RMBI Summer Ball

It is a tradition that Lord Mayor's are invited to attend the summer ball of the South Wales' Freemason Province (my apologies if I have got that title wrong). The Freemasons have also been very generous in the past (and present) in donating to the Lord Mayor's charities, a donation which is much appreciated.

Yesterday however, was an absolute disaster and my worst day as Lord Mayor. I woke up feeling nauseous and unwell, so much so that I was obliged to cancel my visit to the Brynmill Park fun day. By the evening though I had managed to eat something and was feeling better so I decided that I should attend the ball.

I struggled through the champagne reception and the excellent concert by the Onllwyn Male Voice Choir, I enjoyed the solo performances before and during the courses, but by the end of the second course I was feeling very unwell indeed and was forced to abandon the event altogether.

My apologies to my hosts and to those on my table for disrupting their enjoyment so thoroughly and my gratitude to the organisers for continuing to offer a very generous donation to my charities.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 7 July 2019

Interview with Radio Tircoed

Radio Tircoed 106.5FM is a community radio station serving Tircoed, Penllergaer, Pontardulais, Gorseinon, Pontlliw and surrounding areas in the north west of the City and County of Swansea, Wales.

The station, which broadcasts from studios at the Tircoed Village Hall, was founded in 2005 as a Restricted Service License (RSL) station, transmitting on 87.7FM during certain times of the year, usually in June or July (the run up to the Tircoed summer fete) and during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The station began full-time broadcasting on Monday 1 December 2008 at 8am on 106.5 FM - the first song played was Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones.The station is run by a core staff of over 40 volunteers. Programming output varies throughout the day with various music-led, talk and feature programmes alongside specialist output in the evenings and at weekends, sports coverage and weekly programmes in the Welsh language.

The majority of the station's output is locally produced and presented, although some late night programming is syndicated.Radio Tircoed also maintains a presence within the community, in its immediate transmission area and in the wider sense, by providing audio facilities for community events such as village fetes, dog shows and concerts.

Wyn Thomas presents and produces the Drive programme, which includes the acclaimed interview slot the After 5 Guest, features and a variety of music. Tonight I was his guest on the after-five slot, talking about my role as Lord Mayor, my novel and the future of the City.

It was an enjoyable experience and a nice relief from other duties as Lord Mayor.

Care Home Visits

There are a large number of care homes in Swansea, possibly more than any other authority in Wales, including Cardiff. Nobody knows why this is, but I suspect that it has more to do with the scenery and the high quality of life.

The Lord Mayor is often invited to open days and to visit the care homes for special occasions. This afternoon I was scheduled to visit two care homes in quick succession.

The first of these was St Martin's Court in Martin Street, Morriston where I observed a sing-a-long with some of the residents. The second home I visited was Peniel Green in Llansamlet, which was having an open day and where I helped in a presentation to a long-standing volunteer, who also has a relative resident in the home.

Flying the flag for Swansea's 50th Anniversary

Wednesday is the 50th anniversary of  Swansea receiving City status, and in anticipation of the royal visit on that day, the council has had a special flag made. As can be seen from the photograph it is quite a large flag.

So my job today was to join the Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff, Councillor Robert Francis Davies and the Deputy Chief Executive to run this particular piece of cloth up the flag pole.

It will remain flying now for the rest of the year.

Torashin Karate Club Presentation - Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre

This karate club, currently based in Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre, has been running in the Bonymaen Ward for over 45 years. Hundreds of students have passed through their doors. Students have travelled the world representing the club and our country. The club is run as an extended family and welcomes people of all ages.

This evening the club put on a demonstration for their guests, which included me, one of the local councillors, Karate Grand Master Sensei Unei Wellington and the family and friends of the participants.

Afterwards I presented certificates and black belts on behalf of the club, whilst Chief Instructor Sensei Allen Jones was presented with his 6th Dan Black Belt by Unei Wellington. 

St Helen's 50 year Street Party

This afternoon I went to St. Helen's Road in the City Centre which had been closed off for a giant street party to celebrate the City's 50th birthday. It was a real carnival atmosphere, and a great deal of credit for that goes to St Helen's Primary School.

The pupils and teachers at this school have worked with local residents and the Fusion Project to explore the last 50 years of local heritage. Together with Elysium artists they created exhibitions and artwork, which was displayed in the street.

 

The pupils performed dances, demonstrated tai chi and treated us to a display of drumming. There was food on sale and all the local shops joined in the spirit of the occasion. The council's events team was evident throughout. It was a fantastic event, which continued well into the evening.

HMS Cambria Reserves Day

The first thing I discovered about HMS Cambria was that it is not a ship. It is fact the headquarters of the Navy Reserves and a training centre for new recruits to the reserves.

Civic heads, armed forces champions on local councils and High Sheriffs had been invited to have a presentation of the work of the Royal Navy Reserves, including personal testimony by three reservists about their work in the unit.

