A senior officer at South Kesteven District Council has joined the country's leading public sector advisory body for leisure and culture.

Karen Whitfield, the Council's Head of Leisure, was voted in as an Executive Member of the Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association (CLOA) at its annual meeting on Monday.

Her membership was proposed by the Chief Executive of SKDC, Karen Bradford, and seconded by Phil Perry, the Assistant Director for Support Services and Partnerships for Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council.

The CLOA advises and supports senior officers in the public sector and, at a national level, promotes the best ways of providing local government leisure and cultural services.

Karen, who joined SKDC in October 2019, said: "I am delighted to have been appointed as an Executive Member of CLOA and am looking forward to taking an active role in the organisation, supporting the Chair and the other Executive Members of CLOA to build relationships within the sector.

"This will be a great opportunity to give South Kesteven a voice at national level and an opportunity to champion, support and advocate for best practice in the delivery of local government leisure and cultural services."

Karen has 13 years' experience in Local Government, managing services and projects including leisure, culture, tourism, events and major capital developments.

At SKDC she has overseen the establishment of LeisureSK Ltd, which took on responsibility for the management of the Council's leisure service in January 2021.

The Leisure Team is now developing a Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for the District that aims to increase residents' levels of physical activity and make it easier for more people to take part.

Karen said: "This is extremely important because there is a clear link between physical inactivity and obesity and disease. SKDC wants residents to live well for longer and physical activity can play a major role in this.

"Leisure and physical activity will also be important in addressing physical and mental challenges as we emerge from the pandemic."

The Cabinet Member for Leisure, Cllr Barry Dobson, said: "I am pleased and proud that Karen has been appointed as an Executive Member of the CLOA.

"This is recognition of the hard work and dedication she has shown, not only in establishing LeisureSK Ltd and developing our leisure improvement plans, but also ensuring that our work has been promoted nationally.

"This is a well-deserved appointment and provides SKDC with the opportunity to influence policy at a national level, which can only be for the good of this Council and the District as a whole."