Minutes:
Sickle Cell Awareness Month
The Lord Mayor informed Council that September had been Sickle Cell Awareness Month and he had attended two events during the month to help raise awareness of this disorder.
On 1 September to coincide with the start of Sickle Cell Awareness Month the Lord Mayor visited the children’s clinic at the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Unit at Leicester’s Royal Infirmary to learn more about the impact which the condition has on people’s lives.
On 6 September, the Lord Mayor joined the High Sheriff of Leicestershire at the Connecting Communities Cricket Festival at the Leicestershire County cricket ground which provided an opportunity for the Sickle Cell Society to host an information stand. Two teams from Leicester’s communities played a 100 ball match during which the Lord Mayor was invited to ‘bowl’ an over.
The Lord Mayor also intended to visit the local Blood Donor Centre to promote the importance of blood donation for sickle cell patients.
The World Reimagined
The Lord Mayor informed Council that he recently attended the formal launch of the World Reimagined, where a number of globe sculptures were placed in various parts of the city which create a trail for people to follow.
This was part of a national art project which Leicester has taken part and it explored themes such as the lived experience of those who were enslaved as part of the transatlantic slavery trade. The Lord Mayor encouraged people to go and see this excellent project.
Honoured Citizen Scheme
The Lord Mayor gave Council a further reminder that nominations were welcome for the Honoured Citizen Scheme which sought to recognise the many people who made a real difference. Information and nomination forms were available from the Member and Civic Support Team.
Eric Hudson
The Lord Mayor reflected on the sad loss of a key member of the African Heritage community in Leicester, Mr Eric Hudson. He noted that Eric was a key campaigner in fighting for the rights of the Windrush generation locally. Eric achieved a great deal for the community, such as setting up a credit union and the formation of the West Indian Senior Citizen’s Project. He noted that there was a good deal of sadness in the community at the loss of a much-admired and prominent community member. The Lord Mayor passed on his gratitude to the City Mayor for his kind words shared at Eric’s funeral.
City of Leicester – recent tensions
The Lord Mayor referred to a recent trip he undertook and commented on how when he viewed the news whilst on his trip, which referred to the disturbances in the city, it made him feel sad. He noted that when he visited events in the city as Lord Mayor, it clearly demonstrated what a great place Leicester was. He felt Leicester was a special place, this was demonstrated by how many visits there are from other places, asking us how we do it. The harmony of the diversity within the city was something to be treasured and it was what made Leicester a great place and something which was worth fighting for.
Fire and Emergency Evacuation Procedure
The Lord Mayor reminded all those present of the fire evacuation procedures detailed on the agenda.