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Peer and dragon make Civil Service visit

Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell and Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Sir Peter Jones were in the North East this week meeting Civil Servants, including apprentices, who are helping the region cope with the financial crisis.

They visited the Gateshead JobCentre Plus to talk to staff working to find employment for local people and met with former clients who have been helped back into work by the centre.

They were in the North East for Civil Service Live Gateshead, a one-day event at The Sage conference centre that brought together civil servants from across the region.

Sir Peter Jones said: “I am delighted to be involved with Civil Service Live again as I get to see firsthand the excellent work being done in the North East.

“I have been working with the Civil Service and have already seen many of the exciting and innovative projects being worked on to improve the delivery of public services.”

Sir Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, said: “A lot of people think the Civil Service is all about Sir Humphreys tucked away in Whitehall, but 83 per cent of Civil Servants actually work outside London. The vast majority work on the frontline, delivering public services that have a vital role to play in helping places like Gateshead through the downturn.

“We all want to deliver the best service we can and events like Civil Service Live allow us all to come together to share advice on what we’re doing right and find ways to improve.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .