Annual Meeting, Council - Wednesday, 8th May, 2024 12.00 pm
May 8, 2024 View on council website Watch video of meetingTranscript
Ladies and gentlemen, could you please be upstanding for the Mayor of Guilford Councillor Masuc Mia? >> Thank you very much. >> [INAUDIBLE] May I welcome, may I welcome you all to Guildhall for today's annual meeting of Guilford Councillor? Before we begin, the meeting may I ask my chaplain, Mohammed Redwan Ahmad, Imam of Guilford Central Moss to say the prayer. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First, I would like to congratulate our new Mayor and also I would like to thank our ex now. Let's begin with the prayer to all my dear Councillor Hanukkah and her brother for gathering us all at this meeting. Mr. Mayor, Councillors, officers and all of us, we show us with his mercy and give us strength and courage to work in our wards and grant us the willing to change Guildhall for the better by putting our deities. May the Almighty Bureau offer his parties and blessings to the leaders of those in office here in the borough of Guilford. We remain forever grateful for bringing us here in your remembrance today to give praise and thanks in order to uplift your name and provide you the highest of appreciation. Thank you everyone. Thank you. Please be seated. I have few housekeeping comments to make. First of all, Mayor asks that you switch your mobile phones and handheld devices to silent for duration of this meeting. If the fire lamp sounds at any time during the meeting, we are not expecting it to go off. Everyone should leave immediately through the nearest fire exit and proceed calmly to the assembly point across the road under the Tonsgate arch. This meeting is being recorded and will upload to the webcast library in due course and will be capable of repeated viewing. If you are seated in this courtroom, it is likely that the camera will capture your image. You are deemed to be consenting to this and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and or training purposes. Before we begin the formal meeting, I will now receive from Mr. Matthew Alexander, the report of Honorary Remembrance for the municipal year just ended. Mr. Mayor, this year has underlined how fortunate Guilford is in having the University of Surrey, the Surrey Research Park and the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The university has achieved numerous national and international awards in diverse subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to climate change. Another example of innovation is cognition health based in the research park which has developed a drug which slows the progress of dementia and has been hailed as a turning point in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The Royal Surrey County Hospital is also at the forefront of medical science regularly acquiring cutting edge technology. Conflict in Ukraine and in the Middle East has cast its shadow over Guilford as elsewhere and local people have sent aid to both battlefields. This can be seen as part of the continuing support for disadvantaged people which can be seen by the number of generous volunteers that run the many charities in the borough. It is not surprising perhaps that during the year Guilford's quality of life was related as very high and as one of the happiest towns in the country. Now thank honoree members for all his hard work in bringing together and recording the multitude of events and activities that took place in our bar and during my mail year. I'm looking really looking forward to reading this report. A copy of the report will be posted on the council's website. Agenda item one. Election of mayor. May I invite the council to consider the election of mayor for the municipal year 2024-25 and remind you that at its extraordinary meeting on 23 January 2024 the council approved the nomination of the mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. May I now ask councilor Philip Brooker to formally propose the motion that councilor Sally Barker the elected mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Good morning. Sally Barker has lived in the centre of Guilford for almost 35 years having moved here to pursue her teaching career. At that time she had already begun her commitment to public service serving as an officer in the territorial army for nearly 20 years. Since then Sally has developed close links to our town and surrounding villages through this commitment to public service and a desire to put something back into the community she loves. She has been president of Guilford Spike Women's Institute is a long-standing friend of Guilford Fringe on the board of Guilford Young Carers, a member of Wombra Barn Management Committee, chair of governors at Putnam Infant School and in the last year attended many events as deputy mayor in support of Mayor Masoke Meyer. Sally has had a career in sports development working at national, European and international levels receiving an MBE from the late Queen for services to women's participation in sport. Since her retirement Sally has continued to promote the benefits of physical activity in addressing issues of equality and inclusion. Sally was chair of the organising committee for the women's world across championships held at Surrey Sports Park in 2017 and she is currently chair of the British Blind sport organising the world blind games in Birmingham in 2022. I therefore have no hesitation in them delighted in proposing Sally Barco MBE as mayor of the borough. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Broucher. May I now invite Councillor Matt Fernes to formally second the motion. