Ahmadiyya charity walk

Yesterday I was involved in charity walk organsied by members of Ahmadiyya community which is based at the Batul Fatuh mosque in Morden. The walk took place along the River Wandle ending at Wandsworth. Over 3,000 people took part,and they raised over £250,000 for charity, a quite phenomenal sum.

My mayoral charities(The Wimbledon Guild of Social Welfare & The Vine Project), also received a cheque of £3,500, a figure way beyond my expectations and I'm extremely grateful for their support and contribution. Many other charities also gained from the walk, including £30,000 for a well project in Africa which will provide running water to some of the most needy in the world, along with a whole host of other charities.

At the end of the day when the amounts were announced, I also made a speech at the Batul Futuh Mosque in Morden, with over 1,000 people present. What impressed me so much was their ability to work with a wide range of other organisations to raise money, and ensure that a number of different organisations benefit from their work. These events really bring people together, and many who took part came from across the country. My appreciation, as well, goes to the organisers and all those that took part, it was a wonderful day and raised a great deal so for charity.

Wimbledon tennis

With today being the first day of Wimbledon tennis, I had the pleasure of being a guest in the royal box of Wimbledon. Having been a tennis fan for many years this was amazing experience, and a very memorable occasion. Thankfully the weather held(which is untypical of Wimbledon) and it was a glorious summer's day. The day itself included watching some great tennis, including another comprehensive performance from Roger Federer who cruised through to the second round. I also saw Ana Jackovic put on a performance that shows why she is the no 1 seed at Wimbledon. Also on display was Novak Djokovic, who ran out a 3 sets to 1 winner.

Being in the royal box gives you the best view in the house, and an brilliant vantage point to watch the tennis. Among the guests in the royal box was HRH Duke of Kent, HRH Duchess of Kent, Jackie Stewart and former Wimbledon champion, Richard Kraijeck. This year also seen the return of a roof to Centre Court, and the new retractable roof that will be ready for 2009 Championships is nearly in place. When finished the days of rain stopped play at Centre Court will come to an end.

The London Borough of Merton values its position as the host borough; its the largest sporting event held in Britain every year and while the influx of people does transform Wimbledon Village and causes some logistical issues, nevertheless, its part of our history and is a source of great pride to the Borough.

I would also like to thank the Chairman of the All England Club, Tim Philips for his hospitality and for making me so welcome. It was a great day, and a day I'll remember the day for a long time to come.

Summertime at the Royal Albert Hall

This evening I attended Summertime at the Royal Albert Hall. This was a concert put on by various schools throughout London, including Bishopsford in Morden. At the concert the schools from throughout London put on a variety of different dances; in the case of Bishopsford it was street dance. Other schools performed dances that included salsa, bollywood, hip hop and ballet. After all the schools had performed, they all came together and performed Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin. This was a stunning display which included ballet, and was a rousing finale to the evening.

The performances in itself were amazing, and it was fantastic to see so many children having the opportunity to perform at The Royal Albert Hall. I've no doubt it will be a memory that will stay in their mind for ever, hopefully some will even go on to do even greater things in the course of time. The time and effort that went in to the performances is also worth mentioning, many have spent months preparing for this and I have to say it was a perfect 10 both for Bishopsford and for many other schools.

I also find it greatly rewarding that they've had the opportunity to perform dance, the activities add a great deal to the school curriculum and it's clear that many have gained a great deal from their participation in dance. Credit also has to go to their instructors who've helped them get to this level; their time and commitment has opened the door for many to get involved in dance and in performing on the big stage. The involvement of the English National Ballet and Imperial Society of Teaching of Dancing has also been of great benefit to those involved. It also shows that exam results are not everything, and that other activities can give children a very rewarding education. Tonight was a great enjoyment to watch and my congratulations goes to Bishopsford and others on such a fantastic performance.

Mitcham Carnival

On Saturday, I participated in the Mitcham Carnival and the parade from Figges Marsh to Three Kings Piece. The parade was an enormous success with many different floats, along with hundreds of people on the side of the road cheering the parade on. The Carnival itself is always one of the highlights of the mayoral year in Merton, and this year was no exception. At the end of the parade, I had to pick the winning float, and after careful consideration I chose Blue Starz, a dance and cheerleading outfit. They received a trophy, with the other participants all getting certificates.

At the Carnival itself, along with my consort for the day Catherine O'Neill, I visited various stalls along with meeting many different people in the course of the day. As happens on nearly any other mayoral engagement, my attendant Carl was busy taking photographs of the day; it is something I've got very used to in my month as mayor but it'll provide a great memento of my mayoral year when it's all over!

After a short visit to attend an environmental fayre in Wimbledon, I returned to present the prizes in the little league football competition. Mike Smith, manager of McDonalds Mitcham donated the trophies and he also supplied food, which was certainly appreciated by myself as finding time to eat is not an easy task in the course of the day. His generosity and commitment is greatly appreciated by myself.

In all, I would like to thank everyone involved in organising such a wonderful carnival, the mayoral office in Merton co-ordinates the carnival but it's a huge logistical operation to get everything right and ensure that it works properly. It was also a great joy to see so many people having such a good time and enjoying the day.

I feel exhausted, but I've certainly enjoyed myself today.

