To receive the Mayor’s opening remarks and report on the Mayoral year.
Minutes:
The Mayor advised that he had experienced an enjoyable and busy tenure as Mayor. During the year acceptance, tolerance and equality had been key themes which had influenced the Mayor’s activities and every effort had been made to bring people from diverse communities and backgrounds together. There had been a number of highlights of the Mayoralty including meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Astwood Bank Carnival, the Mayor’s Civic Event and various activities involving the Army Cadets. The Mayor also explained that he had been proud to serve as the first openly gay Mayor of the Borough of Redditch and he thanked the local community for the warm welcome they had extended to him and his partner.
During the course of this item the Mayor presented a number of individuals and organisations with awards including the following:
a) Army Cadets
The Mayor presented a group of Army Cadets with awards in recognition of the support that they had provided to him during the year. Particular thanks were extended for the help that the Army Cadets had provided at the Mayor’s Civic Event.
b) Community Champion’s Award – Ms Danuta Zdanko
The Mayor also awarded Ms Danuta Zdanko a Community Champion’s Award in recognition of her work on behalf of the Polish community within Redditch. Ms Zdanko had helped the community to integrate within Redditch and had raised awareness of the valuable contribution of Polish people within the Borough.
c) Community Champion’s Award – Mrs Karen Martin and Mr Oliver Martin
Mrs Karen Martin was presented with a community award in recognition of her and her husband’s work at the organisation Inspire Community Training CIC. The organisation enabled Redditch residents to undertake training and learn new skills which were very valuable to the local economy.
The Mayor also presented gifts to a number of people who had provided him with support during the year including:
a) Councillor Wanda King
Councillor King was thanked for attending civic events during the year when the Mayor’s consort had been unavailable.
b) Ms Irene Stickley
Ms Stickley had helped to manage Councillor Baker’s business diary to enable him to attend Mayoral events during the year.
c) Sarah Caroll – Personal Assistant
Sarah was thanked for her hard work supporting the Mayor’s Secretary during the year.
d) Susan Lisle – Personal Assistant to the Mayor
Susan was thanked for the hard work and support that she had provided to the Mayor throughout the year.
e) Councillor Hartnett
The Mayor thanked Councillor Hartnett for his support, noting that the Leader of the Council had attended a significant number of civic events alongside the Mayor.
f) Mr Peter Willis – The Mayor’s Consort
The Mayor thanked Mr Willis for his steadfast support throughout his Mayoralty.
The Mayor advised that he had raised a total of £5,200 for his three charities. This would be shared between Charlotte and Craig’s Saving Heart, who worked tirelessly to provide defibrillators throughout the Borough, Redditch Mental Health Action Group (MHAG), whose aim was to raise awareness and support those suffering from mental health problems, and the Samaritans, who provided listening and befriending support to those in need at very difficult times.
During consideration of this item the Mayor delivered a presentation, comprising visual images of civic events that had taken place in 2016/17. He concluded by quoting Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I am what I am’ and thanking Council for the support that he had received during his Mayoral year.