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. My lord, ladies, gentlemen, almighty cremen, almighty alderman and honoured guests. So today we stand at the starting line of what promises to be an exceptional mayoral year. The starting gun is primed and the race is about to begin as we introduce our champion nominee, Sally Barco. So I have today the honour of seconding the nomination of a truly remarkable woman to become the next mayor of Guildford. I first met Sally. Unsurprisingly, you might say, through sport, Sally chaired the committee, as Philip said, in 2017 for the world of across championships right here in Guildford, chalking up a big win for our hometown. Now, to the qualifiers. Allow me to highlight Sally's early training years working in sport for over 30 years. A top squad pick from the University of Leeds with a master's in physical education, Sally was a versatile all-rounder, excelling both on the field and in the classroom. She went on to work at GB Sports Council Sports England, leaving it all on the field 12 years before joining the sport and recreation lines as head of operations. The quarter finals saw Sally retire in 2015, but she was just getting warmed up. A true team player, she dedicated herself to volunteering, coaching, organising major sporting events, from chairing the safeguarding adults and sport steering committee to serving on the boards of world across, GB lacrosse and women's world cup. Even as president of her local women's institute, Sally consistently raised the bar. We now move to the semi-finals, where we celebrate Sally's championship achievements. She enjoyed using her knowledge and expertise to assist the development of the British Blind Sports, as Philip has mentioned, leading the work on the world-blind games. That's Sally helped coach and organise hosting 3,000 athletes from around the globe on one of the world's biggest playing fields. Sally also played a key role in bringing her across back to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles for 2028, after 120-year hiatus, aiming to shoot and score gold with a new six-side format, a lifelong commitment to expanding opportunities for women and girls in sport earned her the most prestigious MBE by the late Queen in 2017. So as we enter the finals, Sally sets her site on a new challenge, providing a home field advantage for local charities as mayor of Guildford. A skilled juggler, she plans to leverage her organisational expertise to raise the profiles of smaller non-profits, ensuring no one that is sidelined or overlooked. With her strategic mind and ability to inspire, Sally will level the playing field going the extra mile to amplify all the vital messages. Sally is a true Hall of Famer, a force of nature, a consistently-delivered championship performances, and with her at the helm, I have no doubt Guildford is poised for a medal-winning mayoral year to season to remember. So please do join me in welcoming our incoming mayor and wishing her the success as she steps up to the plate, Sally Barker. Thank you. Are there any other nominations? I see none. So I shall now put the motion to the council that Councillor Sally Barker MBE, the elected mayor of Guildford for municipal year 2024-25. Is that agreed? May I be the first to congratulate Councillor Barker on our election as mayor for the forthcoming year. Councillor interjecting. Let's be seated. Please be upstanding for the new mayor of Guildford Councillor Sally Barker MBE. Please be seated. I shall now make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and take the oath of allegiance. May I please ask Councillors Bruckert and furnace to come to the dias for the purpose of witnessing the Declaration. I'm Sally Anne Barker, having been elected to the office of mayor for the Council of the Borough of Guildford, hereby declare that I take that office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of it according to the best of my judgement and abilities. I do further declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles III, his heirs and successors according to law. My Lord, high steward, honoree recorder, honoree free man, honoree aldermen, honoree remembrance minister, Councillors and honoured guests. Thank you for all coming along today to this mayor making ceremony. I am truly honoured and delighted to have been made the mayor of Guildford. I am aware that we have a long history of mayors and Guildford so last night I thought I would try and find out how many mayors have gone before me and what number mayor I was. Our records go from 1362 to 2023 with a gap between 1377 and 1413. So from a quick calculation I believe that this will be the 670th May of the year. It became more difficult in working out what number mayor I was and by that I mean am I mayor 670 or 500 of Guildford. Some mayors have held their role in more than one occasion. For example, Walter Waldron was mayor for eight years in the 1360s and 70s. Also some mayors had the same names but different spallings. Were these the same people? However, from a non-scientific elimination of the duplicates I think I am mayoral number 390ish. It was easy to work out that I am the 19th female mayor as we only started allowing women to be mayors from the 1970s. I am also the first Barker to be mayor of Guildford. But by the end of my mail year I hope to confirm my number but I will be sure to consult with our honorary remembrance to Matthew Alexander before I start. He has often been heard and say in the past how difficult it is. I would like to start by thanking Philip Rooker who proposed me for this position and Matt Furnace for seconding him. It is always a little worrying when you don't know what people are going to say about you. But they were both very kind Matt and very discreet. So thank you. Next I would like to congratulate him Suq on his mail term for being such a highly regarded mayor. Whenever I have been at an event and the mayor's name has been mentioned people always say what a lovely