The LGA Group, in partnership with the Local Government Channel, is looking for the next generation of top executives! The local government challenge is an exciting new competition which seeks out talented individuals and tests their ingenuity, creativity, ability to lead and potential to become top local government executives.

The challenges have started – watch the first challenge on the Local Government Channel now.

The final ten contestants have taken part in the first ever Local Government Challenge. Coventry City Council was selected to host the first of five high profile events which will see contestants from local authorities across England and Wales pitted against each other for the final prize – a prestigious £10,000 Bruce-Lockhart scholarship.

Contestants were challenged to develop a series of ideas and proposals to increase voter turnout in two of Coventry’s most deprived wards which has resulted in the council taking forward a number of campaign suggestions.

The two teams of five – the Redstripes and the Anarchic Stars – were given less than seven hours to research and present ideas on a campaign to encourage everyone of voting age to take an interest in the next round of local elections and take the time to vote.

Following a verbal briefing, the teams were dispatched to two separate community centres in Radford Ward and Longford Ward, two of the most deprived areas in the City. Contestants met a range of local residents at the community centres and on the streets to gather their views and develop their proposals.

At the end of the day contestants presented their findings to a distinguished panel of judges comprising of Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Coventry City Council, Julie Towers, Chief Executive of challenge sponsors Tribal Resourcing, and John Ransford LGA Chief Executive.

Campaign ideas involved a better use of electronic media such as Facebook and Twitter to encourage younger people to vote; advertising at local events and making use of free services already available to the council such as relaying voting information to customers via the telephone holding system, explaining that every vote could make a difference.

The judges put the teams under the severe scrutiny asking team members how they would rate their team leaders, how ideas were formulated and questioned leadership styles.

It was a tough day for all involved and in the end the panel came to the unanimous decision that the first ever challenge winners were the Anarchic Stars.

Watch the first challenge on the Local Government Channel now

Read more about the Local Government Challenge on the LGA website.