The Royal Naval Reserve is a part-time force of much-valued civilians. Together, this team of 3,000 provides the Royal Navy with essential trained personnel they need at times of tension, humanitarian crisis, or conflict.

That might mean anything from getting involved in conflict operations, to counter-terrorism and anti-piracy work. Reservists also provide security at sea and humanitarian assistance across the globe.

The picture above is an artist's impression of the new headquarters that are being constructed in Cardiff docks. By next May the reservists will have vacated their current home and moved into these modern facilities. They are anxious to recruit enough new people to fill it.

It was a fascinating evening and well-worth the trip to Sully.

Visiting Scholars from Wuhan University of Technology

The next event also involved welcoming visitors to our City, this time scholars from the Wuhan University of Technology.

Wuhan is the capital and largest city of the Chinese province of Hubei. It is the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over 10 million, the seventh-most populated Chinese city, and one of the nine National Central Cities of China.

It lies in the eastern Jianghan Plain, on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River's intersection with the Han river. Arising out of the conglomeration of three cities, Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang, Wuhan is known as "China's Thoroughfare" and holds sub-provincial status.

As always with these visits there was an exchange of gifts and lots of photographs. I concluded it by showing the party the Council Chamber. Unfortunately, the Brangwyn Hall was not available due to on-going filming, possibly for Dr. Who, but that is unconfirmed.

South and West Wales Safety Group Seminar

Welcoming people and conferences to Swansea is pretty much a staple part of the Lord Mayor's diary. This morning it was the turn of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – South and West Wales Safety Group Seminar at the Liberty Stadium. This was my speech:

*  *  *

Can I start by welcoming delegates to Swansea for this seminar? The Liberty Stadium has become an iconic venue for our City for conferences such as this, and just as you are striving for premier league status in your work, so are we working to help propel the Swans back to the premiership.

In your case of course, premier league status is within touching distance, if you have not already attained it. I know that this group is one of the more pro-active safety groups in the UK and you are nationally recognised for your achievements.

Whereas the Swans look to add to their trophy cabinet, the South and West Wales Safety Group has received a gold award from Safety Groups UK for its activities, and two of its members – Celtic Energy and Swansea Council – received second and third place respectively from Safety Groups UK in 2018 for their innovation.

That is no mean feat when you consider that there are 70 safety groups in the UK, each with 50 to 100 or so members. It is something to be proud of, as is the fact that five more of your members were commended.

I am told that the South and West Wales Safety Group have been active since 1943, and that last year you celebrated 75 years as an organisation, marked by pledges from members to support the local community with donations, free training and the donation of equipment.

It is fitting therefore that you return to Swansea as we are about to celebrate our 50th anniversary as a City. No doubt the many events we have planned will benefit from the advice and experience of your members to ensure that they go off without a hitch.

Events such as this one enables managers and safety advisors of local businesses to attend quality seminars in our area, which they would otherwise have to pay significant costs for as well as lose time as they travel to different venues some distance away. This is not something that small organisations can always afford.

This year’s seminar on behavioural safety presented by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is so important because research has shown that over 80% of accidents are caused by poor behavioural safety, some even put it as high as 90%.

If we can reduce accidents and the often-consequential life-changing injuries, possibly even fatalities in our area, we will be reducing the burden on our social and health care services, as well as avoiding the personal tragedies that such accidents inflict on the family and friends of their victims.

On behalf of the group can I acknowledge the excellent support of its members and in particular the Health and Safety Executive, who are chairing today’s event. I hope that you have an informative seminar, so that you can continue to maintain the high-quality advice and support you already offer.

And above all, I hope that the Swans can follow you into the premier league very soon. Thank you and welcome.

Lord Mayor's Evening Post Column 26th June 2019

It is a year of anniversary’s this year, and on Friday I was at the fantastic Sketty Hall to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the re-consecration of St Mary’s Church in the city centre, following its near destruction during World War Two bombing.

St. Mary's is the civic church and even has a Lord Mayor's warden to look after whoever holds the office at services. It is important therefore that we support them in the same way that they support the City.

Saturday was a first for me, as I headed to Swansea Castle in full Mayoral robes to lip sync to a pop song written by local songwriter Michael Mullan for the city’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

“This is our city” is an anthemic dance track that’s sung by Justine Afante, who performed at the Christmas Parade this year. She is only 12 and is tipped to be Swansea’s next superstar. The video is viewed as an opportunity to show the nation what talented people we have in Swansea, and it involves the children and adults who will shape Swansea's landscape for the next fifty years.

Keeping with the Swansea 50 celebrations, I will be attending the Sandfields Street Party in St Helens Road on Thursday. There’s a lot planned for Swansea 50 and neighbourhood activity like this is part of the celebration.

