Mayor of Wirral “The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years”

Mayor of Wirral “The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years”

Mayor of Wirral “The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years”

 

Left to right newly elected Mayor of Wirral Councillor Steve Foulkes, former Mayor of Wirral Councillor Dave Mitchell
Left to right newly elected Mayor of Wirral Councillor Steve Foulkes, former Mayor of Wirral Councillor Dave Mitchell

Councillor Foulkes continued his acceptance speech (continues from Mayor of Wirral “Councillors suggested that I end up in something long and flowing, some meant the River Mersey”).

MAYOR OF WIRRAL COUNCILLOR STEVE FOULKES
There are so many great organisations as Dave the former Mayor talked about. So many people around, so many organisations, our own staff facing daily change of what they do who basically get on with it and sometimes people say to me, “all I need is someone to come round and say ‘thanks, you’re doing a great job’, ‘thanks for what you’re doing’, ‘it’s appreciated, someone else has recognised it'” so if you know out there organisations that have not yet been thanked or met the Mayor, or had someone to come round and just say “well done, thank you very much” we will go round there and we will do that job, simply to say “thank you” because it’s often all they need.

You’ll be glad to know because I can see some eyes rolling, I’m coming towards the end. The best part though of becoming Mayor is the charities that you can sponsor and look after. We’ll be supporting three charities, although we’ve had lots of charities who have applied to be the Mayor’s charity. We have decided on three and what this facility’s allowed us to do today is to actually play a video so they can tell you about their charities rather than me droning on. So I think we’re about ready to play the charities video, if you could do that for us thank you.

MAYOR OF WIRRAL COUNCILLOR STEVE FOULKES (ON PRE-RECORDED VIDEO)
The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years. In that time, it’s had a huge variety of projects and touched the lives of many thousands of local people. Here is a few words from the our causes that the charity will be funding this year.

STICK ‘N’ STEP
Morning, through which children with cerebral palsy gain confidence, push the boundaries of their disability and strive to be as independent as possible. Working with our dedicated staff our children learn to do every day tasks that most people take for granted, such as holding a cup or standing up from a chair.

A group of parents of children with cerebral palsy formed our charity in 2002. They chose the name Stick ‘n’ Step because that is how children are taught to walk with sticks. They’re taught to stick and step. Over the years we have helped hundreds of children achieve goals their parents never thought possible through sitting up to dressing themselves to walking unassisted. Some of our original children have now gone on to college and university. This is a huge accomplishment for these children who had such a tough start to their lives.

Their parents were told so many things that they would never be able to do. Never be able to walk, never read, never go to a mainstream school and Stick ‘n’ Step would never say never, we always say let us try. We are delighted that you have chosen this as one of your charities this year. You’re helping children with cerebral palsy achieve the greatest independence possible step by step. Thank you so much for supporting us.

CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER CENTRE
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is one of the largest networked cancer centres in the UK. From nine operating sites across Merseyside and Cheshire we treat over thirty thousand patients a year offering pioneering chemotherapy, radiotherapy and proton therapy treatments.

The incidence of cancer is increasing and our region has the highest cancer death rate in the UK meaning there are so many of us that have been touched by cancer and whose families have benefited from the care given by the dedicated team.

It’s thanks to your support that we can help to make the hospital such a special place, helping our patients young and old get the best possible care. By choosing to raise money for the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity you’ll be helping to fund pioneering research, new treatments and vital support services that may be otherwise unavailable ranging from the latest innovations to how we treat cancer to the special touches that mean so much to our patients.

For thousands of patients in the coming year who will hear the words “you’ve got cancer” and come to us for treatment and on behalf of our team here at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre I’d like to say thank you for your support, you are really helping to make a difference and change lives.

WIRRAL FOODBANK
The Wirral Foodbank, which has been running for three years, is one of three hundred and eighty foodbanks across the country run by the Trussell Trust.

Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK and today and every day people on the Wirral will be struggling to feed themselves and their families because of redundancy, illness, benefit delay, unexpected bills, domestic violence, debt, family breakdown and high fuel bills.

Last year Wirral Foodbank fed and supported over twelve thousand local people, four and a half thousand of these were children. The Foodbank provides a minimum of three days emergency food and help for people experiencing financial crisis. All food is donated by the public and sorted by volunteers.

