Farewell speech to council

Well my year came to an end on Wednesday, and at the meeting they elected Cllr Nick Draper as my successor. I would like to to congratulate him on being elected. Being the outgoing mayor involved making a retiring speech to council and below is the speech I made in response to a resolution passed by council marking my year of office. I've had a great time but now its all over, and since standing down last Wednesday it has allowed me to get some much needed rest, and do things I haven't been able to do for a while!

The text of the speech is below

Mr Mayor, Deputy Lieutenant, Councillors, distinguished guests

Mr Mayor, firstly I would like to congratulate you on your election as Mayor.

Having known you for a number of years I know that you’ll make a fantastic ambassador for the Borough of Merton and will no doubt serve the borough with great distinction over the next year.

I also know that the mayoress Sheila will be an excellent support during your year in office.

You are now at the start of an amazing voyage of discovery, you will find out things you never knew before and learn a great deal about the Borough of Merton.

Serving as Mayor of the Borough has been a great privilege, and every day I have served in this role has been a wonderful honour.

The time went by in a flash, it seems like only yesterday I was on this dais making my acceptance speech, but let me say Mr Mayor it has been a remarkable year, and one that I’ve enjoyed immensely.

One year on, it’s been a very demanding year and I’ve probably spent the last few weeks of the mayoralty running on adrenalin, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Being mayor, you are not here to serve any sectoral or special interest, or show favour to any group but to act as a representative of Borough putting politics to one side and acting first and foremost for the London Borough of Merton and all its constituent parts.

It is the duty and responsibly of all of us to unite behind whoever this council chooses as mayor as the office of mayor is one that his here to serve the people of Merton.

Over the course of the year you also get to meet many amazing people, only last week we had the Merton Civic Awards and so many genuine examples of achievement by individuals and groups.

As a borough it is right we recognise service, many of them have never sought recognition for their work, they just get on with it and its right that we as a Borough give awards that recognise achievement.

Across Merton we have many unsung heroes and over the past year I’ve met hundreds over the past year, the foster carers looking after some of our most vulnerable children, the volunteers who spend 20 hours a week helping older people in a day centre, the scout leaders who run packs during the week, the charity fundraisers who devote themselves to raising funds that will have an impact on people lives. The list is endless and they deserve our genuine and heartfelt praise.

It is also why I’ve had over 25 receptions in the borough recognising service but also thanking them on behalf over of the borough. Over 400 people have visited the parlour this year and its right as Mayor that holding receptions was my opportunity to give thanks on behalf of the borough.

Mr Mayor, I also give thanks to the extraordinary generosity of people in the borough, thank you to everyone her who has supported my charity events, both The Wimbledon Guild and The Vine Project will benefit greatly and to the tune of over £45,000. This is an incredible total especially in these economically difficult times that we face today.

Some of the events have also been incredibly fun, the Valentines Ball on my birthday was a particular highlight and it was certainly a birthday party to remember but one that was incredibly successful in raising money which will make a real difference to people lives.

St Patrick’s Night was also a highlight as I am particularly proud of my Irish background, and of course we celebrate in style! We are a borough of many different cultures, races that all in our own contribute in our own way to make Merton such a diverse community and over the past year I have had the opportunity of celebrating a number of different events from the numerous communities we have her in Merton.

Also as well I could not the let the moment pass without mentioning winning the New Years Day Parade along with a cheque for £7,500 to the charities with our Winter Wonderland float celebrating our green and open spaces. When it was announced that Merton had won it was a moment to savour, and one of the very great moments of the year. To win from 22 showed that in Merton we have the capacity to get things done, and to put together a remarkable entry involving over 50 people was quite an incredible achievement. To Cllr Geraldine Stanford who co-ordinated the entry thank you, for Cllr Linda Kirby who wrote Winter Wonderland music with its very catchy chorus song and everyone who supported the entry including children from Wimbledon Chase school who did the vocals. The day itself may have been cold but winning more then made up for it, and yes I greatly enjoyed the bragging rights that came with winning.

