrew for his wisdom and advice.

Finally, thank you to the APSE membership for placing your trust in me.

I wish you all a successful AGM, and an enjoyable conference and dinner. I hope to see you all, in person, very soon.