Mayor of Worcester Blog

Old and New

For the last Saturday in July I had the privilege of attending the opening ceremony of the Three Choirs Festival. The longest-standing classical music festival in the world, fully established by 1715, this year is its 309th year! Worcester is hosting this year and thank you to all the guests for great attendance from across the three counties.

The Honorary Recorder of Worcester, Judge James Burbidge KC, the Mayor of Gloucester, the Mayor of Hereford and Lord Faulkner of Worcester were all in attendance and were an absolute pleasure to spend time with. A particular thank you to the Guildhall staff for putting together the event.

Just a day before I went to the One Youth Community Action Day at Perdiswell Young People’s Leisure Club. The largest provider of youth services in Worcester, I am so proud to have the ‘Blue Roof’ as my charity of the year.

Summer having arrived, plenty of outdoor activities were on and not an umbrella was in sight! The largest inflatable dart board I have ever seen was perfect for football target practice.

Some very talented artists were there on the day and the perimeter of the skate park was soon adorned with fresh art. I created my own piece of artwork and will be looking forward to getting it framed and auctioned off, for my charity, so watch this space!

Youth Matters is my theme for this year and it really does. Young people, you are fun to be around and you are the future. You have much to offer and need to be listened to much more.

To the young people I met from the Inclusion Club, it was so lovely to meet you all, you put a real smile on my face.

The second half of July has been a whirlwind with modern history, health, theatre and trains.

Modern day history was both poignant and thought provoking as I attended the annual Remembering Srebenica civic memorial event at the Guildhall. The lessons of this modern-day atrocity must never be forgotten.

With health, HRH Princess Anne opened the new Accident and Emergency department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and I had the privilege of a handshake and a few positive words. Princess Anne spent time touring the new emergency department and it was a joy to see the staff able to engage and show case their new facility. NHS staff do an amazing job.

The Waddle of Worcester penguin trail was launched and here’s to successful fundraising for St Richard’s Hospice, an invaluable service.

I spent an afternoon at Perry Manor Care Home who were hosting a Community Sports Day and celebrating the Olympics. The torch was carried and the flame lit. Rounds of sports ensued and afternoon tea was served. Later we cut the cake and I spent time speaking individually with residents, families, friends and staff. It was heart warming to receive such a positive response from everyone. Care workers too do an amazing job.

Theatre enabled me to watch both a rehearsal and a production. I spent an afternoon with WODYS rehearsing The Addams Family. The standard was very high and with the dedication and professionalism of the regular volunteers, no wonder this society regularly wins awards. On an evening I watched the Young Rep perform Rhymez(s*) – an incredible performance for their age and well written.

Trains. I had a real treat being able to visit both the Worcester Model Railway Club and thanks to Lord Faulkner, Cafe Loco, the Cotswold Line Promotion Group and the Worcester Locomotive Society, the opening of an exhibition of photographs at Worcester Shrub Hill Station.

Education, Entertainment, Information and the Great Outdoors.

The first half of July has made me think about our first national radio, launched by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), over a century ago.  Its charter to educate, entertain and inform, is as relevant now as it was then.

Thinking about education, I visited two super schools, North Worcester Primary Academy (NWPA) and the Riversides School.

With Riversides putting on a walking carnival and NWPA a Summer fete, entertainment was also very much order of the day.  It was heartwarming to see the local community engage with the Riversides carnival and impressive to see the fast progress on an outdoor nature space at NWPA.

Thinking about information, I visited Heart of Worcestershire (HOW) College, networking with local business on how to reduce the carbon footprint, with statistics relevant to Worcester today provided. HOW is very much in the centre of our city and provides a wide array of education including vocational, technical and professional courses.

Going back much further in time, I visited the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, for the opening of the Dinosaurs on Display exhibition. It was a real treat, with information and a close-up view of a local dinosaur, found just one hour from Worcester in Gloucestershire. There was a live choir and some of the best dinosaur outfits I have seen in some time, proof of the enduring fascination of dinosaurs across all age groups.

Thinking about entertainment, I had the privilege and pleasure of opening the Worcester Carnival and the luxury of attending live outdoor theatre, with The Three Musketeers production in the garden of our historic Commandery.

A huge thank you to all who have made these events possible. Many volunteers operate across Worcester and have a significant, positive impact, on our city. Volunteers, thank you!

Looking back, my first week as Mayor, was incredible!

I joined in with Vyshyvanka Day (International Embroidery Day) at Cripplegate Park. The Ukranians wore beautiful embroidered clothes, a display of strong their culture and colours.

Headdresses created from locally sourced flowers were worn, a feast of traditional food enjoyed, with music and dancing enjoyed outdoors.  I love spending time with our city’s Ukranian community, their warmth shines through.

It was a joy to celebrate Worcester City Football Club’s incredible season! There was a question and answer session with the owner, Simon Lancaster, the coach Chris Cornes and the team captain Adam Mace. The team had been promoted into the next league and awards were presented. It was great to have the opportunity to present the Club Person of the Season award – congratulations to Kevin Preece!

I also spent time at the Maggs Day Centre, where the staff, trustees and volunteers were both trained and knowledgeable and it was a particularly informative event. The homeless are some of the most vulnerable in our society and there are many factors driving homelessness and the trajectory a homeless person may be able to take, including local health, public and community provision.

The Men United in Song concert at the Swan Theatre was an evening to remember. Worcester Male Voice Choir had advertised for men to come forward to sing as a choir and raise funds for prostate cancer and I had been able to support the adverts.

Over £25,000 had been raised before the concert and with less than 10 weeks rehearsal, Men United in Song had a terrific sound! The event encouraged men to talk and act upon health concerns and I am sure will save many lives.

The General Election meant that all mayoral events suspended, but I am fully back to all my mayoral duties. Worcester, let’s have a brilliant year!