Mayor of Worcester Blog

As well as being ‘twinned’ with various cities in Europe and that of Worcester, Massachusetts, our City receives many younger visitors on ‘exchange’ visits from Asia.  Recently Alison and I received over 100 Chinese and Taiwanese students at the Parlour.  They are all very interested in the history of Worcester and its sights, not least of which are the Cathedral and the Guildhall itself.  They also mentioned how they loved the environment.  However, when pressed, and being students, they all agreed that they enjoyed shopping in the City.  No bad thing for Worcester!

On Monday we visited the Chapter House of the Cathedral where an award ceremony was being presented to what may be termed ‘disadvantaged’ young people aged between 19 and 24.  Beryl Cuckney, who runs her own local business, recognised some time ago that homeless and vulnerable young people have less chance in becoming engaged in full time employment.  Setting up a project that is now supported by the City Council, she has ensured that many are now equipped with relevant skills that have led to some becoming employed.  She is supporting others to set up their own small businesses.

I also had the privilege of opening the well-attended Warndon Villages Annual Fete this week.  Every year this event gets bigger and better with more stall holders, entertainment and bigger crowds.  Staged by the incredibly enthusiastic staff of Lyppards Hub, I hope its popularity remains the same every year.

During a visit to New College Worcester, a residential school for students who are blind or visually impaired, I was able to see the incredible art work that individuals had produced, hear the music they played to an enthralled audience and gained an understanding of all their accomplishments under the hardest of circumstances.  Their efforts were praised and their confidence boosted in a truly inspirational speech given by Lord Holmes of Richmond (Christopher Holmes – Paralympian), who explained how he had become blind overnight at the age of 14 but was able to prove that such a disadvantage should not hold anyone back if they really wanted to succeed.   His words were really well received by students, who were proud of their own achievements to date.

After so many years, this Saturday saw the Carnival finally come back to Worcester.  I had the pleasure of not only opening it but of crowning both the Carnival Queen and Princess.  The parade started later in the day, but before this they visited the Childrens’ Wards at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital and then Acorns, to meet children who are unable to visit the City centre.  All credit to the organisers of this great Worcester event; I hope it goes from strength to strength.

On Sunday we went to Crich in Derbyshire.  We attended a ceremony at a monument which commemorates members of the Sherwood Foresters, Worcestershire and Mercian Regiments who have lost their lives in conflicts around the world.  I laid a wreath at the site on behalf of the citizens of Worcester.

The Seniors teams of Worcester Golf and Country Club took part in a match on Monday morning to raise money for Worcester Community Trust which, while engaged in numerous activities, is seeking to combat loneliness amongst elderly residents in the city.  Over £2,000 was raised through generous donations, a raffle and an auction.

On Tuesday afternoon Alison and I entertained two groups of exchange students from China and Taiwan. Although their countries have their own magnificent histories, they were in awe of the artefacts in the Guildhall – particularly the Sword, silverware and porcelain.  And judging by the number of snaps they took, I think I’m going to be quite famous in both countries!

It may not be well known, but our University also holds graduation days for primary school children.  The youngsters take part in extra-curricular activities provided by the University and dependent upon the number of hours they accumulate, receive gold, silver or bronze certificates.  The hundred children from a variety of schools that attended the ceremony on Wednesday thoroughly enjoyed the event, having ‘gowned’ for the occasion.

On Thursday we attended another awards ceremony, this time at the Cathedral, for those in their last term at Kings School.  It was apparent that many were upset at leaving, but were looking forward to what the next chapter of their lives had in stall for them.  And finally that evening saw us at the Hive, which was celebrating its fifth year since opening.  From what started as a vision of a partnership between our County Council and the University we now have an iconic, extensively used, award winning library.

This week’s engagements were again quite varied.  Last Saturday I met with representatives from the Lion’s Club at Worcester’s lovely Huntingdon Hall.  They had invited the Chivenor Military Wives Choir, which was started by Gareth Malone in 2011, to sing a selection of songs in this intimate venue. This was a lovely evening and included four of the original wives from the choir.  There was lots of audience participation! It was a particularly special event for Joy Haffner, President of Worcester Lions as her son Adam, a reservist in the Army, sang two of his own compositions.

Earlier that day I visited the ‘Street Party’ held at St Peter’s Baptist Church, where residents were treated to various amusements by stallholders.  From Coconut Shy to Laser Games, there was something for everyone and with the weather holding, a good time was had by all.

This week I entertained a number of guests in the Mayor’s Parlour.  They included a group of French visitors from Loudon.  It was interesting to hear how much they were enjoying Worcester and its sights – they were particularly taken with the Guildhall. This was good to hear as we recently learned that the building has won a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.

On Monday, Alison and I were guests at Worcester Rotary, where we spent the evening with their incoming president Chris Burton. Samantha Sinclair-Day, the outgoing president, described how much she had enjoyed her year in the role and had managed to enlist new volunteers in her first few months.  This is quite an achievement – convincing people to give up their time to raise money for other charities, or to become involved in working with other organisations, is not an easy task.  And during the course of the proceedings I was privileged to be received as an honorary member of Rotary Worcester.

Well, another week is over – I am now looking forward to being at the start of today’s Worcester Carnival.

 

This extremely hot week brought with it new experiences for me. On Sunday I was joined by many others at the Cathedral for my Civic Service.  It was a great day with theRev. Michael Brierley delivering the perfect sermon to exemplify my theme of ‘Valuing Volunteers’.  A lot of people worked very hard to make it the successful day it was, for all concerned.

More recently I was in another place of worship – the Tallow Hill Mosque, where I joined worshippers at ‘Iftar’, a ceremony to break the fast for the day.  This was a delightful occasion with a number of people from different communities and religions coming together to enjoy a meal. A number of speeches were made, all of which related to the spirit of unity needed to overcome the intolerance and hatred demonstrated by a few.

Last Monday, on Armed Forces day, representatives of the Council joined with me and Army Reservists, Sea Cadets and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regimental Association to pay tribute to those servicemen who are in the front line, who act as peacekeepers and who provide remarkable assistance at times of humanitarian crises.

The Samaritans also held their AGM this week.  Here the committee and guests heard not only of the skills of those who receive calls from very desperate people, but also of volunteer inmates of prisons who carry out a similar but face to face role.  Once again, it’s right to point out that these are all volunteers.

I also had the opportunity of a sneak preview of WODY’s West End Musical production of Whistle Down the Wind, when I went to one of their rehearsals.  This was musical theatre at its best, with excellent singers.  I can only suggest that if you like musicals, then get a ticket as soon as possible.  The show will be staged at the Swan Theatre between 1st and 5th August; you won’t be disappointed!