When I became Mayor of Worcester, previous incumbents told me that it would not only be the busiest year of my life but also the quickest.  They have been proved right!  I have been genuinely surprised at the number of engagements which I have been invited to undertake – and the time really has flown. Alison and I have done everything from meeting members of the royal family and attending formal Annual General Meetings, to opening a local fast-food outlet.  I believe that the Mayor is there to promote Worcester itself – and I’m happy to help raise the profile of local businesses and organisations in any way I can.

In May a new Mayor will be appointed – so I want to continue to work to value our local volunteers in the remaining time.  If any organisation out there wants to give something back to their volunteers, I’d be happy to host them in the Mayor’s Parlour for afternoon tea and a tour of the Guildhall.  You can contact me via civicoffice@worcester.gov.uk to arrange this.

This week I was very pleased to see students from our twinned town Kleve, Germany, visiting the City.  I was able to tell them a little about Worcester’s history, and they were keen to mention similarities with their home town and suggest we could look to a greater association.

On Friday there were two engagements.  The first was at The Hive where we viewed the designs of the giraffes for the “Worcester Stands Tall” event, which St Richard’s Hospice is hoping to raise money through sponsorship.  The artistry was excellent, making it extremely difficult to choose the pattern of the giraffe that should represent Worcester City.  They will be there this weekend, if you would like to take a look.

That evening we were treated to piano recitals by senior pianists at the Royal Grammar School.  They were exceptional – as was Ms Marina Staneva, an international soloist who played a number of pieces by European composers.

There’s only four weeks to go now until my Tandem Skydive.  No real nerves yet – just pure fear setting in!  If you would like to sponsor me to raise money for my chosen charities Headway, Onside Advocacy and Victim Support, please visit the website Virgin Money Giving and search for Steve Mackay.  Thank you.