Minutes:
The Mayor welcomed everyone to the Chamber.
The Mayor began by sending her heartfelt condolences to all the families that have been affected by the recent earthquake in Morocco and the recent flood damage caused by Storm Daniel in Libya, where over 5000 have died and many more missing. It is often hard to find the right words at a time like this. She prayed that they may find peace, comfort and all the support they need in the days to come.
The Mayor took part in a ‘walkabout’ in Enfield in June, visiting local businesses and sharing her chosen charities with them. She received many donations and was delighted to meet as many people as possible. She would be holding a similar event in the autumn to raise awareness of her chosen charities, namely autism and cancer.
The Mayor was pleased to mention and thank Jo Fear who was present tonight, and who most councillors and officers would know. Jo recently retired in August of this year after 46 years of dedicated and loyal service. Jo had worked in various roles within the Education service, as an assessor for special educational needs, and then as an officer in school admissions, and was finally appointed as Head of Service of Admissions and Education Welfare in 2014. The Mayor was delighted to present Jo with a certificate and flowers as a thank you and appreciation for her service to both the council and the people of Enfield.
The Mayor was pleased to congratulate Cllr Georgiou and his wife on the arrival of their baby boy, and to congratulate Cllr Elif Erbil and her husband on the arrival of their baby girl in August, and to Cllr Dogan and his wife who recently had a baby girl.
The Mayor requested members’ continued professional and orderly conduct during this meeting and reminded them that any members wishing to speak should stand unless they are not able to do so and should address the meeting through her and continue to treat each other courteously and with respect during political interactions.
The Mayor noted that, unfortunately, the Young Mayor was not able to attend this evening, but Sila Karapinar, the Young Deputy Mayor, was present, and was invited to update the Chamber on their activities in their elected roles.
Sila Karapinar expressed thanks for the opportunity to speak as Young Deputy Mayor of Enfield and a member of the Enfield Youth Council.
The Youth Council had worked together and created a video and questionnaire for the young people of Enfield to vote on to choose which two priorities from the Empowering Young Enfield Plan they should focus on in their campaign. After receiving all the votes, they would be focusing on the two priorities: education and safety.
They had met with Peter Nathan, Director of Education, and Lucy Nutt, Head of School and Early Years Improvement Service to discuss what we think needs improving in the education sector. Their concerns were expressed and many things discussed including exposure to beneficial work experience and obtaining life skills such as accountancy and control over our finances.
A future focus would be on opportunities to build a CV with things like volunteering, and wanting to create a good CV belonging to a desirable individual an obtainable goal by providing ways for young people to be involved with the community, and making such opportunities better known.