Minutes:
Moved by Councillor Westley, seconded by Councillor Roger Blackmore, supported by Councillor Scuplak, and carried:-
4. “My Lord Mayor, it gives me great pleasure tonight to move this motion of thanks to Maggie Bodell-Stagg. It does not seem a year ago that you were elected Lord Mayor. Only those who have held this office know the hard work that is needed. Many older Members in this chamber and your friends know your character and that you thrive on hard work.
But I have to mention someone else who has also worked hard and that is Paul Bodell, your Consort.
Over the year, you have both campaigned, exhaustively, for your charities, raising an amount approaching £100,000 for the Salvation Army Social Programme in Leicester, the Emery Hospital, Anand in Gujarat India and the Kwetu (Our People) Women and AIDS Project in Tanzania, which is reflected in the many engagements that you have fulfilled throughout the year.
You carried out 709 official functions – 111 of those which you hosted here in Leicester. The list is too extensive for me to mention them all, but I feel I have to mention just a few of them. Some of the visitors you hosted were from Strasbourg, Japanese Councillors, Spanish students, the Mayor of Kampala, Rajkot and Kilkenny, the Ambassadors of Bulgaria and Cuba, but you felt one of the most important set of functions was the many hundred-year birthday celebrations of people across the City which were greatly appreciated, especially from the many elderly people's homes that you attended.
You also attended many award ceremonies the City ought to be proud of, especially the reception you hosted for the Leicester Football Club, the Tigers, the many visits you made to the Leicestershire County Cricket Ground but not least the reception you held in the Town Hall for the Leicester City Football Club on their promotion to the Premiership.
But above all, one of the proudest moments for you in your year of office was when you greeted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the city on her Golden Jubilee celebration. During that visit the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire got waylaid from the railway station and I believe the Queen arrived at the city centre first. But like your character you were there to put things right and keep the Queen company throughout her visit.
Maggie, one of the most important tasks of being Lord Mayor, as you found out, was meeting so many people, young and old alike, from different backgrounds and different walks of life and making them feel part of their community.
As I have previously mentioned, one of your charities was the Emery Project in Anand where you saw at first hand not only the abject poverty but the new hospital being built with the money you have raised here in the United Kingdom.
After all your years on the Council you will be sadly missed by colleagues and friends that you have made over the years. One thing stands out is that you were a people’s person, nothing was too much trouble for you. All the people you represented you did with commitment.
Maggie, you asked me to be brief, which I have tried to be. There are many, many more things I could have added to my speech but a year ago, I had the pleasure to move the Motion to Council that you be elected Lord Mayor; tonight, I am even prouder to move this Motion of Thanks on what you have achieved over the year and our thanks to Paul who has been at your side throughout.
I move the resolution of thanks.”
The Council recessed from 6.20 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. to allow the invited guests to make their way to the Lord Mayor’s Reception in the New Walk Museum.