Dear Candidate
Firstly, let me thank you for visiting this site. I believe that the leadership appointments we’re about to make can act as the springboard for fundamental change in Reading. Therefore, the background and context around why we’re building this new team and re-shaping how we work is so important. It is also, in my opinion, genuinely exciting.
Our goal is to be a great place to live and a great home for business. Strategically, these two ambitions are aligned. The more businesses we grow in Reading, the opportunities we create. More opportunities lead to greater prosperity and, as the Council, we can play a role in sharing the benefits of that prosperity in the community. By investing in our reputation as a home for business, we can create the engine that helps us to deliver the best public services to the people who live here.
To make change happen, we need a team culture, direction and sense of purpose that comes from a visible, ambitious and passionate leadership group. These roles take responsibility for different areas and we will look to each of you to be a champion of your own specialism. Yet there is also a clear theme behind everything we do: to connect our ideas, to drive growth and to create benefits for the whole community.
We’ve already made an exciting start. The former grounds of Reading Abbey have been restored and transformed into a unique focal point for the town, and the new Abbey Quarter includes Reading Museum, and Reading Gaol. Sitting alongside with the business district, which itself is close to the station, it creates a first-class environment for business growth, right in the heart of town. Improvements to connectivity (a new station and dedicated bus corridors) have laid the groundwork to make the most of Crossrail’s arrival in 2019.
Investing in our town means that we can continue to build our reputation as a place where businesses have the support, environment and facilities to collaborate, thrive and grow. A great home for business and a great place to live.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Peter Sloman
Chief Executive, Reading BC