Chair's Blog: Jumping into June; my first full month as Chair!
Cllr Alistair Tilley, Chair of South Derbyshire District Council
I was voted in as the Chair of South Derbyshire District Council on Thursday 21 May at the Annual Civic Council.
Since then, Lenore (my wife and Consort) and I have been honoured to attend a number of events and meet with hundreds of local people, showcasing the very best of South Derbyshire.
As part of Pride Month (June 2026), we joined some Council officers, and my fellow Councillors on 3 June, for a fundraising walk. We were raising money for the Derbyshire LGBT+ charity, which provides vital advocacy, support, and a sense of community for local LGBT+ people.
The 5k walk started at the Council offices, and took in local areas, such as Swadlincote Woodlands, where we couldn’t resist having our photos taken in front of the duck pond, and the fantastic mural that celebrates the local wildlife. I was very grateful to Harold from the Council, who had organised the walk, and a wonderful bake sale afterwards. Collectively nearly £400 was raised, which will make a huge difference to this local charity.
That same evening, we were invited to attend the fantastic Dance in the Forest event, which takes place every year at Rosliston Forestry Centre. Organised by the Council, South Derbyshire Active Schools Partnership and Rosliston, this event involves schools and dance academies from across the District, all performing on stage across two Acts.
Over 300 people came to support the event, which was very impressive and involved the students of Mercia Academy, Rosliston Primary School, Springfield Junior School, Stanton Primary School, Rosliston Primary School, The Mease Spencer Academy, Overseal, Highfields Spencer Academy, Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery School, Coton in the Elms Primary School and Linton Primary School. As you can imagine, the atmosphere was electric, and the dancers all did an excellent job.
On Saturday 13 June, Lenore and I attended the Derby Cathedral service, celebrating 135 Years of the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre. The story of this charity began in 1891 when a group of local people believed that every child deserved the opportunity to escape the challenges of everyday life and experience the joy, freedom and wonder of the seaside. They set up a special holiday home in Skegness, where children can go to experience a holiday by the seaside. Without this charity and others like it, some children would not be able to every visit the coast, or have a holiday. As sad as that is, it is great that there are places like the Holiday Centre that can offer this sort of experience.
Over the past 135 years, tens of thousands of Derbyshire children have travelled to the charity’s ‘Skeggie home’ to experience building sandcastles, paddling in the sea, making new friends and all those things we take for granted from our holidays. During the service we heard from all sorts of different people working in the charity, as well as those who have benefited from its work. What an impressive tenure for a small local charity.
The following weekend was spent at the fantastic Festival of Leisure on Maurice Lea Memorial Park in Swadlincote. Along with thousands of local people, we had a fantastic time! I was able to officially open the Festival on the Saturday; which is an honour and an annual tradition for all Chairs of South Derbyshire. My fellow Member and Vice Chair, Cllr Stephen Taylor, also attended with his wife and Consort, Sue, on the Sunday. Lenore and I couldn’t keep away, so we came along in an unofficial capacity!
The event is getting bigger every year, and the visitor numbers continue to grow. I must say a huge Thank You to Council officers and staff who volunteer to ensure this iconic local event can offer FREE family fun each year.
On Thursday 25 June, Cllr Taylor attended the Derbyshire Scout Council AGM at Littleover Lodge.
And, over the following weekend, Lenore and I attended the Swadlincote ATC Freedom of the District Parade, which included a march to Swadlincote Town Hall on the Delph in the town centre. It was an excellent display and the band added to the occasion.
Finally, on Sunday 28 June we attended the 1211 Swadlincote Squadron Annual Open Day at Eureka Park. This was yet again another opportunity to see the fantastic work carried out by local groups across South Derbyshire. To top off the day, the ATC had organised a Douglas Dakota DC3 flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial flight, which passed over us three times.
Thank you so much to all who invited us along to your events over the month of June. We look forward to seeing what everyone has in store for us over the rest of the Summer and beyond.
9 July 2026