My name is Jackie Woods and I’m Assistant Branch Secretary at Durham Local Government branch.
Things are tough within local government after over a decade of underfunding. Councils across the North East have a collective hole in their finances amounting to £157.1m for the coming financial year, with Durham’s estimated to be £16.8 million. This is why UNISON are continuing to campaign for a better funding settlement with the Labour Government as local communities rely on public services.
UNISON’s Local Service Champions initiative is part of this campaign as it raises awareness about just how vital public services are and celebrates people working in local services who go above and beyond for their communities every single day.
As part of the celebration, I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight a colleague of mine who I have nominated: Julie Slater, who works as a Library Outreach and Participation Manager for Durham County Council. Julie’s example is typical of local government workers across the Country.
With nearly 30 years of experience as a librarian and 16 years within County Durham’s library service, Julie’s work epitomises the power of libraries to transform lives and foster inclusivity. Julie’s role goes beyond the traditional bounds of librarianship. She has consistently demonstrated an unwavering passion for making libraries accessible and welcoming to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. From organising author visits to schools to curating books on wheels routes for elderly members, Julie’s initiatives have brought the joy of reading to countless individuals. Her work with early years practitioners to promote family storytelling and her involvement in Lunar New Year events highlight her dedication to cultural celebration and education.
In her current role as Library Outreach and Participation Manager, she successfully manages the Northern Children’s Book Festival across County Durham, transporting authors and coordinating events — all while building a new team and continuing to provide guidance to her former colleagues.
Julie’s story is just one example of the power of local government workers and there are so many more similar examples across our region.
UNISON’s Champions Day is an opportunity to celebrate and defend our everyday heroes who make a meaningful difference to their communities.
Jackie Woods