On Friday I will join the Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff and Deputy Leader of the Council for the official flag raising ceremony for Swansea 50 at the Guildhall.

The weekend sees the celebrations continue, with Brynmill Park’s fun day on Saturday, then later that day the Deputy Lord Mayor will be at the Pontarddulais & Hendy District Festival, while I will be attending the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution’s Summer Ball at the Brangwyn Hall.

Pentrehafod School Achievement Evening

School presentation evening are an essential part of the education process, ensuring that hard work in both academic and non-curricula activities are recognised and rewarded. As a school governor, this is the second time I have attended the Pentrehafod School Presention Evening. This time I was attending as Lord Mayor and giving the keynote speech.

It was a fantastic evening at which nearly a hundred pupils were rewarded for their hard work over the year in front of their parents, carers and guardians. This is my speech:

*    *    *

Chair of Governors, Headteacher, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I wanted to start by congratulating you, for the effort and commitment you have all put in over the past year both academically and in your extra-curricula activities, all of which hard work and achievement has been recognised this evening.

I didn’t have an easy time at school, but I knew that if I worked hard and applied myself then the opportunities were endless. The same opportunities lie ahead for each and every one of you.

Success is something that we define for ourselves, we set our own goals and we focus on how best to achieve them. But whatever any of you decide you want to do in the future, never forget where you have come from.

We are, all of us, rooted in our community. It defines us and it supports us. Our friends and neighbours are part of a wider family, and like any family we look out for each other and we work together to better ourselves and each other.

But no community gains anything by looking inward. We have a bigger responsibility to those less fortunate than ourselves, and we should recognise that the contribution of others can make us all stronger and more prosperous.

I came to Swansea in 1978 to study for a degree at the university, attracted by a beach-front campus.

I stayed because of the city’s friendly, welcoming people, its deep-rooted communities, good sporting and cultural links, fantastic scenery and because I enjoy living in a City with a strong sense of identity.

Like every other City in the UK, Swansea has its problems, but it remains a great place to live and work.

As a city, we have a proud tradition of social justice and community cohesion based on cultural, racial and religious tolerance.

I am proud to call Swansea my home, as so many others who have moved here have called this city home. In fact, Swansea has a long history of integrating new arrivals into its own distinctive urban identity.

We have welcomed large numbers of people from Ireland, many fleeing famine; we have had a significant Welsh-Italian community here since the early 1900s running local businesses, while during the early twentieth century, many men of Chinese origin were employed here as cooks, stewards and firemen on merchant ships in the docks. The first Chinese restaurants opened in Swansea in 1959.

During the first world war a small Belgian population was established here, many of whom were employed in the town’s spelter works.

During the Spanish Civil War Swansea became home to child refugees, while following the accession of Adolf Hitler to power in 1933, we also welcomed Jewish refugees, two of whom brought the Mettoy factory here.

The war produced millions of displaced persons from eastern Europe, many of whom settled in Swansea, leading, amongst others, to the establishment of the Ukrainian Club in Morriston.

While in the early 1950s, Swansea industrialists recruited thousands of workers from southern Italy to help address the chronic labour shortages in the local tinplate industry. There is also a significant south Asian population in the City.

The world is a much more dangerous place, with millions of people displaced from their home by war, oppression, religious and sexual discrimination and climate change.

Many are impoverished, starving, separated from their family and friends, and placed in life-threatening situations as they seek to escape violence, famine, torture, sexual assault, intolerance and the loss of fundamental human rights.

We continue to receive refugees and asylum seekers in Swansea, the majority from Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan, and I am proud that we have built up a culture of hospitality and welcome, and that we became the UK’s second official City of Sanctuary in May 2010.

We should not forget that if you have food in your fridge, clothes on your body, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, then you are richer than 75% of the entire world.

Pentrehafod School is at the centre of a wider community. It is one that embraces us, offers us hope and opportunity, and brings us together.

Our history and the history of our community is what defines us and defines our City, but we should always remember that others are worse off than ourselves and may need our help and support.

You are our future and that of our community.

Congratulations once again for everything you have achieved so far and best wishes for the bright future that lies ahead of all of you. Thank you.

Local Churches in Wales Fundraiser

Back to the Mansion House this afternoon for a fundraiser put on by three City churches to support a boys orphanage in Palestine.

The churches concerned were St. James, St. Barnabas and St. Gabriel's and there was a good turnout of people to raise money to help with the upkeep of the Jeel Al Amal orphanage.

The orphanage's website tells the story of how in 1972 Alice and Basil Sahhar rented two houses in Bethany. In the one they lived with their six children. And in the other ten boys were housed. Some boys were orphans. Others came from broken families that could not support their children. Within one year they were one hundred twenty strong.

Several rooms were crammed with bunks. Brothers often shared one bed. One room was used as a tiny dining room. Others were filled with old school desks. And there was a playground. Jeel al Amal was a fact: a home and school for needy boys. They became an institution and a school accredited by the Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian authorities.