In Merton we also have some incredible schools, and they also provided some of the highlights of the year. Testing out the water at the opening of the new beach facility at Liberty along with the then Head of Liberty, Chris King was certainly one of the more memorable moments. Earlier today my last engagement was at Joseph Hood where they performed a concert, in a way it was quite a poignant moment, a fitting way to end the year but going to schools has been uplifting and inspiring, and having gone to over 40 schools in the borough it has taught me a great deal but also allowed me to see all the amazing work that goes on, along with seeing so many talented children. The recent Music is for Life concert at the Royal Albert Hall was a particular highlight of the year

Sport is also one of my passions, and as mayor it was a great highlight to raise the Olympic flag at the Beijing handover last year. More recently the success of AFC Wimbledon has been fantastic and its great to see what has gone on at the club over the past seven years, hopefully for you Mr Mayor will see AFC Wimbledon regain its rightful place in the football league, now that will be a celebration to remember!

Now the mayoralty is only a success due to a number of people, and I have many people to thanks.

My deputy, Cllr Krysia Williams and her consort Grenville. Over the past year you have provided great support and have helped immensely in undertaking over 100 engagements throughout the year. I have valued your advice and you have made a fantastic Deputy for the borough, and I value greatly the work when I’ve been unable to perform mayoral duties.

To Hilary Gullen, my secretary thank you for all your work over the past year, for your efficiency, your advice and giving that support in enabling me to undertake the role. Sometimes I may have been a bit stressed out, but you were always fantastic in reassuring me and getting things done.

For Carl Brown; my attendant, chauffeur, photographer and for the numerous other tasks that you perform with such dedication and commitment. While Mayors come and go each year, Carl provides that continuity, indeed it’s probably fair to say that he is better known throughout Merton then the Mayor, his good humour has been welcome along with his support. It has also not been easy for him either as over the past year he has collected me from just about every station in Merton as I’ve spent my time shuffling between work and undertaking mayoral duties, I am ever so grateful and owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Paul Bateman, Member Services Manager for providing support to the mayoral office and for his helpfulness throughout my mayoral year.

I would also like to thank Carol and Steve Vincent who have provided support to the mayoral office.

To Sir John Wheeler, DL for Merton for your service on behalf of the borough, but also in ensuring that all the Royal visits went very smoothly.

Can I also thank the town crier, Peter Moore, unfortunately Peter suffered a very minor heart attack at the weekend, and I’m sure I speak for all in wishing him a speedy recovery.

My consort and mother for being there along with being such great support, also Catherine O’Neill for attending engagements with me I hope you’ve enjoyed the experience as much and also my ward colleague, Zenia Jamsion. I think we’d all agree that we’ve had some fun moments along the way.

Finally, my thanks to all the councillors, chairing council meeting is never the most memorable of experiences but I would like to thank all of you for your conduct throughout the year. I may have been tough at times but fair as I believe its important as mayor to show impartiality in chairing meetings. Can I also thank you for the many kind remarks from members of all sides, I am deeply touched.

Mr Mayor, at the end of the year I am proud to have served as 44th Mayor of Merton, and to have serve the people of Merton as its Mayor.

Stand fast in honour and strength.

Bowing out

One day left! and by this time tomorrow I will be the past Mayor of Merton. It has been a remarkable and an amazing year, I have enjoyed every moment and having the opportunity of serving the people of Merton has been a great privilege. Tonight I spent finalising my farewell speech to council, not the easiest of tasks but one that has one to be done. A great year and one that I'll remember for a long time to come.

Merton Civic Awards

Last week as mayor I hosted the first ever Civic Awards ceremony at the Civic Centre in Morden.

