Mayor of Worcester Blog

I was recently asked by some university students “with all the geopolitical and environmental issues facing the world are you still optimistic?” Of course, the answer is yes. The world may have challenges and problems to overcome but right here in Worcester we live in an amazing place.

There are lots of reasons to be positive about our city. I am looking ahead to many events in 2024. In January I’ll be joining the Malayali community in their Christmas and new year celebrations at Nunnery Wood Sports Centre. There are quite a number of Malayali people originally coming from southern India that came here to work in places like Worcester Hospital.

In February we will see the colourful Chinese New Year celebrations held at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Museum and also the spectacular return of the city centre Light Festival organised by Severn Arts.

In March I’m organising a black-tie charity fashion show at the Guildhall along with local schools and Age UK. The fashion show will be upcycling items of donated clothing, it’s a fantastic opportunity for local students to show what they can do. I hope that it will develop their creative skills and boost their confidence whilst raising money to support local people living in and around the city.

In August, although I’ll no longer be Mayor by then I’m looking forward to the great Penguin Waddle organised by and in aid of St Richard’s Hospice.

New Year is a time to reflect a little on the year just gone and look ahead and think of the possibilities and opportunities ahead of us. I hope you had a good Christmas. I wish you a Happy New Year – let’s make it a good year!

 

In the lead up to Christmas the Mayoress and I have been delighted to be invited to carol services and Christmas concerts across the city. It has been a real insight on the rich variety of such events, from primary school nativities to the rather more formal “Nine lessons and carols”.

One such event is the Mayor’s Charity Christmas Concert in the Guildhall. This is such a delightful charity event, this year raising money for Age UK. I attended it for many years before I was Mayor and for me, it signals the start of festivities.

The Guildhall was so fortunate to have the Elgar Chorale providing the music. The quality, was as always, top notch with a good mix of well-known Christmas music and some I hadn’t heard before, including one written this year by their conductor, Piers Maxim. We were actively encouraged to sing along to the carols, which is rarely allowed at concerts and even allowed to sing the harmonies if we wanted!

The icing on the cake of this event is the amusing readings that punctuate the music. These were acted out hilariously for the audience and even included a letter written by Elgar to a friend at Christmas. I’d never realised he’d had such a sense of humour!

The audience was the largest we had seen for many years and there was a festive family atmosphere. Over £1000 was raised on the night for Age UK and it was great to have Hazel, chair of the local branch there to tell us more about the charity.

Of course, Christmas is not always easy for everyone and it’s a time of year that we really need to be aware of others perhaps going through a difficult time. Look out for neighbours and friends who might be struggling.

Well, I am signing off Mayoral duties for 2023 shortly and wish you all the season’s greetings.

 

 

Which Worcester group offers the opportunity to play Pickleball or Short Mat Bowls on Monday, Tap or Line Dance on Tuesday, attend an interesting talk on anything from the Tudor diet to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on Wednesday, explore local or ancient history on Thursday and meet for coffee with new friends on Friday? Answer: Worcester u3a.

My focus for this year is older people in our community and my chosen charity is Age UK. So, I was keen to meet with two very enthusiastic members of Worcester u3a who have been educating me about the opportunities and clubs offered by their organisation. I was left with plenty of information about the organisation’s activities and events available to members.

Being the mayor, I’ve been exposed to and learnt new things. u3a used to stand for ‘university of the third age’. They no long use this description; it’s just u3a. It’s nothing to do with universities or academic qualifications – it is simply a social club for people who want to have fun.

For nearly 40 years, this group has been organising talks, outings, sporting and learning activities for those no longer in full-time work.  With over 900 members and 90 interest groups, this volunteer-led group has opened up a host of opportunities for Worcester’s retired and semi-retired residents.  Interest groups are led by members, keen to pass on their knowledge or passion, in a friendly, informal way.  No qualifications are needed to join and none are given. u3a’s strapline is “Learn, Laugh, Live”, the emphasis being on socialising and having fun.

The membership year starts at the beginning of September and for a modest yearly fee, members can join as many group activities as they can fit in their diary, as well as attending talks and social events. The exciting programme for 2024 includes a New Year lunch at Brown’s on the Quay, a quiz, a Beetle Drive and a Retro Disco!

If you would like to find out more about Worcester u3a, please see their website, www.worcesteru3a.org

 

Last week I visited New College Worcester (NCW). The school has a mixture of boarders and day pupils who are either blind or visually impaired. There is a strong emphasis not only on academic studies but also getting the students ready for independent living for when they eventually leave school.

The college is in Battenhall ward, an area I’ve been fortunate enough to represent since 2016 and I’ve visited the college several times over the years and have always come away having learnt something new or with a challenge to my world view. It’s sometimes unsettling to be confronted with our own preconceptions and biases.

Writing this blog made me think back to the very first time I visited the college – it would have been about 1981 when as a young teenager I joined the school chess club and our school played against New College Worcester. I was about to get a reality check – right in the teeth. I thought I was quite good at chess – how could I lose against someone who couldn’t ‘see’ the board? Needless to say, I was thrashed and, quite rightfully, given an early lesson to a) never underestimate my opponent and b) check those unconscious biases on what others can do.

On this visit to NCW I learnt about the difference between basic and advanced braille. Level 1 braille spells out every letter but level 2 is much faster to read as whole words are put into a single piece of the code. There is a strong art department working on 3D modelling and textured collages.

This week I’ve also had the pleasure of listening to one of NCW’s very talented musicians. Thank you, Izzy, for joining me at the Guildhall for a tea, cake and piano/singing event for Age UK guests. Izzy can’t read music so learns each piece by heart. Izzy: You were amazing.