The Local Government Association (LGA), formed on 1 April 1997, promotes the interests of English and Welsh local authorities - a total of just under 500. These represent over 50 million people and spend around £74 billion a year on local services.

The LGA exists to promote better local government. It works with and for its member authorities to realise a shared vision of local government that enables local people to shape a distinctive and better future for their locality and its communities. It aims to put local councils at the heart of the drive to improve public services and to work with government to ensure that the policy, legislative and financial context in which they operate, supports that objective.

Based in Westminster, close to the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall, the LGA is a voluntary lobbying organisation. Its members include county councils, metropolitan district councils, English unitary authorities, London boroughs, shire district councils and Welsh unitary authorities. It also represents fire authorities, police authorities, national park authorities and passenger transport authorities. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) is a constituent part of the LGA, but retains full autonomy in dealing with Welsh affairs.

Its strategic objectives for 2007-2008 are:

• deepening and strengthening relationships with member councils;

• deepening and strengthening relationships with partners;

• maintaining its capacity to influence government;

• strengthening its capability to influence the public;

• developing capacity to initiate policy and initiate debate about policy;

• adopting an intelligent, proactive approach to generating news and interest in the sector and the organisation;

• developing the LGA as an exemplar organisation providing value for money and high quality services to its customers.

Contact:            Telephone: 020 7664 3131    Fax: 020 7664 3030

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