With almost a quarter of a century dedicated to one corner of Kent, Medway Council chief executive Neil Davies is about to close the door on a long career in local government.

He speaks to Local Democracy Reporter, Katie May Nelson, about his achievements and the challenges he has faced.

When Neil Davies joined Medway Council, it was just a toddler finding its feet in this world.

The unitary authority had only been established the previous year, and most people out of the county couldn't point to it on a map, according to one well-known travel columnist.

It was 16 years on from the closure of Chatham Dockyard and the Towns was getting to grips with its newly-established council.

Neil Davies, a Midlands native, joined the council that July as a finance officer having already worked within almost every local authority level.

In those early days, getting people to recognise 'Medway:The Place' was top of the agenda.

He explained: "We did an inward investment conference in the early days - this would have been back in 2005 or 2006 - where Simon Calder, the travel writer, came along.

"He said, 'I went out in the country last week and I did a straw poll of people I bumped into and I said, 'Where is Medway?'', and he might have spoken to 40 people or so, but there were literally less than five who knew where Medway was.

"If you ask people today, I would imagine every individual knows this place, our ambition, our credentials, our achievements.

"I have to say, over the years, individuals very clearly relate to Meway the place, as a unitary authority.

"Of course, we've got many constituents in many communities.

"It's a rich tapestry. There's so much to offer from our communities, but broadly, all our surveys lead to a consensus and an appreciation of the commitment and service and work we're doing in this place.

"When Medway was formed it didn't enjoy large or generous funding.

"That didn't significantly change over those 20 or so years. Government funding has reduced.

"We've maintained financial rigour, strong financial controls, and we've battled through times of austerity, still determined to be uplifting and ambitious, and create this fantastic, exciting vision, still providing those outstanding and excellent services."

The father-of-two has spent 16 years at the helm, during which a number of regeneration projects have happened or at least got underway in the Towns.

An accountant by trade, Mr Davies labels himself an "adopted son" of Medway, having raised his daughters here who both attended local schools - St Mary's Island Primary School and Rochester Grammar School for Girls.

The educational offer in Medway and services for the Towns' children are both something Mr Davies is particularly enthusiastic about.

"Back when it was formed, Medway had no higher education offer here"

"We have some outstanding scores in terms of the school's achievements and our school leaders; 90% of our schools are good or better in terms of Ofsted judgement.

"Back when it was formed, Medway had no higher education offer here. Historically, it had the Kent Institute of Design focussing on art and creativity but that was in demise and declining.

"The four universities in Medway, at their peak, had 12,000 undergraduates.

"Pre-covid, the stats that were reported to us were half of those were first-generation graduates and many of them were from Medway or north Kent.

"Also, MidKent College is the largest further education college in the county.

"It has a huge commitment to Medway the place. It's stepping beyond its traditional further education role supporting Medway and dealing with challenging areas around skills, opportunities, career progression, and young people who are not in education and training.

"A few years ago, we were in a difficult place in terms of children's social care. We are determined and we are on a journey of improvement in that.

"Associated with that, we wanted to place children and young people at the centre of our thinking and business in Medway.

"Our Child Friendly Medway initiative is pretty outstanding.

"Since we launched about two or three years ago, it's been hugely successful.

"It's for all children across all constituencies; it's just not just the high-performing children here, it's every individual who we see as part of Medway, who have got something to offer to us."

So what's been the biggest challenge he's faced over the years?

"It's finances yesterday, it's finances today, and it'll be finances tomorrow, certainly in the intermediate term," he explains.

"If you speak to most people in local government it would be around finances.

"People services up and down the land are challenged at the moment.

"Our council members are nevertheless determined to invest in those services, to ensure in the medium-to-long term, we can make it great for our children, young people, and for older people."

Mr Davies said if he was gifted with a unlimited budget, he would translate the Child Friendly Medway initiative into something for the "quite challenged" adults' services.

He said: "We want adults to live independently, to be enriched.

"It's been a privilege to work at Medway and my time here has been fantastically exciting"

"I would be having a similar initiative, properly funded for our adults' services."

And what is in store for retirement? Well, according to his wife Deborah, he'll be kept busy with a schedule packed with various gardening and DIY projects.

However, his answer is he intends to continue to have an active involvement with the University of Kent's governing body and various other boards on which he sits.

Bringing an end to an almost 40-year career, he said: "It's an enormously exciting agenda we've got here and one that has enormous potential going forward.

"It's been a privilege to work at Medway and my time here has been fantastically exciting.

"The future and prospects, the ambition for Medway are as strong and phenomenal as ever. It is a fantastic place."