hard working man he is and I totally agree. Masuk it has been a great pleasure working with you and supporting you during last year and I have learnt a lot from you about being an effective mayor. I would also like to thank Parvene your mayor's for being such a great support to you as well. I know that the Fountain Centre has appreciated you raising their profiles and supporting their work. Looking forward I would like to introduce my chaplain for next year Ruth Brothel who many of you know as a Councillor for Clanden and Hawsley as well as being a Councillor. Ruth is also an assistant priest at the Clanden churches. Ruth I look forward to you opening our council meetings with some thoughtful worlds that will set the tone for productive and cooperative discussions especially with the general election looming. My theme for the year is making connections for the well being of our communities and I break this down into two parts. Firstly I have a great passion for bringing people together to make things happen or you could say that I am bossy. I believe that my year will provide the perfect opportunity for me to connect people and organisations to work together to support as many people as possible. Secondly I have been struck by the discussions recently about the well being of our community and so I wish to encourage conversations about well being and to support those struggling in their daily lives. With that in mind I have chosen not to have just one charity for this year but to support a number of small local charities especially those that reflect the well being needs of our communities and where a little financial support will have maximum impact. I plan to hold and attend a wide range of fundraising events with key partners and have already started organising these. On the 19th of May I am taking part in the big charity fundraising walk with the rotary raising funds for the mayor support fund. I am still looking for sponsors if anybody has got some spare cash. On the 30th of September the traditional curry night will be held at Shaheens. On the 12th of December there will be a mistletoe ball with Guilford philanthropy and in 2025 I am organising a celebrity afternoon tea on the 7th of March to celebrate International Women's Day. Women's role in public life is another great passion of mine and a multicultural show diversity picking up on my soup's great idea in April. Each of these events and others I get involved with will have one or more charities as a beneficiary. As deputy mayor I really enjoyed attending events and meeting different people and have been really humbled by the great work many charities are doing to help our communities and I am looking forward to doing more of this. I have a deep commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and will be using my role to raise awareness about these issues and effect change where I can. Most of all I want the year ahead to be fun, not just for me but for everyone. Guilford is a remarkable town and borough packed with community spirited building people, beautiful villages and wonderful buildings like this one and a great countryside. I believe we all will have a responsibility to do everything we can to connect as a community and to help one another. To conclude I would like to say a few words of thanks particularly to Kate Foxson, Annette Stone, Beverly Stonehouse and John Armstrong for their strong support to me during the past year and hopefully in the upcoming year. Finally to my partner Lefil Collier who supports me in all my many endeavors and who is now rewarded with a gold chain of my consort. Thank you all for coming to an attending this meeting today. I really appreciate your support and look forward to working with and for you in the coming year. Thank you. May I now ask the council to record their appreciation for the services rendered by the retiring mayor, Councillor Masut Nier. As I have your honor in investing here with the past mayor's badge for his mail year. [Applause] Wow. Thank you very much. I am really privileged. Normally I sometimes have a speech written but today I said no. I don't need it. What I want to say from my heart and what it's been I had a great year and it's been privileged to be the mayor of Guilford. I've had the year when suddenly Kate said to me your mayor is finishing. I've enjoyed it truly. It's been privileged to be the mayor of Guilford and I had a mayor of the year. I met so many people from different walks of life and it's a great experience for me. Every day was a new day for me. It's all thanks to everyone for supporting me and helping me. I'd like to say thank you very much and I will really store this in my memory for the rest of my life. Thank you very much. [Applause] Agenda item two, the appointment of the Deputy Mayor. May I now invite the council to consider the appointment of Deputy Mayor for the municipal year 24-25. May I remind you that you that the council at its extraordinary meeting on the 23rd of January 24th approve the nomination of Councillor HOWARD Smith as Deputy Mayor of the Borough for the municipal year 2024-25. I shall now move formally that the council points Councillor HOWARD Smith as Deputy Mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. May I ask Councillor Masut mier to second the motion. I so do thank you very much. Are there any other nominations? I shall now put the motion to the council that Councillor HOWARD Smith be appointed Deputy Mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. Is that agreed? May I be the first to congratulate Councillor Smith on his appointment as Deputy Mayor for the fourth coming year. Please stand. Please be seated. Please be upstanding for the Deputy Mayor of Guilford, Councillor HOWARD Smith. Please be seated. May I ask the Deputy Mayor and Councillor Mier to stand for