Who we are and what we do

Who are our members?

We are a politically-led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We aim to influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils so they are able to deliver local solutions to national problems.

Our purpose, vision, strategic goals and values

Our purpose, vision, goals, and values provide a clear foundation for collaboration and guiding everything we do as an organisation. It describes not only the impact we aim to have but also how we will work together to achieve it.

Our purpose articulates the difference we strive to make for councils and the communities they serve, while creating opportunities to collaborate with partners across the public, private, education, and third sectors.

Our vision defines the unique role the LGA plays in fulfilling that purpose, ensuring we remain a trusted national voice for local government. Our goals translate this vision into clear, actionable objectives, providing a focus for our work and giving staff and members a shared sense of ownership and commitment.

Our values describe the culture we want to create and sustain – defining the behaviours and principles that guide how we work with one another and make decisions.

See also our:

• Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) [coming soon]
• Business Plan [to be added in Spring 2025]
• Strategic People Plan [to be added in Summer 2025]

Our purpose

To strengthen local government so communities thrive.

Our vision

To champion and be the voice of local government, ensuring it has the resources, powers and support to deliver the best possible outcomes.

Our strategic goals

Our values

• Collaboration: We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation.
• Inclusion: We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully.
• Ambition: We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals.
• Respect: We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability. 

Our improvement offer

The LGA provides a range of practical support, on a free of charge and/or subsidised basis, to enable local authorities to exploit the opportunities that this approach to improvement provides. This includes support of a corporate nature such as leadership programmes, peer challenge, LG Inform (our benchmarking service) and programmes tailored to specific service areas such as children's, adults', health, care, financial, culture, tourism, sport and planning services.