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Mayor of Wirral “Councillors suggested that I end up in something long and flowing, some meant the River Mersey”

Mayor of Wirral Cllr Foulkes “Cllrs suggested that I end up in something long and flowing, some meant the R. Mersey”

Mayor of Wirral “Councillors suggested that I end up in something long and flowing, some meant the River Mersey”

                         

Left to right newly elected Mayor of Wirral Councillor Steve Foulkes, former Mayor of Wirral Councillor Dave Mitchell
Left to right newly elected Mayor of Wirral Councillor Steve Foulkes, former Mayor of Wirral Councillor Dave Mitchell

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This continues from How did Councillor Foulkes get the nickname ‘Mad Max’? & ‘Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!’.

Once the new Mayor of Wirral Council Councillor Steve Foulkes returned and he made his declaration of acceptance of office, he made a speech the first part of which is below.

MAYOR OF WIRRAL COUNCILLOR STEVE FOULKES
Right, I’ll probably use the microphone. OK, I’m awful sorry, hang on, I’m doing that. Please be seated. It works!

Well I’d just like to say that there are many, many councillors and this is a tribute to former Mayors particularly Gerry Ellis who’s given me this opening gambit which was when some councillors suggested that I end up in something long and flowing, some meant the River Mersey and not the Mayor’s robes and that’s my tribute to Gerry, to Gerry’s.

Before I do make my acceptance speech though, I think I must place on record my gratitude and thanks to Dave and Sue for the friendship that they’ve given me in the last thirteen months, the guidance and just the thoroughly fantastic job they have done on behalf of the people of Wirral. They’ve been an absolute credit to themselves and the Borough so let’s hear it for them.

It would be a really hard act to follow, but I think you’ve earned a good long rest, so have a good rest and a good holiday and enjoy. I’ll also pass on my condolences to Kate Wood’s family and I will be attending Kate’s funeral on Wednesday, a sad way to start the evening however.

I will accept the office and I’d have loved a unanimous vote and I’ve accepted office on a majority vote and I’ve lost office, quite sadly at times, on a majority vote. So I will be accepting the office tonight.

I’d like to thank my group, my leader Phil for the nomination and a fantastic speech he gave, if not a little too revealing about my former name as Mad Max. That won’t go down very well, but we’d asked for an in depth interview and we got one, so thank you very much.

I’d really like to place on record now while I’ve got the chance is my employer Unilever. They’ve been very supportive of me over a number of years as a politician. As a community minded company they have been really supportive and I have to place on record thanks to them.

I’d like to say a special thanks, this is the second time George gets a mention tonight. I came into politics as George’s agent when we won Claughton and he’s been a real close friend ever since. In fact I refer to him as my other brother sometimes and we’ve been that close at times and he’s been a stalwart. My other ward colleague Denise Roberts, who has really been great and supportive to us and more importantly and that’s what it’s all about is the people of Claughton who have voted for me on a regular basis and have returned me to office over twenty-four years. I’d like to thank them.

So what a really great venue for this what to me is a very special occasion of course but it is a special occasion for the people of Wirral. A great venue and a new look New Brighton. This is at the heart of New Brighton and a development that was done and developed and delivered in the teeth of a recession and I think it just shows what Wirral people can do, what Wirral Council can do if it is of one mind, if it has a vision, if it has a cause. Just go out there tonight if you get a chance, in the early evening and see how much we’ve achieved in those circumstances bringing new life and new jobs I hope we can do more of that in future.

Actually we were quite lucky to get in here tonight. I don’t know whether you noticed the sign or not on the way in, clairvoyant’s evening cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. I don’t know whether anybody spotted that on their way in. You’ve heard a little bit about my background and you know it is character building and I do hope when we get out there and talk to people I will describe how poor we were. We were poor and I’m not ashamed of that. In fact we were so poor that all our clothes had to be bought from the Army and Navy surplus store. You know it’s tough, you try going to school dressed as a Japanese Rear Admiral.

I can tell you it’s not easy and there was a big family you know, we had to scrap over food and things like that and actually my real name should’ve been Tuesday because when I was born Dad looked at Mum and said ‘let’s call it a day love’. Actually Elaine jokes because I haven’t got a middle name. Elaine jokes and says you know by the time I was born she’d run out of names so they couldn’t give me a middle name.