The Civic Awards were established to recognise achievement in the borough by groups and individuals who had made a difference to the borough. Over 60 applicants applied and last week we awarded a number of awards to groups and individuals including winners and highly commended. This included the presentation of the Young Person's Award, the Community Contribution Award, the Community Group Award and the London Borough of Merton Award for outstanding achievement.

Among the winners of the awards included Oyeronke Oyerinde a year 6 Cranmer school who won the young person's outstanding achievement for writing 'Its a Beam' for the 2012 Olympics which was performed at the council meeting in September, and across Merton. Also rewarded was Paul Strank, a businessman who has contributed a great deal to the borough in charitable work, but also a major benefactor of AFC Wimbledon. Our main award, The London Borough of Merton award was won by Jessie Waldron, who has worked tirelessly at St Raphael's Hospice for over twenty years and has been an active volunteer.

The event itself was extremely successful and was followed by a reception in the Mayor's Parlour.

AFC Wimbledon Civic Reception event

Last Tuesday I held a very successful reception for AFC Wimbledon at the Civic Centre attended by over 100 people. At the reception I presented to the president of the club, Dickie Guy a framed certificate with the mayoral seal celebrating their achievement in being promoted to the conference. The trophy was also paraded from the balcony at the Civic Centre in Morden. It has been a great year for AFC, and as mayor ir has been a great honour to hold a reception in their honour and to have had the opportunity to celebrate their considerable success over the past year.

AFC Wimbledon Civic Reception

Details of the AFC Wimbledon Civic Reception which I am hosting at Merton Civic Centre in Morden on Tuesday at 7.30pm. Fans will be able to see their favourite players as they step out onto the Civic Centre balcony proudly holding their trophy up high for all to see.

Merton Council celebrates AFC Wimbledon's success
01 May 2009

Merton Council is to host a party next week (5 May 2009) to celebrate AFC Wimbledon's promotion to the Blue Square Conference Premier League, the team's fourth promotion in seven years.

Merton's Mayor Councillor Martin Whelton will welcome the club to the Civic Centre in Morden where a reception will be laid on to congratulate the team on this major achievement.

Fans will be able to see their favourite players as they step out onto the Civic Centre balcony proudly holding their trophy up high for all to see.

This latest celebration follows the official opening of a permanent memorabilia exhibition at Morden Library last year when treasures from the team's glory days were unveiled by legendary Wimbledon FC stars Dave Beasant, Roy Law and Lawrie Sanchez. Specially-designed glass display cases in Morden Library house many items including a miniature FA Cup from 1988, the football from the first game played by Wimbledon FC following the club's 1977 promotion to the Football League, archive photography, and match programmes.

Mayor of Merton Councillor Martin Whelton said: "This is marvellous news for the team and for Merton. The players should be proud of their hard work to achieve such a promotion. AFC Wimbledon is a team built on passion for football and the cultural importance of Wimbledon Football Club. It was wonderful to see players and fans, old and new here last year when the FA Cup came to Merton and Wimbledon FC's memorabilia was given its rightful home within the borough. I congratulate the team for their fantastic achievement and wish them even more success in the future."

AFC Wimbledon president Dickie Guy said: "I am ecstatic at the team's performance. We had a great day on Saturday after winning the final game of the season. All our loyal fans came out to party with us. With a fan base like ours we can't go wrong. The support we have from them spurs us on to perform better and better. I'm looking forward to next season now with more wins and who knows, more promotions."

Morris men on Wimbledon Common

May Day saw a very early start with the Greensleeves Morris Men having their annual morris dancing on Wimbledon Common to celebrate the start of the summer season. The event itself takes place at 5.30am in the morning, a very early start and takes place in front of the windmill on the common. The event itself saw a variety of different morris dances, with some dating back hundreds of years. It was wonderful to see, especially with the mist rising over the common. Following the display I was treated to an excellant full english breakfast where poems and songs were sung. All in all it was a very traditional event but a great way to see in May, and the summer season which is nearly upon us!

