MAYOR’S WEEK: 12 – 18 JANUARY 2025

MAYOR’S WEEK: 12 – 18 JANUARY 2025

Comments 0 Comment

I spent time at the Myriad Centre this week.

Myriad is a charity which specialises in making a positive difference to the lives of adults over the age of 18 with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).

Based at Greenhill Lodge, Merriman’s Hill, Myriad is very much in heart of the community, where it very much needs to be.

A group of people smiling outdoors

The building is on one of the high points in Worcester and the views looking out from upstairs are pretty impressive.

The charity has been running since 2007 and the current building perfectly accommodates its needs.

It is bright and accessible with activity rooms, a quiet room, a dining room with a kitchen where clients can be involved in their own food preparation and a fantastic outdoor space, which has brought lots of new opportunities.

Prior to being at Greenhill Lodge, Myriad was in a more of a period property, with minimal outdoor space.

I am so pleased clients can now enjoy the outdoors much more. We pretty much all know the benefits being outside in the fresh air can bring and all the physical and mental health benefits of being close to nature.

Not content with activities, both indoors and outside on site, Myriad has three buses and clients go out on a variety of trips.

With their own buses, when I arrived, a group was about to head out on a ten-pin bowling trip.

Other days out include sailing and travelling on specialist bikes, which can be used in tandem. These are great examples of some of the sporting activities on offer.

I have been invited back to Myriad for their Open Day in May. I am very much looking forward to returning and hope to meet more clients, parents, carers and staff.

Myriad really does offer a myriad of opportunities and activities for clients and many smiles to boot.

Two people kneeling and playing a musical instrument

MAYOR’S WEEK – 5 – 11 JANUARY 2025

MAYOR’S WEEK – 5 – 11 JANUARY 2025

Comments 0 Comment

My theme for this year is Youth Matters.

Young people face an ever challenging and complicated environment.

Young people can be too easily forgotten and being less likely than older age ranges to speak up, they need support and they need a voice.

My charity for the year is Perdiwsell Young People’s Leisure Club.

Formed in 1976 in an old wartime asbestos Nissen hut, it gained charitable status in 1986 and is now in a much more modern building and known to many simply as the “blue roof”.

Keeping with its original objectives, “blue roof” provides educational and leisure time activities and facilities and supports charitable purposes in the local community.

Inclusion groups, musical groups and the skate park are good examples of activities on offer.

“Blue roof” is the largest provider of youth services in our city.

This year, I am hosting a Pride and Prejudice Charity Banquet in the beautiful Assembly Room at the Guildhall on Friday, 28 March at 6.45pm.

Organised in collaboration with the Mayor’s Charity, Perdiswell Young People’s Leisure Club, the evening will include a drinks reception with entertainment in the Lower Hall, a three-course dinner in the Assembly Room with a full programme of live music and entertainment, a silent auction, live auction of donated items and a raffle.

Please check your calendars and if available, tickets can easily be purchased by email to civicoffice@worcester.gov.uk

A graphic with details of the Mayor's Charity Banquet

MAYOR’S WEEK: 29 DECEMBER – 4 JANUARY 2025

MAYOR’S WEEK: 29 DECEMBER – 4 JANUARY 2025

Comments 0 Comment

The Great Swan Feed

Between Christmas and the New Year I thoroughly enjoyed being at Worcester’s annual Great Swan Feed.

It was an absolute pleasure, to be out on a fairly sunny day, with lots of residents and visitors to feed many, many swans.

Close up, I find you can really appreciate how majestic the swans are.

Chair and co-ordinator Marilyn McCarthy heads up the city’s Swan Food Project and works year-round with volunteers, to feed and support our swans on our River Severn.

Also to educate people on all things about swans and how best to care for them.

Marilyn was particularly patient with all my questions.

Thank you to Brown’s Restaurant for kindly serving a group of volunteers, my consort and myself, with some free dainty and delicious sweet treats and plenty of tea and coffee, as a thank you, for being volunteers and supporting the swans.

The refreshments were very much needed and appreciated, even on a partially sunny day, the air is cold in December.

I had attended the same event last year as Deputy Mayor, but the weather was atrocious and the River Severn had already flooded.

Understandably less people were out last year, but we did manage to feed a lot of swans from the water’s edge outside of Brown’s Restaurant.

It is 2025 and many of us will be making New Years’ Resolutions.

If you have a little or a lot of spare time, or something in between, I fully recommend volunteering for the Swan Food Project.

Volunteers are always needed and there are lots of jobs that need doing, including feeding the swans.

You can make contact via the website www.theswanfoodproject.co.uk/about-us/

Or if you prefer to contact in person, please feel free to contact me via the Civic Office and we can pass on your telephone number.

MAYOR’S WEEK: 15 – 21 DECEMBER 2024

MAYOR’S WEEK: 15 – 21 DECEMBER 2024

Comments 0 Comment

Carols, art and sporting Santa

Tuesday was the annual Worcester News carol service. Thank you to the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress for attending on my behalf. I was at the Policy and Resources Committee at the same time and fortunate in that it finished in time for me to catch some of the guests in the Mayor’s Parlour afterwards.

This annual event, for me, is a reminder of the importance of local journalism. It is easy to take for granted every day local news, whether a traditional paper version or online copy or news alerts. Without our local journalists and editors I believe our local world would be a very empty space.

We don’t live globally, or nationally, or online (not physically at least). We live locally, in our communities. Let’s celebrate our local communities and support our local journalists and editors.

On Thursday afternoon I viewed the Worcester Society of Artists Exhibition (WSA) at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum. There was a fantastic mix of styles and mediums. We clearly have some exceptionally talented artists in Worcester. After much deliberation I chose my favourite, Dark Flowers, by Marion Yeo (see below).

Thank you to the Chair of WSA, Chris Phillips, for taking me around the exhibition. It’s very worth a visit over the Christmas break  and perfect for a break from all the traditional festivities (please check the festive opening times). Chairs are available to sit and ponder, and quite a few of the paintings are for sale.

On Thursday I was able to join Father Christmas, Mrs Christmas and Elf with volunteers from the Worcester Lions Club charity outside Perdiswell Leisure Centre. Although it’s a super-busy time, we were able to join in with the spin class and Father Christmas and Elf achieved some pretty impressive bounces on the trampoline!

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Mayor standing next to a painting of Dark Flowers
The Mayor with Marion Yeo’s painting, Dark Flowers