the declaration of acceptance of office and oath for the leader. Well, I Howard Daniel Smith having been appointed to the office of Deputy Mayor for the Council of the Borough of Guilford. Here I declare that I take that office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfill the duties of it according to the best of my judgment and ability. I do further declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles the third, his heirs and successors according to law. Agenda item 3, apologies for absence. May I ask the democratic services and the elections manager to report apologies for absence. Thank you very much Madam Mayor. Apologies today from Councillors Phil Bellamy, Eve de Contard, Amanda Kreese, Geoff Davis, Stephen Hives, Richard Lucas, Carla Morrison, Katie Steele, Jane Tyson and Fiona White and also from Henri Alderman, Catherine Cobley, Vaz Kepsalis, Jane Marks, Toni Phillips, Nick Sutcliffe and Linda Strudwick, thank you. Thank you. A general item for declarations of interest. May I remind Councillors who have a disclosure of your pecuniary interest in any matter to be considered at this meeting to declare the interest now and withdraw from the meeting when we get to the relevant item of the business. Are there any disposable pecuniary interest? May I also ask in the interest of transparency whether any Councillor which is to declare a non-pecuniary interest which may be relevant to any matter on the agenda and to confirm that it will not affect their objectivity in relation to that matter. Are there any non-pecuniary interest? A general item 5, Mayor's Communications. The Civic Service will be held on Sunday the 12th of May 2024 at Holy Trinity Church Guildford at 1130 and I hope that as many people as possible will be able to attend. If you would like to attend that have not yet informed that we will locate Foxton, could you please do so as soon as possible? There will be a Council meeting starting at 7pm on Monday the 13th of May 2024 to consider, among other things, the appointment of committees, any election of chairs and vice chairs of those committees for the 2024 to 25 municipal year. You will have heard that Councillor Geoff Davies has sent his apologies for today's meeting. Unfortunately, Geoff has been very poorly with a serious bacterial infection and has been in hospital. He is expected now to move into a specialist rehabilitation centre. I am sure I speak for the whole Council when I wish Geoff a very speedy recovery from what has been a very nasty experience for him. Finally, and I did refer to this a bit earlier on, I would like to remind Councillors that the big charity fundraising walk will be taking place on Sunday the 19th of May starting and finishing at Shalford Park. I will be walking the 10 mile route in aid of my chosen charity, the Mayor's Guilford's Local Support Fund, and I would very much welcome your generous sponsorship. Agenda item 6, appointment of Mayor's Chaplain. As previous also previous announced, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Reverend Ruth Rothwell, Assistant Priest, the Church of St Peter and Paul, the street of West Clanden as my Chaplain for the Municipal Year 2024 to 25. A gender item 7, appointment of Honorary Remembrance, sir. May I now invite the Council to consider the appointment of the Honorary Remembrance, sir, for the Municipal Year 2024 to 25? I am very happy to formally propose the reappointment of Mr Matthew Alexander as Honorary Remembrance, sir, to the Borough of Guilford for the ensuing year. May I ask the Deputy Mayor, Councillor HOWARD, Smith, to second the motion, please. I do second. Is that agreed? I am delighted to announce that Mr Alexander has been reappointed as our Honorary Remembrance, sir, for the Municipal Year 2024 to 25. As there is no other business, I declare the meeting over and would like to invite Councillors and guests to follow me to the Council Chamber upstairs for refreshments coming today. Paul, please be upstanding. Thank you. [BLANK_AUDIO]
Transcript
Councillors interjecting. Ladies and gentlemen, could you please be upstanding for the Mayor of Guilford Councillor Musuq Thank you very much. May I welcome you all to Guildhall for today's annual meeting of Guilford Councillor. Before we begin, the meeting may I ask my chaplain, Mohammed Redwan Ahmad, Imam of Guilford Councillor Musuq, to say the prayer. Let me again prepare to hold my hand for the other, for gathering us all at this meeting. Mr. Mayor, Councillors, officers, and all of us, we show us with his mercy and give us his strength and courage to work in our hearts and grant us the willing to change Guildhall for the better by filtering our deities. May the almighty people offer his panties and blessings to the leaders of those in office here in the borough of Guilford. We remain forever grateful for bringing us here in your remembrance today to give praise and thanks in order to uplift your name and bind you the highest of appreciation. Thank you everyone. Thank you. Please be seated. I have few housekeeping comments to make. First of all, may I ask that you switch your mobile phones and handheld devices to silent for duration of this meeting. If the fire lamp sounds at any time during the meeting, we are not expecting it to go off. Everyone should leave immediately through the nearest fire exit and proceed calmly to the assembly point across the road under the Tonsgate Arch. This meeting is being recorded and will upload to the webcast library in due course and will be capable of repeated viewing. If you are seated in this courtroom, it is likely that the camera will capture your image. You are deemed to be consenting to this and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and or training purposes. Before we begin the formal meeting, I will now receive from Mr. Matthew