[To receive the Mayor’s announcements]
Minutes:
1. Death of Honorary Alderman Paddy Bradley
The Mayor was saddened to announce the death of Honorary Alderman Paddy Bradley, who passed away on 23 June 2022, at the age of 86 years. She had served as a councillor for almost 40 years. She had been Deputy Mayor and was appointed an Honorary Alderman in September 2012.
The Mayor passed on condolences to her family and friends.
The Mayor was also saddened to announce the deaths of:
· Dame Deborah James who recently died after a long and very well documented battle with cancer.
· Mary Garner, a stalwart of Blakenhall politics and mentor to the Mayor in the early days.
· Reverend Eddie Brooks, a former teacher in the city who had taught some of the councillors.
The Council stood in silent tribute to the late Honorary Alderman Paddy Bradley, Dame Deborah James, Mary Garner and the Rev Eddie Brooks.
2. Jubilee Portrait Competition Afternoon Tea With the Mayor
The Mayor had the pleasure of hosting an afternoon tea at the Art Gallery celebrating the winners of the Mayoral Platinum Jubilee Portrait Competition. Hundreds of entries had been received from people of all ages across the City, the competition showcased the incredible talent in Wolverhampton. The Mayor thanked all those that entered and made the afternoon such a great celebration.
3. Crich Pilgrimage
The Mayor reported on the first Sunday in July, the Mayor had the honour of attending the annual pilgrimage to the Mercian Regimental memorial in Crich, Derbyshire. It was a moving service where those servicemen and servicewomen who died in battle were remembered. The Consort and Mayor were honoured to represent the City alongside other Mayors, dignitaries, soldiers and veterans from the Mercian Regiment from across the Midlands and Cheshire at this year’s event.
4. National Windrush Day and Flag Raising Ceremony
The Mayor reported that on Wednesday 22 June, she was proud as our city’s first ever African Caribbean Mayor, to join members of the community to raise the Windrush Day flag and host a reception in the City Suite. The day was close to the Mayors’ heart, as a child of the Windrush generation. The day celebrated and thanked the Windrush community in the City for their enormous contribution after the Second World War.
5. 60th Anniversary of Jamaican Independence
The Mayor reported she would be raising the Jamaican flag on 5 August at 11am to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Jamaican Independence and encouraged others to also attend.
6. BITC Work Inclusion
The Mayor reported she attended and spoke at the Business in the Community workplace inclusion event held in the city suite which was organised by the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Team. National business leaders came to share best practice around being inclusive employers.
7. Visit to Wolverhampton- Delegation of African Academics
The Mayor reported she was invited to open and speak at the second Forum for Innovation in African Universities which was hosted by the University of Wolverhampton on Thursday 7 July. Distinguished speakers from across the African continent and the world were in attendance with a focus on Africa’s educational resilience post-Covid. The following day, the Mayor hosted many of the delegates in the City Suite for a Civic Lunch.
8. Refugee Week
The Mayor reported that it was Refugee Week at the end of June. A poem written by Hejar Paar from the Refugee and Migrant Centre, which had been described as a “powerful piece of writing” calling for greater freedoms in the world, had recently been shared on the national Refugee Week website and was also posted on the council’s Twitter page @WolvesCouncil.
9. Queens Baton Relay and Commonwealth Games
The Mayor was delighted to report she had been granted the honour to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games and the Queen’s Baton Relay when it visits our city on Sunday 24 July as well as the cycling time trial event which starts and finishes in West Park on Thursday 4 August. These events would bring the eyes of the world onto our city, there would be plenty of ways for people to get involved in both events, including a festival site in old Market Square on the day of the race, which would be fun for all the family.
The Mayor added that Councillor Simon Bennett would be at the Commonwealth Games as a Technology Team Member working with Longines, the official timing party of the Games. She wished him well in this important role.