Local government’s professional voice
The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace) acts as the professional voice for local government across the UK, with branches in the English regions, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
As members of the Solace Northern Ireland Branch, the chief executives of the 11 district councils lead the collective role of local government in in creating vibrant, safe and sustainable places, and transforming the lives of citizens.
Each chief executive has the opportunity to chair the Solace NI branch. In June 2025, Marie Ward, Chief Executive, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, will come to the end of her tenure as Chair, and will hand over to Alison McCullagh, Chief Executive, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. Through NILGA, Solace NI works closely with elected members to present a strong, collective voice for the local government sector in Northern Ireland.
Reflecting on the past 10 years, Ward acknowledges the extraordinary pace of change across the sector and pays tribute to the hard work, dedication and leadership of the local government team.
“Councils have led one of the biggest transformation programmes in Northern Ireland, and whilst there have been many challenges, we should be proud of our achievements. The 26 councils have successfully amalgamated into 11, are operating as planning authorities, and also delivering additional, new statutory functions including community planning, performance improvement, and local economic development,” Ward says.
Navigating the transformation journey of local government has not been straightforward, as the past decade also serves as a stark reminder to expect the unexpected. Whether it was the global pandemic, cost of living crisis, natural disasters, financial pressures and political instability, time and time again, councils rose to the challenge, with agility, foresight and courage, placing local communities at the heart of everything we do.
The way we work and our collective response to these unforeseen crises has strengthened the role of local government as the ‘glue’ within communities and across our stakeholder network, focused on finding the right solutions to help the most vulnerable in society.
With an appetite and willingness to continue transforming and improving, McCullagh is looking forward to the next 10 years of local government with confidence and ambition.
“Blending the learning of the past with our aspirations for the future, investing in our people, capitalising on our closeness to communities and operating as a connected and collaboratives sector will be instrumental in making the most of the challenges and opportunities as they arise,” says McCullagh.
Strong local leadership, creativity and experimentation will ultimately determine our success in addressing climate change, driving forward digital transformation, understanding the impact of artificial intelligence on public services, securing the financial sustainability of the sector, building sustainable places, addressing inequality and demonstrating resilience in the face of future crises. Coupled with exciting initiatives such as City and Growth Deals and Peace Plus, the power and potential of NILGA and Solace NI, working together to lead and empower a strong local government team, focused on making life better for our people and places across Northern Ireland, has never been more significant.
As a sector, we have demonstrated our ability to embrace change and transformation over the past decade, and there is no doubt that local government will continue to flex, innovate and make a real, sustainable and positive difference over the next decade.
