Minutes:
Moved by the City Mayor, seconded by Councillor Westley and carried:
4. Thank you my Lord Mayor. I am very pleased to have this opportunity on behalf of Members of the Council and the City of Leicester to express our sincere thanks to Councillor Corrall for a busy and enormously successful term as Lord Mayor. As many of us know Stephen has for many years been a tireless advocate for our Armed Forces and veterans. So it was particularly appropriate that during his year of office he was able to represent the City at events that saw both the centenary of the Battle of the Somme and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Both were marked in Stephen’s presence with services at Leicester Cathedral, and acting in his capacity as our Armed Forces Champion he has set up a new breakfast club for veterans offering them a chance to socialise and to share experience. I think all Members will agree that his work and engagement with our Armed Forces has been a credit to the Council and the City, not just in his year of office but for many years before that, but particularly during his year of office.
Looking back over his year I asked for some statistics of just how busy he had been and he has indeed been very busy indeed on our behalf - some 344 engagements in total. Some of those, perhaps just the highlights for today, include meeting four members of the Royal Family, most recently of course her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Maundy Service at Leicester Cathedral on what of course we have now learnt will be one of Prince Phillip’s last public events. Other engagements included hosting the Armed Forces Day Service and Parade, the Damask Rose Ceremony, the Christmas lights switch on, the Remembrance Service and the Parade at Victoria Park, attendance at the Caribbean Carnival, the Diwali Light switch on, supporting the Holocaust Memorial and the Worker’s Memorial Day in Town Hall Square, and hosting three presentation evenings for Leicester Scouts. The granting of the Hereditary Freedom of the City to 17 applicants and a number of thank you receptions to acknowledge the work and contributions of our Honorary Aldermen and the Guild of Freemen have also featured during the year. He has welcomed overseas visitors on 10 occasions, including jointly hosting delegates from four cities with Leicester City Football Club for the very successful Champions League run at the home matches. Stephen has also presented the Honoured Citizen of the Year Award that acknowledged the work of nine individuals for their work serving the community of the City and it was won by His Honour Simon Hammond who recently retired from Leicester Crown Court after over 20 years’ service. Simon was nominated for his service to the judiciary system and his support to his local community. But of course as always the Lord Mayor’s appeal features very much in the year of our Lord Mayors and Stephen has raised an impressive £30,000 for his chosen charity which was the Leicester Children’s Holiday Centre at Mablethorpe, something which I know was very dear indeed to his heart. He worked hard to organise a number of fundraising events including charity meals at T&K Balti House, Santhi Restaurant the Chef and Spice, a charity quiz night at the Railway Men’s Club, a number of bucket collections at DeMontfort Hall and two tombola’s in Leicester Market which I was successful when buying a ticket as indeed were I think a number of others here, so I am particularly grateful for that. But he has also been part of the BBC Radio Leicester’s Down to Earth Gardeners Roadshow which was recorded here at the Town Hall, a City Centre treasure hunt and a black tie dinner on board the Great Central Railway. But I think perhaps looking back at the season Stephen has been particularly able to capitalise on Leicester City football Club’s successful season and, amongst the other events associated with that, raffled a signed football shirt which alone raised £500 towards his charity. This was further bolstered with help from our Festivals Team by another £275 being raised from staff to have their photographs taken with the trophy.
Of course Stephen has been very ably supported during the year, particularly by the Lady Mayoress, Mrs. Lynn Dixon, and by his Consort, Councillor Dawn Alfonso. I think I would like to take this opportunity to express thanks on behalf of all here in the Chamber and many in the City to those two in particular for the work they have given to support Stephen’s busy 12 months of civic engagements. But finally my Lord Mayor to Stephen, to Councillor Corrall, our sincere thanks to you for your public service over the last year. Councillor Corrall, Stephen, you have been a credit to the office and a wonderful ambassador for our proud City of Leicester. I hope all Members will join me in praising him for his hard work, for his commitment, all of which have been evident throughout this very busy year as Lord Mayor of our City. Thank you my Lord Mayor.
Illuminated Address
The Lord Mayor presented an Illuminated Address to Councillor Ted Cassidy marking his year in office as Lord Mayor of Leicester 2015-16.