Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been doing these brief insights into the life of a councillor roughly every two months. Unfortunately January for me was a wipe out as I came down with a serious bout of the flu, so I’m a little behind! So in this blog post I will include items of interest (at least I hope they are!) from both before Christmas and in February.
In November besides the usual meetings there was still a final flurry of General Licensing to clear up the backlog, but December saw three events of note. The annual Lantern Parade which walks round the streets starting from the Phoenix Centre was held on 3rd, and very well attended. On the 9th I went to only my second governors meeting at Gors Community School, so still feel very much a ‘newbie’, and on the 16th saw me at a totally new event when I went to a celebration for 54 years of Bangladesh. The latter was quite amazing, with what was a chapel now a venue dedicated to the Bangladesh community, absolutely packed full, with numerous speeches often not in English, but wonderfully colourful. I though the presentation of prizes would never end!
Over the last few years there has been money available to support new play facilities across the city. In the ward I represent February saw the refurbished skate park at the Phoenix Centre took another step forward, and my ward colleagues and I have discussed with officers setting up a simple Pump Track on a bit of wasteground which is already being used by kids as one with their own made mounds. Meanwhile throughout I’ve attended my ‘regulars’, health permitting, such as full council, and my monthly surgeries. In addition I may well have mentioned before that as a member of the council’s Trustees board we have a couple of pots of money to help out families with urgent requests for household goods which they simply cannot afford. I feel very humbled when I read their circumstances, and grateful for my own good fortune.
Les