Alice and Basil dreamed of a new building, where the boys would live in groups. A building with more privacy, with better sanitary fitting and with spaces to come together and play. And of course a proper dining room and a spacious kitchen.

They had set their eyes on a piece of land to the east of the town of Bethany. Here they realised their new home: a large two storey building with enough room for one hundred boys.

Since 1972 numerous boys have grown up in the cozy atmosphere of Jeel al Amal. The use of the word “housemothers” for the group leaders illustrates this coziness. The housemothers take care of the boys, with whom they have a personal relationship, as if they were their own children. They teach the boys to live together in a spirit of solidarity, openness and respect for each other.

With Palestinian families being made homeless from demolitions, this orphanage is needed more than ever,

Peace Mala Bronze Award Ceremony - Terrace Road Primary School

A wonderful start to the day this morning when I joined the High Sheriff, Director of Education and Norma Glass MBE at Terrace Road Primary School for their morning assembly.

The school were being awarded the Peace Mala bronze award for their work in promoting peace and inclusion. As the website says, A Peace Mala is a symbolic double rainbow bracelet that promotes friendship, respect, and peace between people of all cultures, lifestyles, faiths, beliefs, and none.

Peace Mala focuses on the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would wish them to treat you". Its intention is to educate and remind everyone that this rule is recognised by many scholars, teachers and philosophers. Each coloured bead represents a spiritual path.

The central bead represents the wearer who may or may not have a spiritual path.

Running through the Peace Mala is a simple thread which holds all the rainbow beads together. This may be called the Golden Thread of Spirituality which connects us all through the love in our hearts - acknowledging the Golden Rule and our spiritual unity opens up the pathway to peace.

Becoming a Peace Mala School is a whole School Development Plan, approved by staff and the Governing Body. It commits the school to education for global citizenship, the promotion and encouragement of community cohesion, demonstrates the schools support for human rights and the prevention of bullying and all forms of prejudice and raises awareness of issues of global interdependence.

Peace Mala also encourages the celebration of cultural, racial and religious diversity through art, music, drama and dance and promotes environmental sustainability, healthy eating and respect for all animals and wildlife. It also encourages peace education by forming a school peace council and engaging in peace activities.

Terrace Road School has very much embraced this philosophy and as well as a peace garden, has produced a very impressive peace mala mural in association with a local artist. It was an outstanding event.

Monmouthshire County Council Civic Service

This was my second civic service since I have become Lord Mayor and the venue was the fabulous Christchurch in Abergavenny. This church is built around a corrugated frame with a wood cladding outer shell and a wooden interior. It was built for railway workers at the end of the nineteenth century at a time when Abergavenny was a major railway interchange.

The current chair of Monmouthshire County Council is Councillor Sheila Woodhouse, who represents the Grofield ward. She has long-standing links with the church. We were entertained by a brass band from Gwent Music.

The service was also an opportunity to catch up with some friends, including the Minister, Canon Mark Soady, the High Sheriff of Gwent, Claire Clancy and Nick Ramsey AM and his wife, Jennifer.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 30 June 2019

This is our City - music video

Today was a bit of a first for us as we dressed up and headed off to Swansea Castle to take part in a music video. I was in full robes, including the hat. It may be one of the few times I wear the hat during this Mayoral year. It is certainly the first time I have lip-synched. Goodness knows what it will look like.

The film-makers are collaborating with the council to create a music video for Swansea’s 50th Anniversary of Swansea becoming a City. Michael Mullan, has wrote a song called “This is our city “, an anthemic dance track that’s sung by Justine Afante, who performed at the Christmas Parade this year . She is only 12 and is tipped to be Swansea’s next superstar, a young Mariah Carey.

You can see the initial YouTube video below, though the idea is to refilm it to include iconic Swansea scenes and individuals, which I suppose is where the Lord Mayor comes in.


The final product is going to be performed at the Swansea Air show and at other 50th anniversary celebrations in some way . It will also be played on loop on the Big screen in the city centre.

The video is viewed as an opportunity to show the nation what talent and people we have in Swansea, and involve the children and adults who will shape Swansea's landscape for the next fifty years. The film-makers want to create a video that truly reflect the workers, the talent and diversity that so enriches the beautiful tapestry of Swansea. The final version will feature members from all areas of Swansea life , ballet performers , jugglers , street dancers, community members, Bhangra dancers, firemen, amazing projects such as New Horizons inclusive Dance company, local companies such as Gower Gas and Oil, LGBT community and others old and young.