Well as Phil said, our council house which I’m always grateful for, a little bit crowded but loving and this is where I go a bit errm. Not a day passes really you know I don’t think about my Mum and Dad, Eric and Gladys and I just hope that they are really, really proud of what I’ve achieved and what I’ve done today and I miss them. Not a day goes by without a thought for them but that’s my emotional bit over with I suppose.

Right, my Mayoress, my Mayoress will be my beautiful fiancee Elaine who I love dearly and dearly being the operative word because the cost of her last outfit I tell you! It’s utterly amazing but a few years for me have been tough, there’s no doubt about it, politically you put your head above the parapet, times get tough and it has felt like I’ve been besieged at times and I actually don’t think I could have coped with those tough years without Elaine by my side and I thank her very much for that.

Elaine’s a hard working mum, with two lovely children Jack and Molly, you’ve seen Molly already, who have become my best mates during difficult times. They’ve shown maturity in themselves and a friendship to me that is a credit to them and should be an example to everybody in this room. I’ve got to give Jack a special mention, he’s chomping at the bit to go because he’s got two A-levels tomorrow and he really wants to get on and revise. He’s taken time out and good luck tomorrow mate with everything and those exams.

If you haven’t heard, if you haven’t heard, it’s open news now. Me and Elaine have named a date. We’re going to get married on August 17th 2015, ok? I’m sorry Councillor Blakeley, but the best man’s job has already been allocated. So after our Mayoral year, we will be married and what an exciting year it promises to be. The return of the Open and the International Business Festival just for two as an example of this Borough with a real chance, a real opportunity to promote itself and put its best foot forward.

Mayors are supposed to sort of pick themes. I’ve had a little think about what we should be doing. So as Mayor I’ve selected one theme which is ‘Wirral a place to do business’. We can’t latch on to the Golf Open and all the other investment that’s going on. At last we will see some work taking place on the Twelve Quays site. If this is not the greatest opportunity we’ve ever had to entice new business into the Borough I don’t know what it is, so the Mayor’s Office, including the Deputy we will be there, ready, willing and able to meet, greet, do whatever is necessary to entice businesses into this Borough. That’s a pledge I will make as part of the year.

The other sort of theme is ‘councillors count’ and what does that mean? Some can’t count, but councillors count, in a, I know when we had the electronic voting we certainly couldn’t count but I remember, I’ve always thought that no one ever speaks up for councillors. You know they’re misunderstood, maligned, not really appreciated what they’re doing. Having been in virtually every role that it’s possible to be as a councillor, I do actually think we need someone to just champion them and all it will be as part of the theme of the year is explaining the role, the job they do. Don’t forget what councillors have, they have an electoral mandate which very few people have. They are actually able to speak with authority for the very diverse communities we have on the Borough. So I will be championing the role of councillor as best as I can during that year and the last theme is a very simple one it’s just about saying thank you.

Continues at Mayor of Wirral “The Mayor’s Special Charity Fund has been supporting good causes for over forty years”.

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Cllr Phil Gilchrist is this year’s recipient of the Andy Day Memorial Cup

Cllr Phil Gilchrist is this year’s recipient of the Andy Day Memorial Cup

Cllr Phil Gilchrist presented with Andy Day memorial cup by the Mayor of Wirral

Cllr Phil Gilchrist presented with the Andy Day Memorial Cup by the Mayor of Wirral at a meeting of Wirral Council

Cllr Phil Gilchrist is this year’s recipient of the Andy Day Memorial Cup

                          

In awarding the cup the Mayor of Wirral said during a meeting of the Council on Monday, “As this is my last full Council meeting,it falls upon me to present the Andy Day memorial cup. I’ve been very impressed by lots of councillors throughout the year, the amount of work that they do as councillors but also throughout their community. I’ve struggled over the last few days to select a particular Member who I believe is worthy of the cup and I’ve come to the conclusion that my nomination for the Andy Day Memorial Cup this year will be Councillor Phil Gilchrist.

The reason behind that is he’s a stalwart within my own particular ward. He’s taken up the mantle with myself being the Mayor this year and he’s taken on a lot more work than he would normally do. Outside of that I do know that he does an awful lot of work within the community. May I present the Andy Day Memorial to Councillor Phil Gilchrist.”

Cllr Phil Gilchrist said receiving the cup was “totally out of the blue”. Video of the cup being presented to Cllr Phil Gilchrist starts at 2:20 in the video below.

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