Coming to an end

Hard to believe that my time in office is coming to an end in just over two weeks time. It has been a wonderful year to date, and before I leave office I have a packed schedule ahead with many different functions to attend, along with duties to peform. This includes the Merton Civic Awards on 6th May, but also hosting the reception for the victorious AFC Wimbledon team. It has been a fantastic year, and I've emjoyed myself immensly in undertaking the role, it may be tiring at times but it has been a great honour. The time for goodbyes is not far away but its certainly a year I'll never forget.

St George's Day celebrations

In Merton, I celebrated St George's day with two events. The first event of day was a ceremonial hoisted the St George's flag flag at the Civic Centre. This was the first time that this had happened, as I believe as mayor it was important to recognise the day by flying the St George's flag alongside the union jack.

In the afternoon, I hosted a St George's day tea attended by 120 people in the New Horizons Centre in Pollards Hill. The hall had been wonderfully bedecked in flags and balloons, and it was a fantastic sight to see. The afternoon included entertainment from the Avalon Theatre group who performed various singalongs which got many people singing along to all the old tyme favourites. Also a performance of morris dancing took place which included people from all generations. Children and adults also read various poems which also included readings from Shakespeare, whose birthday and death took place on St George's. It was all very English but what was so refreshing was that many people from all generations came along with people from other backgrounds. It was also a fantastic community event, and the work that the volunteers did to make the day such a great success was greatly appreciated by myself. It is fantastic to see such a great community effort take place, and it was a very memorable afternoon.

Today, I also took the salute at the St George's Day scout parade in Wimbledon which saw over 700 children and young adults took part. The parade concluded with a packed service at the Sacred Heart church in Edge Hill with various different groups reciting the pledge. It was fantastic to see, and my thanks goes to the organisers for making it such a wonderful occasion.

AFC Wimbledon being crowned champions

Well it turned out to be a day to remember at Kingsmeadow with AFC Wimbledon clinching the Blue Square South, and winning promotion to the Conference. The match itself saw a convincing 3-0 win, but the real celebrations took place afterwards when Wimbledon captain Jason Goodliffe was presented with the trophy, sparking off jubilant scenes. Attending AFC matches as mayor is always a great experience, and the fans are very welcoming. The achievements of the club this season, and over the last seven years is nothing short of remarkable, and it really is a fantastic achievement. As mayor it has been a great honour supporting AFC in their work, and also the team.

I will be, as mayor hosting a Civic Reception for the team at the Civic Centre in Morden. It will be an opportunity to thank the team and everyone associated with AFC for their efforts over the last season. It promises to be a great celebration, and the team deserves it as well.

Merton Music is for Life Concert

Although it took place a few weeks ago, I recently attended the Merton Music is for Life Concert at the Albert Hall which included over 1,000 singers from 23 primary schools in Merton. Also at the concert were various Merton Youth musicians performing in orchestras and bands, who performed various ensembles and different musical styles including jazz, samba, popular and classical pieces including 1812 Overture from Tchaikovsky. For the second half we were treated to a specially composed musical piece called The Journey about immigrants from various parts of the world coming to this country, and celebrating the wide range of different cultures who have made this country their home, along with the circumstances that many different groups endured when they arrived here.

My thanks for the night goes to all the staff at Merton Music Foundation for putting on such a fantastic event, and allowing so much of our youth to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, an experience that they'll remember for many years to come. It is also remarkable the amount of talent that we have in Merton schools, and it's something that I've seem first-hand during my visits to schools across Merton over the past year, everyone involved performed admirably and are a credit to Merton along with their outstanding performance at the concert.

AFC Wimbledon

Over the past few weeks I have attended two AFC Wimbledon matches in my capacity as Mayor. Currently AFC are top of the Blue Premier South league, and with two games remaining are three points in the lead. If they draw at Hampton on Saturday they'll clinch promotion to the Conference, and will only be one division off from re-entering the league. Yesterday I attended in a private capacity the away fixture at Bromley where unfortunately we were robbed by bad sportsmanship, along with a goal that throws out the window the fair-play rulebook. If we had won, it would've only required a draw from our final two matches, still we're still very well placed for promotion.

