Agenda item
Mayor's Announcements (including any petitions received)
To receive any announcements from the Mayor.
Decision:
Announcements from the Mayor were noted in relation to:
· 100th birthday celebration
· Brent Health & Social Care Awards
· Organ Donation Week
· Paryushan Festival
· Remembering victims of the earthquake in Morocco & flooding in Libya
· Commemoration following the death of Fran Pearson (Independent Chair of Brent Adult Safeguarding Board and Safeguarding Children’s Partnership)
· Commemoration following the death of former Councillor Ruth Moher – including personal tributes from Councillors M.Butt, Tatler, Kansagra, Mahmood, Mistry, Kabir, Lorber & Nerva followed by a minutes silence in her memory.
· Petitions
Eligible for Call-In: No
Minutes:
The Mayor made the following announcements:
(i) 100th Birthday Celebration
The Mayor began her announcements with news of a recent visit she had made to a local resident (Mrs Ida Studdart) in order to celebrate her 100th birthday. Highlighting the role Mrs Studdart had played as a resident of Brent and in supporting her local community since 1965 the Mayor thanked her for the contribution made and on behalf of all members wished her a happy 100th birthday.
(ii) Brent Health and Social Care Awards
On behalf of both herself and the Council, the Mayor advised she would like to congratulate everyone who had been honoured at the recent Brent Health and Social Care Awards. Highlighting the success of the awards, the Mayor outlined how much of a privilege it had been to be able to recognise and celebrate the achievements of so many health and social care staff across Brent.
(iii) Organ Donation Week
The Mayor took the opportunity to remind members about National Organ Donation week and to encourage as many members as possible to participate and encourage others to register as organ donors.
(iv) Paryushan Festival
Recognising the importance of the week for members of the Jain community across Brent observing the Paryushan festival the Mayor hoped that Paryushan Parv would bring happiness and prosperity.
(v) Earthquake in Morocco and Flooding in Libya
In reflecting on the devasting consequences of the recent earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Libya, the Mayor advised that the Council’s thoughts remained with all those whose lives had been affected by the terrible disasters.
(vi) Death of Fran Pearson (Independent Chair of Brent’s Adult Safeguarding Board and Safeguarding Children’s Partnership)
The Mayor advised that it was with sadness she had to inform members of the recent death of Fran Pearson who was the Independent Chair of Brent’s Safeguarding Adults Board and had also recently been appointed as Independent Chair of Brent’s Children’s Safeguarding Partnership.
In paying tribute to Fran, the Mayor highlighted the high level of respect in which she had been held locally and nationally not only in terms of her expertise but also for the way in which she had championed and driven safeguarding activity.
In recognising how much she would be missed, the Mayor ended by expressing the Council’s deepest sympathy and condolences to Fran’s family, friends and colleagues at such a difficult time.
(vii) Tributes following the death of former Councillor Ruth Moher
The Mayor advised that it was with regret and sadness she also had to inform members of the recent death of former Councillor Ruth Moher who had passed away following a long illness. In paying tribute, members were reminded of Ruth’s dedication and passion as a public servant who had served on the Council from 2005 to 2018 where she had represented Fryant ward and also spent time as Deputy Leader. In recognising her compassion and commitment to making a difference, the Mayor advised that she had agreed to allow other members, at this stage of the meeting, to pay further personal tribute in commemoration of Ruth.
In opening the tributes, Councillor Muhammed Butt (as Leader of the Council) began by offering his personal condolences to Ruth’s husband Jim, who was also welcomed as guest at the meeting. Highlighting how well he had known Ruth, Councillor Muhammed Butt felt it important to outline her caring and compassionate nature along with the advice and guidance she had provided when he had first joined the Council. In recognising the dedication and commitment she had demonstrated in representing and supporting residents across Brent and within her ward, he ended by highlighting how much she would be missed by all those who had known and served with her over the years.
Following on, Councillor Tatler also took the opportunity to offer her personal condolences to Ruth’s family, again highlighting the compassion and social values she had demonstrated and been so keen to share in supporting and mentoring other members and the local community she had served over the years. Referring to the personal support she had received from Ruth, Councillor Tatler felt there was also a need to recognise her style and how much she would be missed not only by herself but many other colleagues on the Council.
In echoing the tributes previously made, Councillor Kansagra also took the opportunity to recognise the caring, passionate and sometimes forceful nature of Ruth whom he had previously served with as a member of the Planning Committee and to offer his condolences to her family on their loss.
Councillor Mahmood, again echoing the previous comments made, also paid tribute to Ruth’s caring and helpful nature recalling the support she had provided during his time as Mayor and took the opportunity to pass on his deepest sympathy to Jim and her family.
Councillor Mistry and Kabir also spoke in personal tribute to Ruth highlighting the dignity, warmth, kindness and support she had offered to them both as newly elected councillors and her dedication to serving the residents and communities across the borough, which would be greatly missed.
Councillor Lorber then spoke to pay tribute to Ruth on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Group having known her both in terms of her role as a former councillor and also through the Memory Lounge Dementia café. In terms of any wider tribute the Council could make he felt the most appropriate way to honour her memory would be to ensure support continue to be provided for those organisations working to support those with dementia and their carers.
In concluding the tributes, Councillor Nerva reflected on the previous comments made and how much Ruth would be missed as a colleague, friend and advocate for residents across Brent. Recognising the challenges associated for those living with dementia and their carers he felt it important, in response to the previous comments made by Councillor Lorber, to commend all those involved in the provision of community based dementia support across the borough. He ended by offering his deepest sympathy to Jim and the rest of Ruth’s family and also by recognising the significant loss to the safeguarding regime within Brent as a result of the sad death of Fran Pearson.
Having thanked all councillors who had contributed for their kind tributes the Mayor ended by expressing the Council’s sincere condolences to Ruth’s family and inviting all members to join her in observing a period of silence in memory and honour of former Councillor Ruth Moher.
All present at the meeting then stood to join the Mayor in observing a minutes silence.
(viii) Petitions
As a final announcement, the Mayor referred members to the list of current petitions tabled at the meeting, in accordance with Standing Orders which also detailed the action being taken to deal with them.