By Cllr Daniel Cowan, Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council.
One of the questions I hear time and again is: "What does the council actually do all day?" Most people picture the public sector as a 'nine to five' culture - but that's far from the truth.
Across our city, council and partner teams work around the clock: early mornings, late evenings, overnight, weekends, bank holidays and whenever they're needed. And most of it goes unseen, because when things run smoothly, residents shouldn't have to think about what's happening behind the scenes.
That's why Our Day (Monday 19 January) was so important. For 24 hours, we lifted the lid on the people and services that keep Southend safe, clean and supported every single day of the year.
Throughout the day, we shared stories from teams across the city:
- CCTV officers monitoring 267 cameras, 24/7, 365 days a year, working alongside our Community Safety Officers to tackle antisocial behaviour and support residents
- jet-washing crews in the High Street at dawn, helping keep the city centre clean
- highways teams repairing roads and pavements, maintaining 457km of network and improving key areas like Warrior Square, and Mark from Marlborough Southend helping to keep our roads clear with their gritting trucks
- health visitors, school nurses, social care teams and early years staff supporting families, as well as school crossing patrol officers helping children get to school safely morning and afternoon
- environmental and parks teams who start early, finish late, and care for our shared spaces, planting trees and looking after our playgrounds
- and the people behind major regeneration projects like Better Queensway, improving safety, connectivity and public spaces at the heart of our city
These are the stories that show the real impact of local public services - and why they matter.
Every pound of council tax helps fund essential work like this: from waste collection and social care to roads, parks, libraries and community safety. #24HrsInSouthend was a chance to see exactly where those resources go and the difference they make every day.
Our residents care deeply about this city, and rightly so. Southend is vibrant, creative and resilient - and that's because of the people who live and work here. Our Day was an opportunity to recognise the commitment and pride shown by the staff and partners who keep Southend moving.
As we head towards City Day on Saturday 7 March, Our Day was another moment to celebrate who we are, what we do, and the pride we share in our city.
View social posts and videos from the day on our Flickr page.