The rise of AFC Wimbledon is nothing short of remarkable, given what happened to Wimbledon which now brands itself 'MK Dons' but is really nothing to do with the history of Wimbledon. The club is run by a supporters trust, who have built the club up from scratch to be the current success it is today. Each year brings renewed success, and they also have one of the best support of any non-leagues sides (not many can boast average attendances of over 3,000 per match). All the players have been done a fantastic job this season and hopefully they'll complete the job by getting the result at Hampton.

Mayors visit to Wimbledon

Today I was joined by over 15 Mayors from across London and Surrey for a tour of the All England Club(Wimbledon tennis). The tour itself saw a guided tour around the ground, including the Broadcasting Centre, Henman Hill, Millennium Building, No1 court along with a visit to the museum which is where all the main winners trophies are on display. The only disappointment is that we were unable to visit Centre Court which is still closed due to development for the new retractable roof which will be in use for the first time at this years Wimbledon Championship.

Visiting Wimbledon is always a great experience, I have been lucky enough as mayor to visit on a few occasions, but also hold my charity ball at Wimbledon. Last summer I also formally visited the championship on the first day, along with going to the Men's Final. The venue itself has been transformed over the past fifteen years, with first the No1 Court development, Millennium Building and now the roof over Centre Court, along with a new court no 2. In Merton we're also extremely lucky to have a great sporting venue within out boundaries. It was a very enjoyable day, concluded by a fantastic lunch,and it was great to have so many mayors from across London visit Wimbledon, the jewel in the crown of our borough.

Irish Night

Last Friday, I held an extremely successful Irish Night at the Irish Centre in Wimbledon attended by over 150 people. This was a night of music and dancing with a band led by Mary Farrell, who has provided the entertainment for the Mayor's Irish night for many years.

It was also fantastic to have such great support from across the borough, but especially in the Irish community. The previous Tuesday I had attended the St Patrick's Night at the centre, and it was great to see so many people coming together and celebrating.

Being of Irish descent I am also immensely proud of my Irish roots, but also everything that the Irish community have achieved in Merton, many of whom, like my own parents came to this country back in the fifties and sixties to seek a better life. I also think it's important that the Irish community can come together and be proud of the identity and background; expressing it music and dancing is one way of doing this!

It was a great night, and thanks to everyone who helped make the night a great success.

Duke of Gloucester Visit to Merton

This morning Merton had a royal visit from the Duke of Gloucester who visited Bishop Gilpin School (which is celebrating 250 years) and Southside House in Wimbledon. At the school itself we had a performance from children at the school that displayed their musical talents; followed by a re-enactment of the history of the school performed by children at the school. This was one of the first schools established in London, and established at a time when there were few schools in existence. The children were a credit to the school, and afterwards I also met many of them in their classroom where they asked a number of questions about my role as Mayor, but also about my chain. To conclude the visit a stone was unveiled by the Duke to celebrate 250 years of the school, and also all the children joined hands round the school while singing 'Reach for the Stars'

Following on from this we had a reception and tour of Southside House (one of the most historic houses in Merton), it also has wonderful gardens and one of Wimbledon's hidden gems. Also at the reception were a number of representatives from both my charities and from the voluntary sector in Merton. It was great to be able to thank them for all their efforts, and also allow themselves the opportunity to talk about their work to the Duke of Gloucester.

Mayor of Merton Ball

Last Saturday (Valentine's Day) saw the Merton Mayoral Charity Ball take place at the All England Club in Wimbledon. Over 130 guests' attended the ball, including 13 mayor's from across London. Also attending was a variety of other guests from across Merton. This is always one of the highlights of the mayoral year, and this year was no different. Apart from the wonderful food which a culinary delight, we also had Neil Long from Radio Jackie as the DJ for the disco afterwards which saw a number of us dancing the night away.

