Mayor's blog

Welcome to my December Blog!

I hope you had a good Christmas and all the very best to you, your family and friends for 2019.  May your year be filled with happiness, health and love.

December was an extremely busy month, not just for me but everyone.    

Final Lights Up!

I took part in the Thamesmead, Greenwich Square and Woolwich Winter Warmer Lights Up on 30th November and 1st December.  In Woolwich, the Christmas lights were switched on in both General Gordon Square and on the Royal Arsenal site.  I walked with the children in the lantern parade.  It was great fun!

Visit to Royal Mail

I visited staff at the Charlton and Greenwich Delivery Office on 4th December at 7.30am in the morning!!  The staff were working really hard to deliver all the Christmas cards and parcels in time for Christmas.

Riverston School Nativity Play

On the same day,  I visited Riverston School, Lee, SE12  where the children put on a Nativity Play for local Senior Citizens.  It was lovely and everyone enjoyed the performance.  I also received invites to visit the residents on Ann Stroud Court and 112 Eltham Road Sheltered Homes, which I was delighted to accept and will be visiting them in January, 2019.

Mayor’s Christmas Card

In my October blog, I mentioned that I had visited the After School Club at Middle Park Community Centre.  Elena aged 6 drew me a picture that day, and with her parents’ permission, the picture became my Christmas Card.

Elena and her family, together with Lin from Middle Park Community Centre, had tea with me in the Mayor’s Parlour on 4th December, so I could show her and her family the finished card printed and ready to send out to everyone.

I wanted to thank her for such a lovely picture.  After afternoon tea with me I gave Elena a drawing paper and colouring pencils as a thank you gift.  Elena started drawing straight away, and shared her pads and colouring pencils with her sister.

Christmas Events

Thank you for all the invitations to Christmas events this month.  I tried to get to as many as possible, but alas I wasn’t able to so apologies to those events I wasn’t able to get to.

To name a few, I visited the Archway Project on 5th December; Middle Park Community centre on 7th December;  Caribbean Social Forum on 8th December; Irish Community Services on 10th  December and 14th December; Crossroads Care befriending Service on 13th December; Disabled People’s Contact, Deptford Methodist Mission and Emmaus Greenwich on 18th December!! As far as Christmas dinners go I did very well only had one day where I are two Christmas meals.

Greenwich Fostering Service – Children’s Christmas Party

I was delighted to attend the Greenwich Fostering Service – children’s  Christmas Party  at Woolwich Common Youth Club on 9th December.  The party was a great success.  The children really enjoyed themselves. They loved the bubble machine disco. It wore me out just watching. Everyone was so excited.

Visit by Sherington Primary School

Year 2 from Sherington Primary School came to visit me at the Town Hall on 10th December.  There were 59 children and they took over the Town Hall literally!  I had lots of questions to answer and all the children tried on the Mayoral robe and the Woolwich chain of office.  It was great fun.  Thank you for visiting us Sherington School.

Sunshine Club for the Disabled

Together with the Deputy Mayor, I attended the final event of the Sunshine Club for the Disabled on 11th December

Thanks go to Evelyn Green, MBE and her volunteers for organising this Club over many, many years.  Now in her 90s, Evelyn has decided to finally retire!! 

Tree of Hope –  Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

I attended the Tree of Hope ceremony  at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on 12th December.  I turned on the Christmas lights in the foyer of the Hospital.  As well as joining in with the singing of carols with the famous NHS Choir. I tied my message of hope to the Christmas tree along with many others with their messages of hope.

My message was that I wished peace and happiness to the world and wished everyone a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2019.

Carol Concerts

I attended many Carol Concerts in December, right across the Borough; the Maritime Schools Christmas Cluster Concert on 3rd December; the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice on 7th December; The Chapel, Old Royal Naval College on 10th December; Eltham Crematorium on 22nd December and the Mayor’s Carol Concert on 14th December at Woolwich Town Hall, I was raising much needed funds in aid of my Charity Appeal for 2018-2019 which is Emmaus Greenwich (the homeless Charity) and Demelza children and young adults Hospice in Eltham.  

Thank you for all the invitations and to Greenwich Youth Band and the Choir from Bannockburn Primary School who put on an amazing performance. Thank you so much.

Santa Day - Welling and District Model Railway

The Annual Santa Day of the Welling and District Model Railway on 16th December was such fun and as always very well organised.  My next event that day was at the Church of Pentecost in Woolwich.  My thanks to the church for allowing me to arrive later to their event, to allow me to attend the Childrens Santa Day event. That was very much appreciated.

Presentation of Freedom of the Borough Medal

Together with Past Mayor, Councillor Peter Brooks and Councillor Jackie Smith, I presented a Freedom of the Borough medal to the family of Mair Garside who sadly passed away in April, 2018 before the Borough was able to present to her Freedom of the Borough Medal.

Mair first received the Freedom of the London Borough of Greenwich in October 1999 for services to education and Thamesmead. This was reconfirmed in March 2012 when the Borough became a Royal Borough.

APPEALING TO YOU!

I would like to round up my December blog with a mention of my charities for my Mayoral year.  I am supporting Emmaus Greenwich the Homeless Charity and Demelza Hospice Care for Children and Young Adults SEL - Eltham.

Emmaus Greenwich is based in Plumstead and is a homeless charity.  “Their  aim is to establish and maintain a successful community for previously homeless people; enabling them, through the provision of accommodation and work in a self-supporting social enterprise, to recover their dignity, regain control over their lives, and generate the wherewithal to help those less fortunate than themselves."

Demelza Children’s and Young Adults Hospice SEL which is based in Eltham. “Demelza provides professional, specialist, one-to-one care and support and access to life-enhancing facilities for babies, children and young adults up to the age of 19.

For life to be better for those who have life-threatening or life-limiting conditions; and for their parents, brothers and sisters, and those who love them, to receive support. 

To influence the care and support provided by others.”

I am hoping to raise as much money as possible for both deserving Charities.

If you wish to support my charities, please contact my office on Tel: 020 8921 5023  Cheques should be made payable to the “Mayor’s Charity Appeal”, and can be sent to the Mayor’s Office, Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6PW.

You can follow the Mayor of Royal Greenwich on Instagram – chris.the.mayor, Twitter - @chris.the.mayor and Facebook – christhemayor.