Mayor of Worcester Blog

Has Worcester got talent?  Well from what I’ve seen in recent weeks, we certainly have!  Saturday saw the Showcase Performance of The Harlequin Stage School; some 80 dancers enchanted an enthusiastic audience at the Tudor Grange Academy ahead of their visit to Rumania for the World Championships.  It was a delight to watch Team Worcester perform all their routines step perfect, how they all remember what to do next is beyond me – and it was perfectly executed across all age groups.  I wish them well in the forthcoming Dance World Cup, they deserve every success!

Talent is apparent across many activities here in Worcester, this was also demonstrated by the work exhibited in the Digital Photography Exhibition held in the Commandery.  Brian Bullock introduced me to the exhibitors who, following course work at the Shrub Hill Workshop centre which provides help, support and skill development for those recovering from mental health issues, (www.hacw.nhs.uk) displayed their work very well and showed some beautifully captured shots and images.

Also on the note of mental health, the launch of “Engage Life” took place on Monday 8th June, a charitable organisation that seeks to, “Empower adults with mental health issues, by providing a variety of activities that enable them to realise their full potential.”  Whilst talking to their Chief Officer, Penny in their offices at 19 Britannia Road, I was astonished to learn that, for the year ending 2015, in South Worcestershire alone there were estimated to be over 25,000 people with mental health disorders.  I wish Penny and her Team every success in their efforts to support those in need.

Worcester District Scout Council held its AGM this week and reported another great year of achievement with numbers growing still further. A real success story!  There are over 1,000 youngsters involved across a wide range of interesting and educational activities – not least being that of Leadership and life skills.  Four Chief Scouts were presented with long service awards, two for 15 years and two for 25 years. Apart from all the other good news I am delighted that my granddaughter Rachel will be going to Japan in June as a member of the Team representing Worcester and Herefordshire at the International Scouting Jamboree – and her brother, Tom, will be going to Iceland around the same time, as a young leader with Worcester District Scouts.

Friday saw the opening of the Three Counties Show, always a great event and one well worthwhile visiting. The first Show took place in Broad Street Hereford in 1797, since then the 3 Counties have come together to stage an Agricultural Show on 218 occasions.   “The Show” was granted Royal Title in 2013 and The Princess Royal became Patron of ‘The Show’ in 2014

Make the effort, don’t miss it!!

It was a delight to be at the Swan Theatre to celebrate the 50th year; their Gala night on Sunday 17th May was followed by an open day at the Swan on Saturday 30th May. Both were lovely occasions and a credit to Chris Jaeger without whom we would not be enjoying Huntingdon Hall, Shakespeare at the Commandery and the Cathedral, of course not forgetting the Swan theatre complex itself. I think we owe Chris and his Team a debt of gratitude. Thank you Chris!

The Splash Pad saw its fifth anniversary and on a somewhat chilly morning, Tuesday 26th May, my wife and I recorded the anniversary with some press photos. However on arrival we were the only ones there, as I said it was chilly and not ideal water fun weather, but just as the photographers unpacked their kit, two families arrived from Malvern for a little “Splash Pad” fun. I have to say the children, Martha, Sylvie & Joe, are much hardier than I, as despite the cold, they loved it!!

This facility has become a West Midlands destination – during its first full year of operation some 750,000 visitors passed through the gates of the park and I gather numbers have now risen to 850,000. A huge figure for any park, but for one so small it is a real success story!

Sir Robert Worcester KBE, DL is the founder of MORI. A member and contributor to many voluntary organisations, he visited Worcester this week to give a lecture in the Cathedral on Magna Carta. Sir Robert has both American and British nationality, a charming man who holds more prodigious positions and roles than there is room to list in this column.

We had the pleasure of showing him around the Guildhall and talking through some of the history of Worcester. He was very interested in Fort Royal and the visit by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1786 and expressed a keenness to see the proposed bronze, commemorating the occasion, erected on the site of the original fort.

As you may know; Adams wrote at the time, “Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbours and your children that this is holy ground; much holier than that on which your churches stand. All England should come in pilgrimage to this hill once a year”.

 

Left to right: Mayor of Worcester Roger Knight & Deputy Mayor Mike Whitehouse

Well this has been something of an explosive week. Talk about photo bombing – my diary suddenly became “bombed” by more engagements than I can count!! It was a great honour to be elected Mayor at the Annual Worcester City Council meeting and I look forward with pride to serving our City during this municipal year.

In addition to the usual Mayoral duties we saw the sad departure of our Managing Director, Duncan Sharkey, who is off to pastures new in Milton Keynes. A lunch time reception was held in his honour and around 160 people attended, which I think says something about the man, the job he has done over the past five years and the esteem in which he was held by the team. Good luck in your new role Duncan and our best wishes for health and happiness for the future.

A group of exchange students from Germany visited the Guildhall on Wednesday, arranged by Blessed Edward Oldcorne College. They were a pleasure to talk to, very well behaved, interested in our City and amazed by its history. We also had the honour of marking the celebration, on the Guildhall steps, of the 25th anniversary of Headway, a charity that does some remarkable work supporting people who have suffered with brain injuries

The Sea Scouts had their annual inspection and it was quite an occasion. I was impressed to find that the courses available, allow Cadets to accrue recognised qualifications which, if all the courses available were completed, could be the equivalent of five GCSEs.   A Royal Navy Commander, stationed in Bristol, attended and conducted the inspection, which was very thorough, and he fed back to the Cadets his findings and the value of their training, he also spoke to the visitors who had come to see the event. I felt the Cadets were a credit to Worcester and I also believe that they are gaining a great foundation for later life.

Left to right: Mayor Roger Knight, Martha, Sylvie & Joe at the Splashpad

Our parks were inspected this week to ascertain whether or not they are to maintain their Green Flag status. I met with the judges in the “Sons of Rest” in Gheluvelt Park and talked through the progress made and successes that we have had. This particular park has benefited, in recent years from a £1.4m Heritage Lottery grant and apart from a magnificent new play area and general refurbishment, this funding enabled the Splashpad to be built. Replacing a 1950’s paddling pool, the Splashpad has become a real destination and so successful that it contributed considerably in attracting some 750,000 visitors to Gheluvelt Park in its first full year of operation.