Mayor Mick Hayes Blog - January 2020
During January and February, the Mayoress and I went to a number of community based events, including the Coldharbour Tenants and Residents Association Annual Christmas lunch - yes held in January - and fundraising Race Night; Chinese and Tibetan New Year celebrations and a visit to the Town Hall from the Yoruba Community Group Greenwich.
We hosted a number of school visits, from Invicta Primary School who brought 40 pupils to see me and Compass Student Council; I also went to Bannockburn Primary, who were doing an environmental project.
It was a pleasure to attend a number of regeneration events, including a new housing development in Thamesmead called the Reach and a Topping Out Ceremony at Royal Greenwich Trust School. It was a privilege and a pleasure as Mayor to promote the rich diversity of the Borough.
To go into more detail about some of these events.
Coldharbour Tenants and Residents Association
This Association does so much for the residents of Coldharbour Estate and the Mayoress and I enjoyed attending their Annual Christmas Lunch for Pensioners on 11th January and a fundraising Race Night on 15th February. Rainbow Girl Guiding I visited the Rainbow Girl Guiding Group on 13th January, at Slade Hall library, who were celebrating their 1st Birthday.
Yoruba Community Group Greenwich
It was a pleasure to receive a visit to the Town Hall by children and adults of the Yoruba Community Group on 17th January . Past Mayor, Councillor Olu Babatola joined me to welcome the group. At the end of a great visit, the group sang to me, singing traditional songs from Yoruba about putting your best foot forward and respecting your mum.
Busy Day
On 18th January, I attended the official opening of a Peabody Housing Development called The Reach. We also got a chance to look round a recently completed one bedroom flat. Peabody had a great idea to introduce new neighbours to each other. There is a table Tennis table in the grounds. Some neighbours received table tennis bats others table tennis balls. So the only way you could get a game was to knock on a neighbours door to get all the equipment and to say hello and get to know them ! A great idea, I thought. We then went on to a Gurkha event.
This was organised by the MAUK Plumstead Branch at the Asian Community Centre in Plumstead. This was the celebration of Maghe Sakranti Anniversary. It was very well supported by the community. The group had worked hard to put on a great programme of dance and singing. It was a very colourful occasion.
School Visits
These have been great fun as always. On 20th January, Invicta Primary School brought 40 children from both their Blackheath and Deptford sites. They were very well behaved and had all their questions prepared. I got grilled !! If I thought that was a lot, on 28th January, I then had to visit Bannockburn Primary School and meet 90 children aged 8 to 9 who were doing an environmental project particularly on flooding. They all took the question of the environment very seriously which was good to see.
School Topping Out Ceremony
On 22nd January, I attended the Topping Out Ceremony of the Royal Greenwich Trust School. It was very exciting to see what is planned at the school site, but it was very muddy !! Priory Players The Mayoress and I had great pleasure to see the pantomime Cinderella performed bt the Priory Players on 24th January at Progress Hall. I invited them to the Town Hall at a future date.
Chinese New Year Celebrations
The Mayoress and I attended two events. On 25th January, the event hosted by Royal Museums Greenwich and on 28th January , the event organised by the Kut-o Chines Association. The food was great!
Holocaust Memorial Ceremony
On 27th January, we held the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony at the Town Hall, which involved many faith leaders including those from the Catford and Bromley Synagogue. It was very well attended by the local community and also involved children from schools around the Borough. We also had the Memorial Prayer read at the beginning of the Full Council meeting on 29th January by the Warden of the Synagogue.