Agenda item - Mayor's Communications.

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Agenda item

Mayor's Communications.

To receive communications from the Mayor.

Minutes:

34.1         The Mayor stated that she wished to offer the Full Council’s support and to extend its sympathy and condolences to residents from Pankhurst Avenue, some of whom lost their homes and everything in them and others who have been unable to return home since Friday 20 September when a terrible fire started and took hold in their block of flats.  The emotional trauma of seeing that fire and losing your home is utterly incomprehensible to most of us and I urge residents to contact Councillor Williams as the Chair of the Housing Committee or the Hanover & Elm Grove Ward councillors if they needed any support.

 

34.2         It was her privilege on behalf of the council to welcome those people who were directly involved in dealing with that terrible fire and its immediate aftermath. Their actions were to be rightly recognised and our thanks offered for their unequivocal support to the residents and those affected by the fire. So many people helped in so many different ways. The firefighters who responded so quickly and tackled the fire on that windy night, including crews from across the Service attended including local firefighters from Preston Circus, Roedean and Hove. Officers involved in the incident included Andrew Gausden, Nigel Cusack, Dan Channon, Matt Lloyd and Mark Andrews. The people who opened up the rest centre late that evening and helped people get warm.

 

The members of the community who started donating food and drink, clothes and furniture and who set up a fundraising page which has donations now of over £10,000 – which as Landlords of the flats the Guinness Partnership has said they will match fund. The support provided by specialists to those people experiencing shock and trauma. The team at the Control Centre took multiple 999 calls and worked hard to ensure the right resources were sent to the scene. West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service also assisted, with crews from Worthing and Burgess Hill and Station Commander Richard Bradley. They were supported by the Service’s engineering team and Sasha Phillips from the communications team.

 

I would also to thank the other blue light services who provided support on the night. There are simply too many endeavours to name each and every one. I would therefore like to ask the Chief Executive to call on the following to come forward so that I can present them with a certificate as a mark of the city’s and the council’s gratitude for their endeavours.  I will also ensure that certificates are given out to those who could not attend and that their names are recorded in the minutes.

 

34.3         The Mayor then stated that she would like to congratulate Ryan Pook, a Brighton & Hove lifeguard who, in early summer, swam through rough waves and high winds to help rescue a 13-year-old, despite the treacherous conditions at Black Rock he, was able to support and secure the boy in a rescue tube, reassure him and hold him clear of breaking waves.

 

The seafront team are an essential part of our council services and much valued for the job they do keeping people safe. Could I ask Ryan along with Councillor Robins to come forward to accept a certificate of recognition for his service.

 

34.4         The Mayor noted that the Royal Pavilion & Museums had won a prestigious Georgian Group award for the best restoration of a Georgian Interior as part of the 2019 Georgian Group Architectural Awards in recognition of the quality of the restoration work undertaken on the Saloon in the Royal Pavilion. Could I ask Janita Bagshawe, David Beevers and Tim Thearle along with Councillor Robins to come forward to accept the certificate.

 

34.5         The Mayor also noted that the team behind Brighton & Hove’s Volks Railway, the oldest working electric railway has won a Public & Community Award from the Sussex Heritage Award In recognition of how the creation of a new visitor centre and station by the Aquarium has vastly improved the railway for residents and visitors attracting more that 400 people an hour at peak times.  She then asked Barry Fuller along with Councillor Robins to come forward to accept the award.

 

34.6         The Mayor then outlined a few of her forthcoming engagements:

 

(a)  A Civic Service would take place at St Nicholas Church in Brighton on the 1 December, all Councillors will have received invitations to attend. 

 

(b)  A lecture relating to the newly returned artefact from the Royal Collection to the Royal Pavilion, on loan for a limited time only, takes place on the 5 December in aid of the Mayor’s charities. Support from Councillors is appreciated with tickets priced £20, for enquiries please contact the Civic Office.

 

(c)  The Mayor’s Christmas Reception Friday the 13 December (Lucia) at Brighton Town Hall, you are in for a real treat with the Actually Gay Men’s Choir performing. Everyone is welcome to attend.

 


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