Alexander the report of Honorary Remembrance for the municipal year just ended. Mr. Mayor, this year has underlined how fortunate Guilford is in having the University of Surrey, the Surrey Research Park and the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The university has achieved numerous national and international awards in diverse subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to climate change. Another example of innovation is cognition health based in the research park which has developed a drug which slows the progress of dementia and has been hailed as a turning point in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The Royal Surrey County Hospital is also at the forefront of medical science regularly acquiring cutting-edge technology. Conflict in Ukraine and in the Middle East has cast its shadow over Guilford as elsewhere and local people have sent aid to both battlefields. This can be seen as part of the continuing support for disadvantaged people which can be seen by the number of generous volunteers that run the many charities in the borough. It is not surprising perhaps that during the year Guilford's quality of life was related as very high and as one of the happiest towns in the country. May I now thank honoree and members for all his hard work in bringing together and recording the multitude of events and activities that took place in our bar and during my narrow year. I'm looking forward to reading this report. A copy of the report will be posted on the council's website. Agenda item 1. Election of mayor. May I invite the council to consider the election of mayor for the municipal year 2024-25 and remind you that at its extraordinary meeting on 23 January 2024 the council approved the nomination of Councillor Sally Barker, MBE for the meralty of borough for the municipal year 2024-25. May I now ask Councillor Philip Brooker to formally propose the motion that Councillor Sally Barker be elected mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, good morning. Sally Barker, MBE, has lived in the centre of Guilford for almost 35 years, having moved here to pursue her teaching career. At that time she had already begun her commitment to public service, serving as an officer in the territorial army for nearly 20 years. Since then, Sally has developed close links to our town and surrounding villages through this commitment to public service and a desire to put something back into the community she loves. She has been president of Guilford Spike Women's Institute, is a long-standing friend of Guilford Fringe, on the board of Guilford Young Carers, a member of Wombra Barn Management Committee, Chair of Governors at Putnam Infantry School and in the last year attended many events as Deputy Mayor in support of Mayor Masoch Meyer. Sally has had a career in sports development, working at national, European and international levels. She received an MBE from the late Queen for services to women's participation in sport. Since her retirement, Sally has continued to promote the benefits of physical activity in addressing issues of equality and inclusion. Sally was Chair of the Organising Committee for the Women's World Across Championships, held at Surrey Sports Park in 2017, and she is currently Chair of the British Blind Sport Organising the World Blind Games in Birmingham in 2022. I therefore have no hesitation and am delighted in proposing Sally Barco MBE as Mayor of the Father. Thank you, Councillor Bucun. May I now invite Councillor MAT Fernes to formally second the motion. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. My Lord, ladies, gentlemen, almighty, cremen, honoree, alderman and honored guests. So today we stand at the starting line of what promises to be an exceptional mayoral year. The starting gun is primed and the race is about to begin as we introduce our champion nominee, Sally Barco. So I have today the honour of seconding the nomination of a truly remarkable woman to become the next Mayor of Guildford. I first met Sally, unsurprisingly, you might say, through sport. Sally Chair of the Committee, as Phillip said, in 2017 for the World Across Championships right here in Guildford, chalking up a big win for our hometown. Now, to the qualifiers, allow me to highlight Sally's early training years, working in sport for over 30 years. A top squad pick from the University of Leeds with a Masters in Physical Education, Sally was a versatile all-rounder, excelling both on the field and in the classroom. She went on to work at GB Sports Council, Sports England, leaving it all on the field 12 years before joining the sport and recreation lines as head of operations. The quarter finals saw Sally retire in 2015, but she was just getting warmed up. A true team player, she dedicated herself to volunteering, coaching, organising major sporting events, from chairing the Safeguarding Adults and Sports Steering Committee, to serving on the boards of World Across, GB La Crosse and Women's World Cup. Even as president of her local Women's Institute, Sally consistently raised the bar. We now move to the semi-finals, where we celebrate Sally's championship achievement. She enjoyed using her knowledge and expertise to assist the development of the British by sports, as Phil has mentioned, leading the work on the world-blind games, that Sally held coach and organised hosting 3,000 athletes from around the globe on one of the world's biggest playing fields. Sally also played a key role in bringing La Crosse back to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles for 2028 after 120-year hiatus, aiming to shoot and score gold with a new six-side format, a lifelong commitment to expanding opportunities for women and girls in sport earned her the most prestigious MBE by the late Queen in 2017. So as we enter the finals, Sally