The story board includes extreme dancing in Three Cliffs, choreography created by Principal of DBR, Dancerama and Dance without barriers Rebecca, which will be performed by African and Asian dancing groups, groups such as New Horizons and Dance with Parkinsons community groups, local celebrities, Swans and Ospreys players, Swansea Copperworks with ballet dancers performing around them, the iconic Townhill view, a hugely ambitious plan to get everyone in Wind Street at 11pm to walk into the street facing Morgan’s and put the lights on their mobile phone in the air and then, in the final chorus, everyone who has been in the video in the final chorus walking down Oystermouth Road and joining in with the chorus.

St. Mary's Church Celebratory Dinner

It isn't actually true that being Lord Mayor is just one dinner after another, as anybody who scrolls through this blog can see. However 2019 is a year of anniversaries, and tonight we went to the fantastic Sketty Hall (pictured) to help them celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the re-consecration of this City Centre church, following its near destruction during World War Two bombing.

St Mary's is, of course, the civic church and even has a Lord Mayor's warden to look after whoever holds the office at services. It is important therefore that we support them in the same way that they support the City.

Guest speaker was the vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity St David, Professor Medwin Hughes and the Lord Lieutenant and the Archdeacon were also present. It was a wonderful celebration of the church and it's history, and hopefully the raffle also helped to boost their funds.

Parlour Visit

One of the joys of being Lord Mayor is welcoming visitors to our City and helping to make them feel welcome. So when a constituent got in touch to ask about the Swansea Twinning Association, I was happy to step into the breach left by the winding up of that organisation some years ago.

My constituent had a visitor from Swansea's twin town, Mannheim, who he wanted to put in touch with those who oversee twinning arrangements. Nowadays that is co-ordinated from the Lord Mayor's office, so I invited them to visit the Lord Mayor's Parlour.

So this morning I met up with my constituent, his son and Coniela Brukli from Mannheim. I had a useful discussion with them about the relationship between the two Cities, invited them to sign the visitor's book and showed them the council chamber.

No doubt there will be a similar number of such visits over the course of the year.

St Joseph's School Exhibition - City of Sanctuary Event

A fantastic event this morning, as I went to the Civic Centre in full robes to meet St Joseph's Primary School and the City of Sanctuary, to launch an exhibition put on by the school, to celebrate Refugee Week.

The school have been working on this project for two years, and were deservedly awarded the prestigious 'School of Sanctuary' award for the way they have embraced asylum seekers and refugees in their community and contributed to awareness raising on the issue.

We were treated to some fantastic singing by the children before the teacher, myself and Amber from the City of Sanctuary said our piece about the award, and the way Swansea has welcomed those seeking sanctuary here. 

Unity in Diversity is one of my Lord Mayor's Charities so I was pleased to contribute to this event, telling the audience that if you have food in your fridge, clothes on your body, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, then you are richer than 75% of the entire world.

As I said in my inaugural speech as Lord Mayor, Swansea has long benefitted from migrants and has a number of migrant communities, all of whom now think of the City as their home. These include the Irish, Italians, Chinese, Belgians, Spanish, Jews, Eastern Europeans, South Asians and now Syrians, Somalians, Afghans and many more.

The world is a much more dangerous place, with millions of people displaced from their home by war, oppression, religious and sexual discrimination and climate change. Many are impoverished, starving, separated from their family and friends, and placed in life-threatening situations as they seek to escape violence, famine, torture, sexual assault, intolerance and the loss of fundamental human rights.

We need to educate all generations about the facts behind migration, asylum seekers and refugees, so it was heart-warming to see youngsters learning about these issues and taking the initiative to pass on to others what they have learnt.

Lord Mayor's Evening Post Column 19th June 2019

The school curriculum is seeking to encourage children to develop new skills, amongst them the development of products to sell on as part of a business. It was a pleasure on Friday to see first-hand the fruition of those efforts. Thirty-five primary schools set up stalls in Castle Square to sell products as diverse as home-grown vegetables, bath bombs, and upcycled Father's Day gifts.

Later, I joined ‘Miss Swansea’ and others to open a cake sale in aid of Alzheimer's UK. Dementia research is desperately underfunded. With an aging population, it is important that we recognise the role of those carers and invest more in research to try and eradicate this disease.

My last engagement of the day was in Cinema and Co in Castle Street, where I was asked to speak at the Crisis member celebration and service user awards, that recognise their work and progress. The homelessness charity ‘Crisis’ is one of my Lord Mayor's charities. Their Skylight South Wales Service is helping people directly out of homelessness.

It is Refugee Week this week, and St Joseph’s Cathedral Primary School in Swansea, has been collaborating with community groups to welcome asylum seeker and refugees families into the school and local community. Today I will be at their exhibition at the Civic Centre. Their message is through art there is no need for words or language. Art speaks for itself, transcending boundaries. A message of unity and togetherness and community.

