Agenda item

To receive such announcements as may be made by the Mayor.

The Mayor  announced :-

1. That it was over two months since he had been appointed as Mayor. He had represented Cheshire East Council at over 80 events and met with many hundreds of people. He thanked them all for their time, hospitality and the contribution that they made to life across Cheshire East.
2. On the day after his appointment he had the privilege of participating in Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee visit to Cheshire when he attended an event at Chester Zoo. On 27^th May he had attended a service of thanksgiving at Chester Cathedral to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee, together with other Jubilee celebrations. The celebration of the Jubilee culminating with the lighting of a Beacon on Teggs Nose on the evening of the Bank Holiday on 4^th June.
3. Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex had visited Cheshire East on 19 June when she toured the David Lewis Centre and then graced the Cheshire Show with her presence. At the Show she visited the Cheshire East stand and met with both Members and staff.  On the previous day he had had the pleasure of meeting HRH the Duke of Gloucester when he visited the Borough to present Oliver Valtec in Knutsford with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
4. That it was always nice to meet children and young people and those that worked with them. Over the last couple of months he had had the pleasure of attending many events which had celebrated the contribution that the next generation make to society. These had included a summer fair to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Rainbow Pre School in Handforth, visits to Goostrey Community Primary School, Knutsford Academy andPownall Hall School’s summer fair and two mornings spent at South Cheshire College. He had also attended a wonderful event at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall where the Cheshire Youth Orchestra was performing.
5. With the Olympic Games fast approaching he had attended a number of events which have celebrated this momentous occasion. The Olympic torch had visited Cheshire East in May and he had been delighted to host an event at Tatton Park. On the previous Sunday Tatton had hosted a function to say farewell to the Olympians who had been training across the North West and on the previous Tuesday he had attended an event wishing the best of luck to those who had been training in Cheshire East, at the BMW car franchise in Crewe.
6. The Borough had been playing a full part in the Cultural Olympiad with “The Moment When”, a dance performance held at Tatton Park on the previous Sunday. He was sure that Members would join with him in sending best wishes to all the teams and individuals who would be representing Great Britain at the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.
7. As Mayor he was always delighted to help celebrate the role that business and commerce played across the Borough. It had been particularly gratifying to attend the ground breaking ceremony in Wilmslow to mark the construction of the new Headquarters for the Waters Corporation. He also attended the opening of a new manufacturing plant in Crewe by Busch GVT Limited. Both were wonderful examples of major international companies being attracted into the Borough.
8. He thanked those who had attended his civic service on the previous Sunday at Knutsford Parish Church; He particularly thanked his Chaplain and those at the church for the contribution that they had made to the day. He informed members that in the next few weeks they would be receiving an invitation to his Civic Ball, which would be held at Tatton Park on Friday 14^th September.
9. He was pleased to announce that the Council’s A-Team apprentices had been shortlisted as a North West finalist for the prestigious National Apprenticeship Awards 2012; He was sure that Members would join him in wishing them luck.
10. The Mayor also congratulated Cllr Harewood on her recent marriage.