Agenda item
Mayor's Announcements
To receive any announcements from the Mayor.
Decision:
NOTED the announcements from the Mayor in relation to:
· Covid-19 response & death of former Mayor Jim O’Sullivan, with tributes paid and a minutes silence observed during the meeting
· Memorial Service for Bibba Henry & Nicole Smallman
· Black Lives Matter
· The Nations Toast
· Srebrenica Commemoration 2020
· 100th birthday celebration
· Petitions
Minutes:
The Mayor began by taking the opportunity to congratulate Councillor Kansagra on his recent appointment as Leader of the Conservative Group and to wish him well in his new role. He then moved on to make the following announcements:
(i) Covid-19
The Mayor advised that during lockdown he had been pleased to be able to visit some of the mutual aid organisations who had been working with the council to distribute food to local people across the borough. These visits had included the main Brent food hub responsible for co-ordinating the delivery of all food parcels. He commended everyone involved for their fantastic efforts.
In addition, he advised Members that he had also attended the opening of the COVID-19 Test Centre in Harlesden along with Dawn Butler MP and the Leader of the Council.
The Mayor felt it was important to recognise the hard work and dedication of all staff, councillors and key frontline workers whose efforts had been essential in responding to Covid-19 pandemic across the borough. He was sure residents would also be keen to express their appreciation for the way Brent Council had supported them during the pandemic.
Members were also advised that leaders from Brent’s Multi-Faith Forum had also come together to produce a short video showing solidarity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This had been supported by a co-ordinated programme of action on Thursday 11 June, with churches ringing their bells, mosques calling Adhan, synagogues praying silently, temples calling for Prathana and mediation within spiritual centres designed to ensure all faiths were able to come together in solidarity.
The Mayor also took the opportunity to express his condolences, on behalf of the Council, to those who had lost someone during the pandemic.
(ii) Former Mayor of Brent Jim O'Sullivan
The Mayor announced it was with regret he had to advise members of the death, back in March, of former Mayor, Jim O’Sullivan who had passed away aged 84. He had served as Mayor between 2009 and 2010 having represented Barnhill as a ward councillor for 12 years. The Mayor remembered Jim O’Sullivan as a councillor who cared about all the residents he served but with a particular focus in ensuring the Irish community were recognised for their contribution and success to the borough. The Mayor advised that he would be missed, not just by his family but also by all of those who had known and worked with him.
The Mayor then invited everyone to observe a minutes silence in tribute and memory to all those who had lost their lives during the pandemic and to former Mayor and Councillor Jim O’Sullivan.
The online meeting was then paused to observe a minute’s silence
The Mayor then invited a member from each Group to pay tribute to Jim O’Sullivan
Councillor Muhammed Butt, speaking on behalf of the Majority Group, led the tributes by highlighting the passionate work Jim O’Sullivan had undertaken on behalf of the local communities he represented. His tireless work and fundraising activities would be missed by all those who had known him and especially within the Irish community.
Councillor Kansagra, then paid tribute on behalf of the Conservative Group. Referring to Jim O’Sullivan as both a friend and former colleague, having represented Barnhill ward from 1998-2010 he remembered him as a person of principle and recalled with fondness how popular he had been amongst all members of the local community. He would, he pointed out, be missed by his family and former colleagues.
The Mayor thanked both members for their kind tributes and then continued with his announcements as follows:
(iii) Memorial Service
The Mayor announced that it was with sadness he had recently attended a memorial service dedicated to the memory of Biba Henry and Nicole Smallman, following their tragic deaths in Fryent Country Park. The service had been attended by the Bishop of Willesden Right Rev, Peter Broadbent and Vicar Natasha Woodford of Holy Innocents Church, Kingsbury along with many members of their family and friends. The Mayor took the opportunity, on behalf of the Council, to express his sincere condolences to the family and friends of both sisters for their tragic loss.
(iv) Black Lives Matter
The Mayor was proud to announce the lighting up of the Civic Centre in purple on 2 June in order to highlight the Council’s and local community’s solidarity with the Black Lives Matter campaign and in order to condemn the brutal and callous murder of George Floyd by the Police in the USA. He took the opportunity, on behalf of the whole borough, to express his sincere condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd.
Commenting on how proud he was of the diversity within Brent, he was keen to assure everyone that such lack of respect and brutality would not be tolerated in the borough and was pleased to note the item scheduled for discussion later on the agenda regarding the action plan that had been developed, following a meeting with Brent’s Black Community Leaders to address their concerns.
(v) The Nations Toast
The Mayor was pleased to announce that he had been able to join the Nation’s Toast as an online event on Friday 8 May in order to celebrate the heroes of WW2. The event had been organised by the London Mayors Association and had been very well attended in marking 75 years since the end of the war.
(vi) Srebrenica Commemoration 2020
The Mayor reminded Members that this year marked the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, in which over 8,000 Muslims had been murdered as a result of their religious identity in one of the worst atrocities on European soil since the Second World War.
In reflecting on this, the Mayor was keen to remind Members of the theme “Every Action Matters”, which sought to encourage each person to reflect upon their own behaviour and choices, and demonstrate that however insignificant it may seem, every action mattered when looking to unite against hatred and discrimination.
In terms of Brent, he was proud that the area was recognised as the most diverse borough in the country and a fantastic example of how people from communities across the world, could live together and be proud of their background, whilst respecting and embracing other cultures.
(vii) 100th Birthday Celebration
The Mayor asked all Members to join him in congratulating Mrs Jane Fisher, whom he had recently joined online in order to celebrate her 100th birthday and who had been part of the Windrush commemoration video organised by Brent, This had been released on 22 June, to celebrate the second anniversary of the windrush celebration day.
(viii) Petitions
Finally, the Mayor drew Members attention to the list of current petitions, along with the action being taken to deal with then, which had been tabled at the meeting, in accordance with Standing Orders.