Mayoral reception at Morden Park house

On Thursday night, I hosted a civic mayoral reception in the grounds of Morden Park House attended by over 200 people. Although I became mayor three weeks, Merton decided a few years ago to have a separate reception after the mayor making rather then have it on the same night. At the event were a variety of guests including Merton Council colleagues, officers, family, and friends along with people who have contributed to the Borough of Merton and have been of assistance to the mayoral office. The venue itself is beautiful, and even more so on what was the idyllic summer evening. The reception an ensemble from Merton Music Foundation, who performed a medley of music. I would like to thank everyone in the mayoral office for making the event such a success, it seemed from feedback that people had a good time and enjoyed the evening.

Merton Abbey Mills and Chapter House

This afternoon I cut the cake on the 19th anniversary of the opening of Merton Abbey Mills as part of the Wandle Valley Festival. At Merton Abbey Mills, a weekly market takes places and also has with a variety of niche shops with many specialist arts and craft shops. Each weekend, many come from a wide area to sample the areas delights. It is also home to the Colour House theatre(a small theatre that seats 70), where both children shows and classical music events takes place on a regular basis.

However, the best part of the day was been shown the ancient ruins of the Chapter House which are located underneath Merantum Way, a road that runs through the site and was built in the eighties. Although I knew ruins existed, I never knew it was so readily accessible and that the area contained so much history. Indeed, it's amongst the most historic parts of Merton and certainly worth seeing, especially as many of the artifacts have been wonderfully restored. I enclose a link below giving more information about the site.
http://www.merton.gov.uk/leisure/history-heritage/heritage-sites/mertonpriory/merton-priory-chapter-house.html

Foster carers' reception

Last Friday I attended a reception for Foster Carers at Cannizoro House in Wimbledon. The event was a thank you for foster carers' in Merton for their work in looking after children, and an opportunity for the council to thank them for their work.

From speaking to people at the event, the work of many foster carers' is pretty amazing. Many have literally fostered dozens of children over many years, with in many instances looking after children who have come from very challenging backgrounds, in some instance having suffered abuse and neglect.

One foster carer was given an award after 42 years a foster carer, a pretty amazing achievement, along with complete dedication in helping to make a difference to the lives of many children over so many years.

These people are in my view superstars. Many of them do it because they care a great deal and want to help. Although foster caring will never be amongst the most high-profile works the council undertakes(or receive the most publicity), it's of huge importance to the welfare of children, which is about the Council's most important responsibility. Likewise as a council, it's important to recognise their huge contribution and work in helping to transform the lives of many children. We also have foster carers' who provide respite care to parents who have children with special needs, giving them a break and helping to make the lives of those parents' easier.

The welfare of children is paramount and fostering is part of that process. I would also like to thank the work of the fostering team in their work in placing children sometimes at very short notice, but ensuring that they're safe and in secure backgrounds. It was fantastic to meet so many foster carers', and to hear about all their excellent work with children.

The international borough

Over the weekend I've attended three engagements' that involved different ethnic groups. Last night in my own ward of Pollards Hill, I was at an International Night attended by over 20 nationalities; each on their own way contributing to the event and many providing dishes from the own culture.

On Sunday I attended the 110th anniversary of Filipino Independence in Morden Park. At the event I made various people of Filipino descent, along with visiting various stalls of groups that has links with the Philippines. I found the event to be stimulating and a great opportunity to talk to people from the Philippines, along with tasting some wonderful Philippines ice cream. The event also had various acts on stage, each in their own way putting on some fantastic performances, including a very talented 11 year old singer. We have a lot to be thankful to people from the Philippines for, especially in our hospitals where they have provided so many nurses in our hospitals over many years.

Finally this evening, I attended a West Indian Families and Friends Association annual church service in Tooting. The theme of the event was healing, and the service itself was in many parts poignant and moving. A particular part of the service that stood out for me was the outstanding solo of Ave Maria by Harry Skeete. Also the sermon of Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallet, patron of the association, recognised the contribution of the West Indian community to the Britain, and the challenge they have faced.

In all, Merton is a truly diverse place with many different communities. Although I've been Mayor for nearly four weeks, in that time I've had the opportunity to meet different people from a range of different cultures. I believe that our diverse community contributes a great deal to our borough and is something that should be welcomed.

St Paul's and Civic Mass

My last two mayoral engagements have been my civic mass which took place at St Michael's in Pollards Hill on Saturday and last night, the London Mayors' event at St Paul's Cathedral.

The Civic Mass was in the presence of my chaplain Father John and held at St Michael's Catholic church in my ward of Pollards Hill. The service itself had over 200 people in attendance with many friends, family along with civic office holders'. The Deputy Mayor of Wandsworth, Peter Dawson was also present. At the end of the mass ,I was presented with a bible by the parish of St Michael's to which I am eternally grateful both for their goodwill and generoristy since becoming mayor. There help was invaluable in organising the mass. My thanks as well goes to the Mayors' office for their work in organsing the events logistics and the catering.

Last night, I also attended the London Mayors' Association service at St Paul's followed by a reception at Mansion House hosted by the Rt Hon Lord Mayor of London. At the service itself, it was wonderful to hear the outstanding choristers singing along with the wonderful range of music that was played. Being in St Paul's it's hard not to to admire the awe inspiring architecture of Sir Christoper Wren in what is one of the greatest churches in the world.

Afterwards, I also had my first opportunity to meet many of the new mayors' in London and to share experiences about our brief time in office, along with plans for the forthcoming year. I have also discovered in the past few days that the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, Andrew Johnson is even younger then me at just 28.