Leisure and culture chief to retire

AFTER a 40-year career in public service and more than three years heading up Warrington’s leisure, cultural and wellbeing offer, Jan Souness has today announced her retirement from her role as managing director of both LiveWire and Culture Warrington.
Jan was responsible for leading the teams who created the organisations in 2012 – LiveWire to look after leisure, libraries and lifestyles and Culture Warrington to be responsible for arts, heritage and events when the services were transferred from Warrington Borough Council.
Using her knowledge and expertise from her role as an assistant director responsible for the services in the town, she led the successful transfer of 500 staff into the new not-for-profit organisations and opened Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub during LiveWire’s first month of operation – a development acknowledged as one of the leading 2012 Olympic Legacy projects.
Jan will still play an active role in both organisations by taking on the part-time position of transformation projects strategic advisor, where she will provide strategic support on key projects over the next 12 months, including the Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub and Heritage Centre.
The boards of both organisations will shortly commence the recruitment of the new MD.
Jan said: “LiveWire and Culture Warrington have grown and developed immensely since their formation in 2012, and I believe now is the right time for me to step down from my leadership role. My new role will enable me to concentrate solely on key projects over the next 12 months, providing the necessary strategic advice to drive them forward.
“Through the hard work of our staff and the board LiveWire and Culture Warrington have gone from strength to strength and I am incredibly proud of the work we have done together over the last three years which has enabled residents in Warrington to improve their wellbeing and lead happier and healthier lifestyles.”
During her 12 year career in Warrington, Jan also led on the development of the council’s Customer Contact and Neighbourhood Services, the Sport and Active Warrington Strategy, cultural strategy and library modernisation. She also chaired the team who developed the successful bid which led to Warrington being chosen as a host town for the Rugby League World Cup in 2013.
Before she came to Warrington in the early 2000s, Jan held posts spanning most council departments including Social Services, Housing and Corporate in local authorities in Knowsley and her native Liverpool, where she started her career in 1974.
LiveWire chairman Alan Yates said:“It has been a pleasure to work so closely with Jan for the last three years and to see her passion to improve people’s wellbeing ignited in both LiveWire and Culture Warrington. I have the upmost respect for the work she has carried out and her leadership of the teams to ensure both organisations are thriving and dynamic. I look forward to working alongside both the new managing director and Jan in her new projects role.”
Maureen Banner, chairman of Culture Warrington, said: “I’ve witnessed first-hand the hard work and commitment Jan has dedicated to both organisations from the start. Her leadership of the teams who have worked hard to develop LiveWire and Culture Warrington has been tremendous and is profound in the strong legacy and the new leadership team she leaves behind her.”