THE MAYOR OF WIRRAL - CHERRY POVALL
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THE MAYOR OF WIRRAL - CHERRY POVALL
We have been so privileged to visit so many different projects and meet so many interesting people over the last few months , all of whom have provided fabulous insight to their lives , work arenas , and the lives that they help change for the better .
Highlights have included attending the 40th Anniversary of the Wirral Talking Newspaper . What a super team of people , still supporting over 100 blind and visually impaired Wirral residents by helping them stay connected with the wider world and increase their inclusion throughout the community . Even in this hectic tech-age , getting the local news on a tape is still very important to the target service user group , and long may such a vital service continue .
From the Talking Newspaper we went on to visit another institution - the Friends of Clatterbridge - celebrating their 70 years of service and the relaunch of their logo . This organisation , comprised of great community-minded people , provides a much-needed service in the area .
Raising four Green Flags in some of Wirral ’ s beautiful green spaces was yet another privilege ; firstly Thornton Hough ’ s village green ( the first Green Flag to be awarded in Wirral over twenty years ago ), Warwick Park in Upton receiving its first Green Flag which is a testament to the Friends of Warwick Park whose hard work had made this accolade achievable , Frankby Cemetery where more evidence of the hard work of volunteers was rewarded , and finally Royden Park where we met a large number of the dedicated group of volunteers who help manage and maintain the parklands .
We have had some interesting visitors to the Mayor ’ s Parlour also . Firstly , from representatives of the Peruvian Navy who have had close ties to Birkenhead for many years . Also making their thirty fifth visit to the Wirral were Spanish students and teachers from a college in Alicante who return faithfully to Wirral every year with a view to sharing learning and life experiences .
This year Wirral is the Borough of Culture and we have been to some amazing events . The Gaia Project in Birkenhead Park was amazing and was visited by over 30,000 people in the three days it was here on our peninsula . For those that didn ’ t get the chance to visit , it was a fantastic huge balloon depicting the view of earth from space but around it the Culture Team had built environmental-themed stalls , along with local groups of young people playing music and choirs singing . It was a very successful event that was enjoyed by all attendees . Another event under the Year of Culture banner was the most amazing Latin American Festival held at the Future Yard in Birkenhead . The place itself is a well-kept secret , and the music and dancers in beautiful costumes from all around South America were both amazing and stunning in their design . For anyone interested , there is a similar event in Castle Street in Liverpool on 10th September , all free of charge and definitely worth a visit . We have also visited a couple of Viking festivals which effectively illustrate that our history very much evolved from the Vikings , and it was highly interesting to see just how advanced in many ways their culture was and how very important it is to Wirral ’ s story . There are many parts of our peninsula and our modern-day language which date back to the Vikings ’ presence here on our shores .
We visited a project which I think is fantastic and life-changing for young people . Weapons Down Gloves Up is about reducing knife crime and diverting young people away into more productive pastimes . Run by Chris Nesbet who is an inspiration himself , with support from Karl and his team at the Two Brother Gym , we were treated to a training session put on by the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines who had travelled from Portsmouth and beyond to deliver it . The Navy and the Marines considered this work an essential part of their public-facing role to provide an insight into these military services . Overall , Weapons Down Gloves Up is an amazing project which has the chance to make a huge difference to a lot of young people ’ s lives for many years to come .
Another inspiring event was the Mersey Swim run by Liam Hanlon DL , who is Wirral ’ s very own Action Man ! It was amazing to witness the arrival of 181 swimmers coming ashore after swimming the Mersey in an awe-inspiring fashion . Incredibly , there was a 10-year-old little girl , a lady who was blind , and an 85-year-old amongst the swimmers , not to mention many ladies of retirement age who were very proud of their achievement and rightly so ! It was a privilege to join the Lord Lieutenant in giving out the medals to all those who partook in the event .
During the month , we also had some light-hearted fun too ! We enjoyed the Family Hoedown put on to support the Mayor ’ s Charity Fund at Leasowe Castle , and we also enjoyed an Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show which were also held at Leasowe Castle . The latter was done to support the Charity called Amy and Friends . We were delighted to attend a concert given by the Bel Canto Choir who put on a fantastic performance in aid of the Mayor ’ s Charity Fund for which we were very grateful . Their performance was absolutely beautiful !
The serious part of my duty has been the Citizenship Ceremonies where new British Subjects have taken their Oath of Allegiance to the King and to this Country . It was a very moving ceremony for many of our new residents who all have a different story to tell about why they want to be part of our great country and part of the Wirral family . I hope they will prosper and contribute to our communities which will make a difference to their lives , and the communities within in which they live . We now look forward to moving into Autumn and lots more special events , of which we will keep you posted over the coming months .
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