City of Sanctuary is a national movement committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for refugees seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. Swansea became an official City of Sanctuary in May 2010. In the city’s 50th anniversary year, I am proud that we have built up a culture of hospitality and welcome.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 23 June 2019

Sir Arthur Whitten Brown Centenary Dinner

The remarkable story of Sir John Alcock and Sir Arthur Whitten Brown's transatlantic flight, 100 years ago today, was recalled again tonight at a dinner staged to commemorate the event. 

Cadets from 215 Squadron were present as was Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, Group Captain Roger Simon, the new Vice Chancellor of Swansea University, the Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff, amongst many notable guests. There was also another model of the plane they flew in on display.

The links between Sir Arthur Whitten Brown and Swansea are very strong. He was the very first commanding officer of the newly formed 215 Squadron of the Air Training Corps, a Deputy Lieutenant of the then County of Glamorgan and a resident of the town for most of his adult life.

There will be other events later this year to mark his achievements.

Crisis Wales member celebration

My last engagement of the day was in the fabulous Cinema and Co in Castle Street, where I was asked to speak at the Crisis member celebration and award certificates to the service users, recognising their work and progress.

Crisis is one of my Lord Mayor's charities. Their Skylight South Wales Service is helping people directly out of homelessness. People learn new skills, gain qualifications and improve their health and wellbeing in order to move in to work and accommodation.

The dedicated, experienced coaches work with people one-to-one to equip them with the skills they need to find and keep a home.

We cannot eradicate homelessness altogether, but we should be aiming to ensure that when an individual or a family finds themselves without a home, then that episode in their life must be brief and it must be a one-off.

Learning enhances motivation, builds confidence and self-esteem, supports the development of skills for work and life, improves health and wellbeing and is a catalyst for social engagement and integration. It is an important part of the process that helps put a homeless person back on their feet and I was privileged to meet many of those benefitting from this work today.

Fundraising Event for Alzheimer's Society

The third engagement of the day was at St. John's Day Centre, where I joined Miss Swansea and others to open a cake sale in aid of Alzheimer's UK.

The prevalence of dementia is more common that cancer, cardiovascular disease and strokes. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

Dementia research is desperately underfunded. For every person living with dementia, the annual cost to the UK economy is over £30,000, yet only £90 is spent for each on dementia research each year.

Unpaid carers supporting someone with dementia, save the economy £11 billion a year. Without them, the whole system would collapse.

With an aging population, it is important that we recognise the role of those carers and invest more in research to try and eradicate this disease.

RAF Historical Exhibition on Alcock and Brown

The next stop was Swansea Museum where an RAF exhibition was being opened, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic flight by John Alcock and Arthur Brown.  Sir Arthur Whitten Brown lived in Swansea for most of his adult life, working at the Vickers office in the town centre.

As Wikipedia recalls, together with John Alcock, Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. The two men flew a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill, presented them with the Daily Mail prize for the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by aeroplane in "less than 72 consecutive hours".  A small amount of mail was carried on the flight, making it the first transatlantic airmail flight. The two aviators were awarded the honour of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) a week later by King George V at Windsor Castle.

Today's event was to celebrate that crossing and also the links with Swansea and I was joined by the Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff. The original plane is housed in the British Science Museum, hanging from a ceiling, but we had the next best thing as a replica was unveiled, made for the exhibition by Vickers.

The exhibition will be open for some months at the museum of people wish to view it.

School Enterprise Market Castle Square

I attended four events today in quick succession starting with the School Enterprise Market in Castle Square. 

The school curriculum is seeking to encourage children to develop new skills, amongst them the development of products to sell on as part of a business. Today was the fruition of those efforts as thirty five primary schools set up stalls in the centre of Swansea to sell products as diverse as home grown vegetables, bath bombs, plants, and upcycled Father's Day gifts.

The children have developed business plans, and judges that are prominent in the Swansea business world attended the market day, before visiting the schools so that pupils can pitch their ideas and have their plans evaluated. There will also be a Grand Final in the Brangwyn Hall on 11th July.

I only had an hour to visit all these stalls so concentrated on posing for photographs with them as evidence by the one with Dunvant Primary above.

Swansea Excelsior Ladies Choir - fundraiser for Christian Aid

This evening we went to Mumbles Methodist Church where the Swansea Excelsior Choir were performing to raise funds for Christian Aid. It was an outstanding and very enjoyable performance, including poetry readings, solo performances and a flute solo.

Swansea Excelsior Ladies Choir was formed in 1941 from the nucleus of the old Swansea Ladies Choir which was disbanded. In 2011 it celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Today the choir is made up of approximately 50 ladies who enjoy singing and who, by performing many concerts, support a wide variety of charities and other organisations.

Their website records that since 1999 the choir has donated approximately £50,241 to worthwhile local charities. It is due to the members of the choir, their families, friends and patrons that they have been able to achieve so much.

I understand that the concert raised over £600 for Christian Aid this evening.

