The Invisible Impact of Local Government
Why it’s time we paid attention
Behind every bin collection, pothole repair, emergency response, and community initiative, there’s someone quietly making it happen.
- the people who quietly keep your local park safe and tidy.
- the team that ensures food safety in restaurants and farms.
- the officer who’s been quietly working behind the scenes to support vulnerable families for years.
You probably don’t know their names, but their work shapes your everyday life.
These are people working away from the limelight. Some appreciate recognition, but most are simply proud to be making a difference in the lives of those around them and in their communities.
As cheesy as it sounds, they don’t make headlines, but they do change lives.
The perception problem
Let’s be honest, local government has a bit of a perception problem.
People often see it as slow, full of red tape, or just “the council” as some big, faceless thing.
But that’s not the reality. It’s made up of real people who care about their communities, who want things to be fair, and who work hard to make stuff happen even when it’s tough.
The problem is, we don’t talk about that enough.
We talk about budgets and digital transformation but we don’t talk about the people.
The ones doing the thoughtful, behind-the-scenes work with limited resources and not much thanks.
Instead, the loudest stories are usually the bad ones.
People only really notice when it’s gone wrong or when it’s gone amazingly right.
That gap between how people see Dorset Council and what it’s actually like-that’s what Invisible Impact is here to challenge.
Why this podcast matters
At #WorkForDorset, we’ve been trying to get a podcast off the ground for a while. It’s always felt like something valuable, but finding the right balance between fun and engaging vs. council and recruitment hasn’t been easy.
After a few wobbles, we’ve found a rhythm with our other content, that seems to work. But we’re always iterating.
Invisible Impact is our way of showing the human side of local government.
So we’ve created Invisible Impact, a new podcast where we speak to the people behind the scenes at Dorset Council. We dive into why they do what they do, the challenges they face, and how they got to where they are now.
There are some genuinely interesting stories to tell, believe me!
Real Stories. Real People. Real Impact.
Invisible Impact brings those voices to the forefront. Dedicated professionals in Dorset Council whose work shapes the places we live, often without recognition.
In each episode, we sit down with people making a difference to explore:
- what they really do day today
- why they’re passionate about public service / what keeps them going
- their career journey to where they are now because the work may be behind the scenes, but the impact is anything but.
Each episode of Invisible Impact is a real, honest conversation with someone in local government whose story you probably haven’t heard,but should.
It’s not corporate. It’s not polished. It’s real talk — about the challenges, the wins, and the passion that keeps people going in public service.
Here’s a taste of what’s coming:
- 🎙️ Nick, who shared how his tours and military experience shaped his leadership style, and how he’s used those skills to inspire young people in college.
- 🌈 Dawn, who spoke about her drive for inclusivity and why creating safe spaces for young people to be themselves matters more than ever.
- 🎨 Kimberly, who went from digital animation to service design in a big organisation, and had to learn a whole new language (literally).
- 📱 Rian, who runs Dorset Council’s social media and balances constant negativity with the challenge of making council news relevant, remaining constantly positive and supporting teams across the council
- 🧠 Christian, who left hotel management to work in SEND (Special Educational Needs), leads his team through tough times, and unwinds with a good game of D&D.
These are the people holding communities together — and it’s time we gave them the mic.
Season 2 is already shaping up to be packed with more brilliant stories — so if you know someone making an invisible impact, we want to hear about them.
Give it a listen— we think you’ll like it
Our first episode it out now if you want to listen, we speak to Dawn who works in Learning and Protection in Children’s Services. We talk about fairness, inclusivity and how we can support everyone to be open about themselves and create a safe space:
Local government at its best. Not perfect, but full of purpose, full of heart, and full of brilliant people doing their best for others.
Thanks for reading all the way to the end. Episode one is out now — we’d love for you to give it a listen and hit follow. Let us know what you think, your feedback means a lot and helps us keep improving!
New episodes every other week, so stay tuned.