sets her site on a new challenge, providing a home-field advantage for local charities as mayor of Guildford. A skilled juggler, she plans to leverage her organisational expertise to raise the profiles of smaller non-profits, ensuring no one is sidelined or overlooked. With her strategic mind and ability to inspire, Sally will level the playing field going the extra mile to amplify all the vital messages. Sally is a true Hall of Famer, a force of nature, a consistently-delivered championship performances, and with her at the helm I have no doubt Guildford is poised for a medal-winning mayoral year to season to remember. So please do join me in welcoming our incoming mayor and wishing her the success as she steps up to the plate, Sally Barker. Thank you, are there any other nominations? I see none. So I shall now put the motion to the council that Councillor Sally Barker, MBE, the elected mayor of Guildford for municipal year 2024-25. Is that agreed? May I be the first to congratulate Councillor Barker on our election as mayor for the forthcoming year. Do you please stand? Please be seated. Please be standing for the new mayor of Guildford, Councillor Sally Barker, MBE. I shall now make the declaration of acceptance of office and take the oath of allegiance. May I please ask Councillors Bruckert and Furnace to come to the dias for the purpose of witnessing the declaration. I, Sally and Barker, having been elected to the office of mayor for the Council of the Borough of Guildford, hereby declare that I take that office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of it according to the best of my judgement and ability. I do further declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles III, his heirs and successors according to law. My lord, high steward, honoree recorder, honoree free man, honoree aldermen, honoree rememberance and honour guests. Thank you for all coming along today to this mayor making ceremony. I am truly honoured and delighted to have been made the mayor of Guildford. I am aware that we have a long history of mayors and Guildford so last night I thought I would try and find out how many mayors have gone before me and what number mayor I was. Our records go from 1362 to 2023 with a gap between 1377 and 1413 so from a quick calculation I believe that this will be the 670th mayor of the year. It became more difficult in working out what number mayor I was and by that I mean am I mayor 670 or 500 of Guildford. Some mayors have held their role in more than one occasion, for example water warden was mayor for 80 years in the 1360s and 70s, also some mayors had the same names but different spellings were these the same people. However from a non-scientific elimination of the duplicates I think I am mayoral number 390-ish. It was easy to work out that I am the 19th female mayor as we only started allowing women to be mayors from the 1970s. I am also the first Barker to be mayor of Guildford. But by the end of my mail year I hope to confirm my number but I will be sure to consult with our honorary remembrance to Matthew Alexander before I start. He has often been heard to say in the past how difficult it is. I would like to start by thanking Philip Rooker who proposed me for this position and Matt Furnace for seconding him. And he is always a little worrying when you don't know what people are going to say about you. But they were both very kind Matt and very discreet so thank you. Next I would like to congratulate him Suik on his mail term for being such a highly regarded mayor. Whenever I have been at an event and the mayor's name has been mentioned people always say what a lovely hard working man he is and I totally agree. As Suik it has been a great pleasure working with you and supporting you during last year and I have learnt a lot from you about being an effective mayor. I would also like to thank Parveen your mayor's for being such a great support to you as well. I know that the Fountain Centre has appreciated you raising their profiles and supporting their work. Looking forward I would like to introduce my chapling for next year Ruth Brothel who many of you know as a Councillor for Clandon and Horsley. As well as being a Councillor Ruth is also an assistant priest at the Clandon churches. Ruth I look forward to your opening our council meetings with some thoughtful worlds that will set the tone for productive and cooperative discussions especially with the general election looming. My theme for the year is making connections for the well being of our communities and I break this down into two parts. Firstly I have a great passion for bringing people together to make things happen or you could say that I am bossy and believe that my year will provide the perfect opportunity for me to connect people and organisations to work together to support as many people as possible. Secondly I have been struck by the discussions recently about the well being of our community and so I wish to encourage conversations about well being and to support those struggling in their daily lives. With that in mind I have chosen not to have just one charity for this year but to support a number of small local charities especially those that reflect the well being needs of our communities and where a little financial support will have maximum impact. I plan to hold and attend a wide range of fundraising events with key partners and have already started organising these. On the 19th of May I am taking part in the big charity fundraising walk with the rotary raising funds for the mayor's support fund. I am still looking for sponsors if anybody has got some of their cash. On the 30th of September the traditional curry night will be held at Shaheens. On the 12th of December there will be a mistletoe ball with Guilford philanthropy. And in 2025 I am