Lord Mayor's Evening Post Column 12th June 2019

On Saturday I welcomed the DVLA ramblers as they completed their sponsored walk from the DVLA to the Guildhall in aid of their nominated charity, Ty Olwen. It is both the city’s and the DVLA’s 50th anniversaries this year and the DVLA staff choir, who entertained us at the finish line, have also contributed to Mal Pope’s excellent new song Warm Wind, celebrating the city’s anniversary.

Moving from one sponsored walk to another, on Tuesday, the Swansea Carers’ centre hosted their ‘Walk in our shoes’ event, heading off from Fforestfach Medical Centre to their Mansel Street office in the City Centre, to raise awareness of the amazing work they do in supporting carers.

Then it was off to my first citizenship ceremony as Lord Mayor at the Civic Centre. It is an honour to be part of the final stage in welcoming people from all over the world as citizens of the UK and of Swansea, underlining the historical diversity of our City.

Today I am taking part in the ceremony which will award Alun Wyn Jones the Honorary Freedom of the City and County of Swansea. To mark Swansea’s 50th anniversary as a city, we are recognising some of the city’s most famous sons and daughters. And the first this year is Swansea-born, Wales, British Lion and now three-time Grand Slam-winning rugby legend, Alun Wyn Jones.

On Friday I will be at the Swansea Museum for the opening of their brand new RAF historical exhibition on Alcock & Brown – the aeronautical pioneers who made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. Sir Arthur Whitten Brown subsequently spent the remainder of his life living and working in Swansea, and I am looking forward to attending a dinner in his honour at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Young Carers Celebration Event

This evening I called in on the YMCA Swansea Young Carers celebration event. This service provides support and information for young carers aged 8-18 in Swansea. They offer a holistic family approach to support.

Every young carer and their family involved in the service receives an in-depth assessment of needs which helps inform an action plan of support that intends to build resilience towards being a young carer. This includes an assessment of needs, information, support, advocacy and signposting.

A Young Carer is anyone under the age of 18 who is caring or is affected by caring, for a family member with mental health issues, physical disability, long term illness or alcohol and substance misuse issue.

It was a lovely evening featuring some remarkable young people, who have effectively put their life on hold to care for a parent, sibling or relative. The young carers service allows them to gather together every Wednesday evening and mix with their peers.

It is an excellent service, which benefitted from being one of the Lord Mayor's charities last year, but which has about 150 carers on their books and could do with even more funding.

Freedom of the City - Alun Wyn Jones

Because Swansea has a Presiding Officer, the Lord Mayor only gets to chair ceremonial councils. Today was my first opportunity to do so as we honoured Welsh Rugby captain, Alun Wyn Jones with the award of Freedom of the City.

Alun is the world's most-capped lock forward and Wales' joint most capped player alongside Gethin Jenkins. He has also won nine caps for the British & Irish Lions and is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams. He was named as the best player of the 2019 Six Nations Championship.

This was the first time I had met Alun, and you could not get a nicer, more modest, more unassuming man. As well as being a rugby icon, he has also acted as an Ambassador for the City. It is a well-deserved honour and I was pleased to be able to be part of it.

Swansea University Ladies

A quick stop off at the Mansion House this afternoon, on my way to the next event, to welcome the Swansea University Ladies. They were having a small social there, with some delicious looking food that almost tempted me to stay.

Swansea University Ladies was originally formed as a social society for the wives of lecturers but in these more enlightened times has expanded to include any women associated with the university.

I will be thinking of them and all that food as I prepare to enter the council chamber for my first outing in the chair as we confer the freedom of the City on Alun Wyn Jones.

Citizenship Ceremony

This afternoon was my first citizenship ceremony as Lord Mayor. This event appears to have been borrowed from the Americans, but is still a lovely way to welcome new citizens to the country and to Swansea.

Today we were granting citizenship to nine individuals and one teenager from a diverse grouping of countries. Many of them already live in Swansea and have done so for some time, but with Brexit looming may well have felt they needed the extra security of being a UK citizen.

The ceremony involves the Lord Lieutenant or his deputy, Lord Mayor and High Sheriff, all of whom address the applicants and their families, welcoming them and telling them something about our role and the area.

There is a swearing in ceremony and then the three of us present certificates and a memento of the occasion. We then pose for photographs so that the new citizens can have a record to take with them.

Today also featured a bonus, as it was the High Sheriff, Sally Goldstone's birthday and she had brought cake. Cake should be a feature of citizenship in my opinion. Sally is pictured with some of the new citizens cutting her cake.

'Walk in our shoes'

This morning I was at Fforestfach Medical Centre to address and wave off a group of carers and staff from the caring professions, who were seeking to highlight then role of carers by walking in their shoes, from medical centre to medical centre and on to the Carers' Centre in town.

The event is part of carers' week and will take in Fforestfach Medical Centre, Cheriton Medical Centre, Brynhyfryd Medical Centre, Manselton Surgery and Cwmfelin Surgery, highlighting the work these practices do to support carers. The photo shows the group outside Manselton surgery.