For me it was also my birthday on Saturday, so inevitably I had Happy Birthday sang to me along with a cake with candles. It was certainly one of the best birthday parties I've ever had, and one probably never to be repeated!

In terms of fundraising we raised over £4,000 for the mayoral charities; The Wimbledon Guild and The Vine Project. We also had a very successful charity auction conducted by Peter Walder from Merton Abbbey Mills who proved to be an absolutely fantastic auctioneer after stepping in at short notice. The raffle also raised over £1,000, and had some fantastic prizes.

All in all it was a great night, along with being a memorable and successful night. I would like to thank everyone who made it such a successful occasion.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Last week I attended the Holocaust Memorial Day service in Mitcham at Madeira Hall. During the event Jean Louis Mazimpaka - who survived the Rwandan genocide - and a Jewish Holocaust survivor shared some their experiences. Hearing both of them was extremely emotive, as was the Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild from Wimbledon Synagogue who talked about the experience of her brother, a rabbi visiting Auschwitz/Birkenhau memorial service, and his train journey. For the vast majority this was their last journey, and having visited in 2004 it is very emotional experience especially when you see the train tracks, along with their possesions. It also makes you realise the full horrors of the Holocaust along with the death of six million Jewish people and the many non-jews who died at the hand of the Nazi regime.

Before the service, along with a Holocaust survivor we planted a Peace Rose in the new Peace Garden.

Holocaust Memorial Day not only remembers all the victims of the Nazi regime but also all those who have died in more recent genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia as well as the current atrocities taking place in Darfur.

It is vital we remember the terrible events that have taken place in the past so that we ensure we learn important lessons for the future and work together to eradicate hatred, prejudice and discrimination in the borough.

Death of the Mayor of Croydon - Cllr Jonathan Driver

This morning I heard the very sad news that the Mayor of Croydon Cllr Jonathan Driver had died on New Year's Eve. During my time as mayor I had met Jonathan on many occasions and found him to be a great ambassador of Croydon, he had also attended charity events in Merton including a quiz night in September in which his team won. He was extremely competitive and we shared some friendly banter that night, but it was in a friendly nature and he was a person who had a great sense of humour. My deepest sympathies extend to all his family on their loss and may he rest in peace.

Merton wins 1st prize in New Year's Day Parade

Well the New Year got off to a winning start with our entry in the New Year's Day Parade 'Winter Wonderland' winning 1st Prize and in the process winning The Let's Help London Challenge which all the 23 competing London borough's had entered. For my charities it has also meant winning a prize of £7,500 for my charities, along with a huge glass trophy which will have pride of place in the Mayor's Parlour. To say I am elated is an understatement, I thought we'd do well and get a prize but to come out on top is beyond my wildest dreams. This has to be possibly my best moment since becoming Mayor of Merton last May. In all twelve prizes were awarded and it was counted down from 12th, the award ceremony was for me very nerve wracking and when it was announced all the Merton party were overjoyed at our success.

I would like to thank each and every person involved in the winning Merton entry, I am so proud of everyone and what we have achieved today. Many hours of toil has gone into our success but all the work has been worth it and as a result both my charities; The Wimbledon Guild and The Vine Project will benefit as a result of winning 1st prize.

In terms of the Parade itself it was a fantastic day despite the cold weather, the marching bands from the States were brilliant along with many of the entries into the parade. The New Year's Day Parade is a great spectacle to welcome in the New Year and I would like to thank the organisers of the event for putting on such a wonderful and joyous occasion.

Please click her for a link to New Tube which is a film of the day and of our entry: http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLR_enGB283GB283&resnum=0&q=Youtube%20%2B%20Merton&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLR_enGB283GB283&resnum=0&q=Youtube%20%2B%20Merton&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&st=day