organising a celebrity afternoon tea on the 7th of March to celebrate International Women's Day. Guilford's role in public life is another great passion of mine and a multicultural show diversity picking up on Masuke's great idea in April. Each of these events and others I get involved with will have one or more charities as a beneficiary. As Deputy Mayor I really enjoyed attending events and meeting different people and have been really humbled by the great work many charities are doing to help our communities and I am looking forward to doing more of this. I have a deep commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and will be using my role to raise awareness about these issues and effect change where I can. Most of all I want the year ahead to be fun, not just for me but for everyone. Guilford is a remarkable town and borough packed with community spirited build at people, beautiful villages and wonderful buildings like this one and a great countryside. I believe we all have a responsibility to do everything we can to connect as a community and to help one another. To conclude I would like to say a few words of thanks, particularly to Kate Foxson and Netstone, Beverly Stonehouse and John Armstrong for their strong support to me during the past year and hopefully in the upcoming year. Finally to my partner Phil Collar, who supports me in all my many endeavours and who is now rewarded with a gold chain of my consort. Thank you all for coming to attending this meeting today. I really appreciate your support and look forward to working with and for you in the coming year. Thank you. May I now ask the council to record their appreciation for the services rendered by the retiring mayor, Councillor Masut Nier, whilst I have the honour in investing him with the past mayor's badge for his mail year. Thank you very much and really privileged. Normally I sometimes have a speech written, but today I said no, I don't need it. What I want to say from my heart and what it's been, I had a great year and it's been privileged to be the mayor of Guilford. I've had the year when suddenly Kate said to me your mayor is finishing. So I've enjoyed it truly. It's been privileged to be the mayor of Guilford and I had a mayor of the year which was, I met so many people from different walks of life and it's a great experience for me. Every day was a new day for me. So it's all thanks to everyone for sort of like supporting me and helping me. So I'd like to say thank you very much and I will really store this in my memory for the rest of my life. Thank you very much everyone. Thank you. [Applause] Agenda item two, the appointment of the deputy mayor. May I now invite the council to consider the appointment of deputy mayor for the municipal year 24-25. May I remind you that you that the council at its extraordinary meeting on the 23rd of January 24th, approve the nomination of Councillor HOWARD SMITH as deputy mayor of the borough for the municipal year 2024-25. I shall now move formally that the council appoints Councillor HOWARD SMITH as deputy mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. May I ask Councillor MASSUIT MAYOR to second the motion. I so do thank you very much. Are there any other nominations? I shall now put the motion to the council that Councillor HOWARD SMITH be appointed deputy mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. Is that agreed? May I be the first to congratulate Councillor SMITH on his appointment as deputy mayor for the fourth coming year. Could you all please stand? Please be seated. Please be upstanding for the deputy mayor of Guilford Councillor HOWARD SMITH. Please be seated. May I ask the deputy mayor and Councillor MAYOR to stand for the declaration of acceptance of oath and oath of office and oath of allegiance. Well, I HOWARD SMITH having been appointed to the office of deputy mayor for the council of the borough of Guilford hereby declare that I take that office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of it according to the best of my judgment and ability. I do further declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King Charles III, his heirs and successors according to law. Thank you. A general item 3, apologies for absence. May I ask the democratic services and elections manager to report apologies for absence. Thank you very much Madam Mayor, apologies today from Councillors Phil Bellamy, Eve de Contard, Amanda Kreese, Jeff Davis, Richard Lucas, Carla Morrison, Katie Steele, Jane Tyson and Fiona White and also from honoree Alderman, Catherine Cobley, Vas capsalis, Jane Marks, Tony Phillips, Nick Sutcliffe and Linda Strudwick. Thank you. Thank you. A general item 4, declarations of interest. May I remind Councillors who have a disclosure of your pecuniary interest in any matter to be considered at this meeting to declare the interest now and withdraw from the meeting when we get to the relevant item of the business. Are there any discloseable pecuniary interest? May I also ask in the interest of transparency whether any Councillor which is to declare a non-pecuniary interest which may be relevant to any matter on the agenda and to confirm that it will not affect their objectivity in relation to that matter. Are there any non-pecuniary interest? A general item 5, Mayor's Communications. The Civic Service will be held on Sunday the 12th of May 2024 at Holy Trinity Church Guildford at 1130 and I hope that as many people as possible will be able to attend. If you would like to attend that have not yet informed Kate Foxton, could you please do so as soon as possible? There will be a Council meeting starting at 7pm on Monday the 13th of May 2024 to consider among other things the appointment of committees, any election of chairs and vice chairs of those committees for the 2024 to 25 municipal