Minutes:
The Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting, her last as Mayor of Enfield. She reminded members that her role was apolitical, the ceremonial figurehead for the Council and the first citizen of the borough. During her term of office she had promoted the borough locally, nationally and internationally and this year, she together with the Deputy Mayor, had attended more than 500 engagements.
1. Engagements
· Meeting with the Mayor of Wigan, in her home town, (attending a football game where Wigan beat Manchester City). She wished Tottenham Hotspur Football Club good luck in the next FA cup semi-final.
· Visiting the impressive Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground in Enfield twice, meeting two of their lead board members Donna and Rebecca to talk about the community work that they were planning in partnership with the Council. The Mayor said that this had been extremely helpful to her in her new role as a board member of the Enfield Town Football Club – her number one home team. She was very proud of being part of this football club, a club owned and run by its fans - the first club in the country to do so. She encouraged members to go along and support this fantastic home team.
· Library Openings including at Edmonton Green Library, and on 22 February 2018 opening the new library at Enfield Highway.
· International Women’s Day Celebrations on the 8 March 2018, to which she had been honoured to be part, laying the plaque at Palmers Green Triangle on the very spot where, in June 1914, a group of suffragettes had attempted to hold a meeting. At the time a crowd of hostile men had attempted to break up the meeting and mounted police were called to restore order. She repeated a quote from Councillor Brett: “We are incredibly proud of Enfield’s role in the suffragette movement which had been a strong centre for activity”. It was one hundred years ago, that women got the vote - at the age of 30 and a further 10 years later before it was 21, the same as men. The Mayor had been moved when members of the Enfield Youth Parliament had given speeches on the importance of voting from a young persons’ perspective. She thanked Councillors Brett and Lappage for organising and running the event.
2. Mayoral Charities
The Mayor said a quick word about the Enfield charities that would benefit from the funds that her charity were raising this Mayoral year - ten charities which fall under the banner of Enfield Cares, Care in the Community.
· All People All Places, a local homeless charity. Seven nights a week - from the beginning of January to the end of March - a different church in Enfield was providing 12 beds for homeless people. This had recently been extended due to the severe weather conditions.
· MIND in Enfield - a local registered charity for over 40 years, promoting and improving psychological and social wellbeing of local people with mental health problems.
· Tender Care Health Initiative – a one stop shop providing services and support for the well-being of young women and children and vulnerable teenage mums, also offering teenage pregnancy antenatal classes and advice.
· The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre in Enfield which successfully helped and supported residents touched by cancer. It served patients, relatives, carers and friends affected by cancer providing information and support, working with their volunteers. Last month, they had launched a new base in Baker Street, Enfield.
· The Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Fundraising Group, which she thanked personally for the work they were doing for this charity, allowing up to date technology to be purchased for the good of the patients, in Enfield.
· Enfield Macmillan Cancer Support which had an incredible role model working for them and us in Enfield. Hayes Reese, an official MacMillan representative, an amazingly generous and warm hearted person, who worked non-stop to raise money for cancer. The Mayor gave him a massive thank you for his support this mayoral year.
· Enfield Carers Centre – a local charity providing information, advice and training to people looking after a loved one, a hugely important support mechanism for Carers in the borough.
· The Chickenshed Charity Theatre which Enfield was lucky to have in the borough. They worked closely with many people through their weekly workshops, connecting with schools, and engaging with others to provide this valued service. They were also the venue for the Mayor’s charity fundraising events: two blues nights, one` organised by St Harmonicas’ Blues club and other event, which was due to take place on the 7th April 2018. She asked members to join her there.
· Enfield Disability Action operated a one stop shop for disabled people in the borough. Although simple to explain, they did so much to provide valued support.
· Age UK which was providing a Memory Club in Enfield. The official launch happened last week. Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers can access the club, together with carers to exchange thoughts, ideas and support. The Mayor said that her visit had been quite moving.
The Mayor said that without the kind generosity of people like the members, these charities would struggle to exist and gave a massive thank you to all.
The Mayoral charity work was continuing and they would be busy until the end of the Mayoral year, so she asked members to please look out for planned future events.
3. More Engagements
Citizenship ceremonies which the Mayor attended alternatively every week with the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jiagge. They both felt proud to be present and to be able to welcome the new citizens to Enfield and the UK.
The Mayors Quiz Night had been a great success and the Mayor thanked Paul Everitt and his staff, for their kindness in letting them use the Long Gallery at Forty Hall for the event. She also thanked Hayes Reese for organising and running it. This was following his amazing work on the Mayor's Ball and his planning for an afternoon tea in the Long Gallery at Forty Hall on St Georges Day. She asked members to put the 24th April 2018 in their diaries.
4. Thank yous
The Mayor said that as this was her last council meeting, she would like to thank the many friends and other people who had worked so hard to help with the Mayoral role. Councillor Jiagge, Deputy Mayor who had fully worked with and supported her fundraising. Hayes Reese mentioned earlier who had been a fantastic lead and volunteer on her charity fundraising work.
She thanked Shaun Rogan, Head of Strategy, Partnerships, Engagement and Participation, for his help and support setting up Enfield Cares/Care in the Community charity project, the Mayoral Office Team, Koulla Panaretou, Gordon Hall, Paresh Thakore, Nicola Lowther, Kathy Constantinou, Jayne Middleton Albooye and Jeremy Chambers, and finally Claire Johnson and Penelope Williams (Governance and Scrutiny) for their support and fantastic organisation of these Council meetings.
The Mayor ended by saying “I trust that the evening goes smoothly and invited everyone into the Mayor’s parlour for a drink after the meeting”.
Councillor Taylor thanked the Mayor for her fantastic year, and the money raised for the ten caring charities she had identified, including the £10,000 raised at the ball. He listed her achievements as including: obtaining signage for the Enfield Town Football Club: celebrating women’s representation; and her invitations to many organisations, in her desire to democratise the Mayor’s parlour. He acknowledged her love of music and her support for the Millfield and Chickenshed theatres. Finally he concluded by praising the way that she had chaired the Council meetings, with fairness and impartiality. He hoped that she would continue her role in civic life and looked forward to many years to come.
Council Laban echoed Councillor Taylor’s praise, saying that she had known from the beginning that the Mayor had fantastic qualities, and that she would be an excellent advocate for the borough. She had always been especially polite and courteous to herself, especially on occasions when she had been the sole member of the opposition, attending events. She felt that Enfield should be proud of her.
Councillors Simon, Sitkin, Anne-Marie Pearce, Jemal, Delman, Hurman, Chamberlain, Doyle, Hurer, Fonyonga, Lavender and Celebi all spoke at the meeting outlining their personal experiences as councillors and thanking their fellow colleagues and officers for the support provided during the time they had served as members.
The Mayor wished them all a good future.