Agenda item
Vote of Thanks to the Outgoing Mayor
- Meeting of Annual Meeting, Council, Monday 14 May 2018 7.00 pm (Item 5.)
- View the background to item 5.
For the incoming Mayor to invite a vote of thanks for the outgoing Mayor, in accordance with Standing Order 27(c).
Decision:
NOTED the vote of thanks to the outgoing Mayor.
Minutes:
The Mayor then invited Councillor McLennan to propose a vote of thanks for co-opted and other Members serving on the Council’s Committees.
Councillor McLennan stated that the Annual Meeting of the Council was an opportunity to highlight the valued work of the Council’s co-opted committee members, given the core role they played as critical friends in the Council’s democratic process. She advised that their independence and objectivity were highly valued and concluded by thanking all of the co-opted Members for their work in supporting the success of the Council’s Committees over the past year.
The Mayor then invited Councillor Butt to propose a vote of thanks to the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Chohan.
Councillor Butt began by thanking Councillor Chohan for his dedication to the Mayoralty during his time in office, highlighting his origins in Kenya before moving to the UK to set up a successful business. As a councillor in Alperton he outlined how the outgoing Mayor had always put his residents first, encouraging them to engage in civic life and community projects and had shown a deep commitment to his local community, volunteering for many organisations across both Brent and London. This had continued during his time as Mayor, with him attending many civic and ceremonial events and serving as an outstanding ambassador for the borough, promoting Brent across London and the world. In addition, Councillor Butt highlighted the outgoing Mayors legacy in relation to his charity and fundraising efforts in support of the Asian Women’s Resource Centre and the Akshaya Patra Foundation, both providing vital support for local communities across the Borough. As a result of the time and effort invested, he was pleased to announce that Councillor Chohun (supported by the Mayors office) had raised over £30,000 during his year in office, for which he was congratulated by all members of the Council. The funds raised would improve the lives of many residents and he felt reflected the hard work and commitment that Councillor Chohan had invested as First Citizen of Brent. Councillor Butt ended by asking everyone assembled at the meeting to join him in offering their sincerest thanks to the work of Councillor Chohan as Mayor of Brent during the 2017/2018 municipal year.
The Mayor then invited Members to make additional contributions in thanking the outgoing Mayor.
Councillor Colwill (Leader of the Conservative Group) congratulated Councillor Mahmood on his election as the new Mayor and thanked Councillor Chohan for his year in office on behalf of the Conservative Group. He praised his chairmanship of Full Council meetings over the past year in terms of his friendly, open minded and fair approach and also took the opportunity to congratulate him for his wonderful fund raising efforts. He ended by extending his best wishes for the future to Councillor Chohan on the conclusion of his term of office.
The Mayor then invited Councillor Chohan to respond and review his year in office.
Councillor Chohan expressed his gratitude for having a final opportunity to review his year in office and started by placing on record his appreciation for all the support received from both Officers and Members during his Mayoral year. Specific thanks were given to Carolyn Downs as the Council’s Chief Executive and Councillor Butt, as Leader of the Council, for the support they had provided along with the following key individuals who (along with the Chief Executive) the outgoing Mayor invited to come forward to receive a small token of his thanks:
· Peter Gadsdon
· Regina McDonald
· Thomas Cattermole
· Kim Gordon
He then thanked Councillor Mahmood for his support as Deputy Mayor and wished him well for his coming year as Mayor highlighting the commitment he knew he would bring to the role.
Looking back on his year in office, Councillor Chohan reflected on the numerous events he had attended giving him an opportunity to meet many inspiring, talented and generous individuals. He advised it had been a real honour with highlights including the announcement of Brent as the 2020 London Borough of Culture, Jack Petchey Awards and also attending the Parliamentarians of Indian Origin Conference in Delhi to represent Brent. The event had been attended by 35 MPs from across the world many of whom he was pleased to report had agreed to pursue further co-operation with Brent.
Councillor Chohan then moved on to reflect on his fundraising activities over the year in support of his two chosen charities – Asian Women’s Resource Centre and Akshya Patra. He highlighted the fantastic work they carried out and was proud to confirm that the final amount he had raised in support of both organisations was £32,000. He thanked everyone who had been involved in his fundraising efforts over the year including the following members of his charity committee – Ajay Kukadia, Trupti Sangani, Babita Champaclal and Kanti Kukadia.
Concluding, the outgoing Mayor highlighted how much had had enjoyed his time in office and what a privilege it had been to represent the borough at so many events and welcome so many visitors to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Civic Centre. He ended with a special thanks to his wife Praba, daughter Jyjoti, brother Kishor and other close family members for their continued love and support throughout the year.