ST HELENS Council has unveiled its new logo in an attempt to strengthen ties with the distinct towns and villages across the borough.
The historic Coat of Arms of St Helens remains unchanged, but the word “borough” has been added to the name below the crest.
The new design will now feature on things such as forms, uniforms, and council vehicles that need replacing.
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The rebrand, which was developed in-house, will be phased in, which, according to the council, means there has been no additonal cost.
The local authority was previously known as St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council but the title was shortened during a previous change.
Cllr David Baines, leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “We have a strong vision for St Helens borough and for the organisation that we are striving to become.
“When we talk about ‘St Helens’, there can sometimes be the feeling that we’re talking exclusively about St Helens the town, or even just St Helens town centre.
“So it’s important that our crest, how the council presents itself, and how we talk about our home speaks for all residents and is inclusive of every community across the borough.
“We hope that this relatively simple move will have a big impact, demonstrating our commitment to working for all residents of St Helens borough, no matter where you live.”
The rebrand comes as the authority prepares to enter the “reset and recovery phase” of its coronavirus response, which will build on the ‘One Council’ modernisation work.
Rob Huntington, the council’s new assistant chief executive, is leading on this work and said the council will “continue to transform” in the wake of the pandemic.
Since the start of the outbreak in March, the vast majority of the council’s workforce has been working from home.
Mr Huntington said the council needs to “amplify” this new way of working as the authority shifts to a “new normal”.
“The coronavirus pandemic has tested how we operate as a local authority far beyond any other situation could have ever done, and like every organisation we have had to implement new ways of working for thousands of our staff in a matter of weeks, together with fulfilling our local government role in this health emergency,” he said.
“As part of our One Council programme we had started reviewing how we operate as a council and many of the changes, particularly around our digital transformation, have proven to be very timely.
“Our approach has supported keeping the majority of council services running across the borough whilst also addressing the challenge of keeping our staff safe.
“We will sustain our new ways of working and continue to transform in order to help us understand and respond to resident’s needs and operate as a modern efficient council.”
Mr Huntington, who recently joined the council as part of the series of new appointments to the council’s executive leadership team, said the council must now “reset rather than recover”.
As it moves forward, he said, the council will speak to residents to see what the emerging priorities are post-COVID.
Mr Huntington said: “Now our opportunity is to reset rather than recover, and we will continue to develop our plans and our ambitions for the borough repositioned to respond to the post COVID-19 challenges the borough now faces.
“This will include speaking to our residents to understand how their priorities have changed, ensuring our borough strategy matches their aspirations and priorities.
“Our plans will also address how we support our local economy and our vulnerable residents, whilst also maintaining our own financial resilience.”
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