Photo: Artz Centre

A Borough Council officer who has supported West Lancashire's civic heads for 20 years and helped to raise approximately £200,000 for worthy causes across the area is retiring from the authority.

Ann England will be a familiar name to many people across West Lancashire as she has worked as PA to the Chairmen and Mayors of West Lancashire – and their respective deputies – since 1998.

In her role she has helped keep the men and women who have taken on these highly important roles by organising their engagements, and major events she has worked on include the annual Remembrance Sunday Service in Ormskirk and the day in 2011 when the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment was given the Freedom of the borough.

She has also helped the Mayor's raise money for their charities, and the long list of worthy causes helped includes the Special Care Baby Unit at Ormskirk Hospital, the Skem Men-Aces, the Alzheimer’s Society in West Lancashire, Queenscourt Hospice, The West Lancashire Stroke Association, Lancashire Young Carers, The Civic in Ormskirk and the Artz Centre and the Birchwood Centre in Skelmersdale.

Ann joined the Council in 1994 and worked for the Chief Executive for four years; since 2011 Ann has also been PA to the Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council.

Ann told QLocal: "I have thoroughly enjoyed working for West Lancashire Borough Council and I will really miss working for them and the hustle and bustle of the job.

"There have been far too may highlights to mention, but the day the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment was given the Freedom of the Borough was a very special occasion."

"I will also miss my colleagues but I am looking forward to my retirement and plan to do some voluntary work."

The current Mayor of West Lancashire Councillor Noel Delaney – who has also worked with Ann when he was Deputy Mayor's Consort, Mayor's Consort, and Deputy Mayor – added: "Ann has been a great servant to the Civic heads of West Lancashire and also the Leaders of West Lancashire Borough Council since she took on that role.

"We will all miss her very much and we wish her the very best in her retirement."
Councillor Ian Moran, Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council, said: "I would like thank Ann England for all her hard work and I hope she enjoys her well-earned retirement."