Agenda item
Mayor's Announcements (including any petitions received)
To receive any announcements from the Mayor.
Decision:
Noted the announcements from the Mayor in relation to:
· Queens New Year’s Honours List 2019
· Holocaust & Genocide Memorial Day
· Lest We Forget Bench
· Pride of Brent
· Rainbow Flag raising event
· Mayor’s Gala Fundraising Dinner
· London Marathon – participation of a Brent Councillor
· International Delegation visits to Brent
· Petitions
Minutes:
The Mayor made the following announcements:
(i) Queens New Year’s Honours List 2019
The Mayor announced he was delighted to see so many Brent residents having been rewarded in the New Year’s Honours List. Members were asked to join him in congratulating the following individuals:
· Vera Schaufeld 88, who he advised lived in Barnhill and had been made an MBE for services to Holocaust Education, having dedicated her life to teaching adults and children with little or no knowledge of the English language.
· Mustafa Field, Director of Faith Forum for London who had been made an OBE for services to faith communities and social cohesion.
· Jashu Vekaria, Deputy Head Teacher of Uxendon Manor Primary who, having been voted best teacher in the Pearson Teaching Awards 2016, had now also received an MBE for services to primary education.
· Andria Zafirakou, who taught at Alperton Community School, and had been awarded an MBE for services to education and young people, having also recently won the global competition to find the world's best teacher.
· Jamshaid Ahmad, a home office immigration officer who had been recognised with an MBE for services to law and order.
· Councillor Tariq Dar who had received an MBE for the work done over four decades with communities across Brent and whose award he felt was highly deserved.
(ii) Holocaust and Genocide Memorial Day
The Mayor informed Members that he was honoured to have attended the Holocaust and Genocide Memorial Day event, which had taken place at the Civic Centre to remember the victims of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides.
He felt the memorial had highlighted the importance in ensuring events like these were never able to happen again and reinforced the need to continue challenging hatred and prejudice at every level.
(iii) Lest We Forget Bench
The Mayor was pleased to remind Members of the unveiling, back in December 2019, of the Lest we forget Bench in order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War One. The bench, located in the Paul Daisley Garden, had been designed to create space for reflection in memory of all conflicts past and present and to honour service personnel in the sacrifices they and their families had made.
(iv) Pride of Brent
The Mayor was pleased to advise that he and the Chief Executive had been able to invite many long serving staff, unable to attend the Pride of Brent awards, to tea in the Mayor’s Parlour. This had been an enjoyable afternoon providing a further opportunity to recognise staff for their valuable contribution.
(v) Rainbow Flag
The Mayor advised he had been delighted to join staff, councillors and residents to celebrate diversity, inclusion and tolerance at the recent rainbow flag raising ceremony on 19 February 2019 in honour of LGBT+ History Month.
Members were reminded that LGBT+ History Month took place in February each year and provided an opportunity to recognise the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and to raise awareness of matters affecting the LGBT+ community. The theme of this year’s month was Peace, Activism and Reconciliation.
(vi) Gala Fundraising Dinner and other announcements
The Mayor reminded Members that his last Gala Fundraising dinner would be taking place on Friday 5 April 2019 at Brent Civic Centre. The evening would consist of a three course meal and entertainment with tickets available via the Mayors Office.
The Mayor also took the opportunity:
(a) To wish Councillor Denselow good luck in completing his tenth London Marathon, which he was running to raise funds for the children’s library at the community-run Kensal Rise Library.
(b) To advise Members that he been honoured to have had the opportunity to welcome several high level international delegations to Brent in order to promote the Borough. He highlighted how impressed they had all been by the Council’s progressive, innovative approach to delivering quality public services for its residents.
(c) To highlight a number of visits he had been privileged to undertake to various synagogues, temples, mosques, churches and other places of worship, given the key role they played across the Borough.
(d) To wish Carolyn Downs, as Chief Executive, a happy birthday on behalf of all Members of the Council.
(vii) Petitions
Finally, the Mayor drew members’ attention to the list of current petitions along with action being taken to deal with them, which had been tabled at the meeting, in accordance with Standing Order 66.