What was your highlight of 2024?
At work it has to be being out and about in communities across the UK, seeing the real world impact of DCMS’ work and hearing the stories people share about how our department’s efforts have changed lives.
2024 has given us a wonderful Summer of Sport and I was lucky enough to see Sammi Kinghorn win a GB gold medal in the T53 100m Wheelchair race at the Paris Paralympic Games. And then at the Channel 4 Paralympic event in Paris to hear quite how much change is being driven by the paralympic movement.
I was equally privileged to hear about the transformative impact of art in mental health settings through the stories shared by arts charity Hospital Rooms at a DCMS event earlier this Autumn.
The list of highlights goes on…
What was the hardest part of being a leader in 2024?
I am a relatively new permanent secretary so there have been lots of ‘firsts’ for me as a leader in 2024. I reflect that whenever I face hard challenges as a leader, it is great to learn from colleagues across the civil service and also to feel so well supported in DCMS.
What are the main challenges facing your organisation in the coming year – and how are you planning to meet them?
We have clear priorities from our new secretary of state for the coming months and our big focus through 2025 will be ensuring that we drive growth and opportunity in communities across the country, leaning into the incredible reach we have as a department, including through the wider DCMS family of 42 arm’s-length bodies. We will do this through the government’s missions and the new industrial strategy which includes the creative industries.
As an organisation, we are challenging ourselves to work differently where it makes sense to do so in support of the new government’s agenda. Examples include the work we are doing to launch a new Civil Society Covenant which aims to be a partnership and a ‘new beginning’ of the relationship with civil society to tackle some of society’s most pressing issues. And also in our work to deliver the new National Youth Strategy which seeks to break down barriers to opportunity. This strategy will be created by young people, for young people, as part of the government’s mission to improve opportunity.
What was the best Christmas present you’ve ever given or received? And the worst?
Definitely the best Christmas present for me each year is not having to cook Christmas dinner as luckily for me, my husband – and in fact my children – are much better at cooking than I am. (Me not cooking Christmas dinner is probably also the best present for them…)
I think the worst present has probably got to be socks when I was a teenager. Nowadays I’d love some new socks (if anyone is asking😊).