Dudley councillors cough up for awards party
Top Dudley councillors dug deep to attend an awards ceremony after nominating their chief executive for Businesswoman of the Year.
The Nachural Summer Business Awards held on Friday, July 18 is billed as the ‘biggest party of the year’.
Attendance comes at a cost from £1,050 plus VAT for a table of ten up to £1,450 plus VAT for a VIP package for ten.
In past years the council coughed up to attend: in July 2023 the authority spent £1,638 sending a delegation to the awards and £660 the year before.
This year the event was attended by top members of the ruling party including council leader, Councillor Patrick Harley.
Also in their gladrags for the night were deputy leader Councillor Paul Bradley, finance cabinet member Councillor Steve Clark and cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Councillor Damian Corfield.
After an enquiry by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council confirmed individuals would pay for their own tickets at no cost to the council due to pressures on the budget.
This year the council is aiming to make a range of savings of £42m to cover a budget deficit and balance the books.
Councillor Harley approved the nomination of chief executive Balvinder Heran for Businesswoman of the Year; however, apparently unbeknown to her, on the night Ms Heran collected a different award called ‘Woman of Influence’.
Nider Johal, owner of the Nachural group of companies, explained the change: “Bal is no normal businesswoman; she operates at a level where stakeholder engagement is as important as managing the organisation.
“Her role is more than just managing a profit and loss account – it’s all about ensuring that all in the DY postcode benefit both from a societal and commercial perspective.
“The environment for funding is difficult with budgets stretched nationally and having implications for local regions.
“Bal is an example of outstanding leadership skills in a difficult macro environment.
“She not only inspires her employees and her senior leadership team but is an inspiration for future generations that show women of colour can reach the very top.”