years. You will have heard that Councillor Geoff Davies has sent his apologies for today's meeting. Unfortunately Geoff has been very poorly with a serious bacterial infection and has been in hospital. He is expected now to move into a specialist rehabilitation centre. I am sure I speak for the whole Council when I wish Geoff a very speedy recovery from what has been a very nasty experience for him. Finally, and I did refer to this a bit earlier on, I would like to remind Councillors that the big charity fundraising walk will be taking place on Sunday the 19th of May starting and finishing at Shelford Park. I will be walking the 10 mile route in aid of my chosen charity, the Mayor's Guildford Local Support Fund and I would very much welcome your generous sponsorship. The gender item 6, appointment of Mayor's Chaplin. As previous, also previous, announced, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Reverend Ruth Rothwell, Assistant Priest, the Church of St Peter and Paul, the street of West Clanden as my chaplain for the municipal year 2024 to 25. The gender item 7, appointment of honoree Remembrance, may I now invite the Council to consider the appointment of the honoree Remembrance for the municipal year 2024 to 25. I am very happy to formally propose the reappointment of Mr Matthew Alexander as honoree Remembrance to the Borough of Gilbert for the ensuing year. May I ask the Deputy Mayor, Councillor HOWARD Smith, to second the motion please. I do second. Is that agreed? I am delighted to announce that Mr Alexander has been reappointed as our honoree Remembrance for the municipal year 2024 to 25. As there is no other business, I declare the meeting over and would like to invite Councillors and guests to follow me to the Council Chamber upstairs for refreshments coming today. Would you all please be upstanding? Thank you. You
Summary
The council meeting primarily focused on ceremonial proceedings, including the election and appointment of the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Guildford, along with the reappointment of the Honorary Remembrance. The meeting also included a series of speeches and acknowledgments regarding the contributions of various community members and outgoing officials.
Decision 1: Election of the New Mayor Councillor Sally Barker was elected as the new Mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. The proposal was made by Councillor Philip Brooker and seconded by Councillor Matt Fernes. There were no opposing nominations. The decision underscores a continued focus on community service and well-being, as highlighted in Barker's acceptance speech where she emphasized her commitment to enhancing community connections and supporting local charities.
Decision 2: Appointment of the Deputy Mayor Councillor Howard Smith was appointed as the Deputy Mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. The motion was moved and seconded without opposition, reflecting a smooth transition and continuity in the council's leadership. This appointment supports the council's ongoing administrative functions and community engagement efforts.
Decision 3: Reappointment of the Honorary Remembrance Mr. Matthew Alexander was reappointed as the Honorary Remembrance for the year. This decision was uncontested and highlights the council's satisfaction with Alexander's performance and contributions to maintaining the borough's historical records.
Additional Information: The meeting was marked by a strong emphasis on community service and recognition of volunteer efforts across Guildford. Notably, the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Masuc Mia, was praised for his service, and there was a poignant acknowledgment of Councillor Geoff Davies' illness, reflecting the council's close-knit nature. The meeting concluded with announcements of upcoming community events and initiatives, reinforcing the council's commitment to active civic engagement. The council meeting primarily focused on ceremonial duties, including the election and appointment of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the upcoming municipal year, along with the reappointment of the Honorary Remembrance. The meeting also included a brief on community and charity initiatives.
Election of Mayor: Councillor Sally Barker, MBE, was elected as Mayor for the municipal year 2024-25. The proposal was supported by detailed commendations of her extensive service and contributions to the community, particularly in sports and public service. The election of Councillor Barker, noted for her commitment to equality and community well-being, suggests a continued focus on inclusive community development and support for local charities.
Appointment of Deputy Mayor: Councillor Howard Smith was appointed as Deputy Mayor. The appointment was straightforward with no opposing nominations, indicating strong council support for his candidacy. This decision will likely ensure continuity and support for the newly elected Mayor in her initiatives and responsibilities.
Reappointment of Honorary Remembrance: Mr. Matthew Alexander was reappointed as the Honorary Remembrance for another year. This decision was unopposed and highlights the council's satisfaction with his historical documentation and contributions to preserving the borough's heritage.
Mayor's Communications and Initiatives: The Mayor announced several upcoming community and charity events, emphasizing her theme of
making connections for the well-being of our communities.
This proactive approach in her communications suggests a dynamic and engaging mayoral year ahead, with a strong focus on community involvement and support.
The meeting was notably harmonious, with a clear focus on community service and recognition of past contributions, setting a positive and collaborative tone for the municipal year ahead.