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities. Caring can be a hugely rewarding experience but carers often find it challenging to take care of their own wellbeing while caring for others.

Its impact on all aspects of life, including carers' health should not be underestimated. Nine out of ten carers attend their GP surgery every year, where health professionals are well-placed to signpost them for support. This makes them better prepared to continue in a caring role.

It was a pleasure to be able to make a small contribution to this awareness-raising event.

Carmarthenshire County Council - Civic Service

I attended the civic service in Carmarthenshire last year as Deputy Lord Mayor so it was a pleasure to travel up there again this afternoon as Lord Mayor.

This year's council chair is Councillor Kevin Madge, so the service was held in the wonderful Christchurch in his ward in Garnant, which dates back to the 1840s.

It is a remarkable building, abutted by the equally remarkable Vicarage, which I understand has been sold with a replacement being raised on the site of the former church hall. I have included below a photograph from 1910, which captures the magnificence of both buildings much better than the one above.

The service was enhanced with a remarkable solo performance of Schubert's 'Du Bist Die Ruh' by Ella Peet, who is also the consort of the Mayor of Llandovery Town Council.

We concluded the occasion with afternoon tea in the local school.

Civic Engagements Week Ending 16 June 2019

Volunteer Celebration - African Community Centre

My second engagement today was to The Hub, attached to the City Church in Dyfatty Street, Swansea where I met volunteers with the African Community Centre.

The African Community Centre is a registered charity which operates across Wales. They welcome all people, especially Africans born in Africa, African Caribbean's and British Africans who are currently resident in Wales. They aim to provide advice and support to enable people to better settle into the local community.

They provide a learning and information service to help all Africans to enrich the local community and provide seminars and organise discussions on a variety of health issues, set up a central meeting point and a drop in centre to welcome all Africans and other communities and promote the welfare of people of African origin residing in Wales and its surroundings.

They are currently based in the basement of the City Church, though are looking to relocate once grant funding is available. Today's event though, was in the fantastic community hub at the rear of the church.

I was asked to hand out certificates to volunteers and trustees to recognise the fantastic work they do. It was a pleasure to do so. Volunteers form the backbone of our society, stepping in to help when statutory services are unable to help and enhancing local communities. Without them many people would have a more lonely, less fulfilled life.

Swansea 50 DVLA 50 reception for charity walkers

I attended yet another event this afternoon when I was part of a receiving party for a group of DVLA workers who have walked the nine miles from their base in Morriston to the Guildhall to raise money for their designated charity, which this year is the Tŷ Olwen Trust.

There were over 60 walkers who took between three and a half and four hours to complete the route, where we met them with a ribbon, sandwiches and a 50th anniversary cake. It is not just Swansea celebrating 50 years as a City, but the DVLA also has its 50th anniversary this year.

The DVLA choir were also there (pictured) to sing to us as we ate. They have recently featured on Mal Pope's video of Warm Wind, written for the City's anniversary. I have embedded the video below.



It was a fantastic occasion, both highlighting the important work that Tŷ Olwen does and raising funds to help them in that work.

Paul Popham Fund Cheese and Wine Evening

The Mansion House is a tremendous resource for the local community and many charities make use of it for fundraising events.

Tonight it was the turn of the Paul Popham Fund, a charity set-up and run by close friends and family of the late and very much-respected Paul Popham. Everyone involved in The Fund has been inspired in some way by Paul Popham’s unrelenting optimism in the face of renal disease.

The aim of the Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales is to improve the quality of life of Renal Patients in Wales. They achieve this by working with Units and Centres that treat and specialise in Renal Care in Wales to purchase items that will directly benefit the Renal Patient’s quality of life. They also be work with and develop initiatives that will help improve the Renal Patients health, well-being and welfare.

It was a well attended event. Wine and song flowed liberally and everybody seemed to have a great time. Hopefully, they raised a tidy sum for the charity.

Primary Partners Concert

It was a pleasure this evening to attend at the Grand Theatre to support the primary partners concert. These are held over four days, are supported by Gower College, and this year feature 24 schools in all. The idea is to encourage and nurture the creative arts amongst young people so that they may take these skills into their teenage years and adulthood.

As well as the performing arts, the five schools featured tonight also put on a display of artwork. There were about 400 members of the pupils family in the audience, all of whom enjoyed a display of singing, dance and the playing of musical instruments.

The schools concerned were Parklands Primary School, Craig Felen Primary School, Grange Primary School, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Lon Las, and Sketty Primary School. It was an outstanding event and a credit to all the pupils, teachers and other staff involved in putting it on.

Lord Mayor's Evening Post Column 5 June 2019

Friends of Cwmdonkin Park

I hosted this event last year as Deputy Lord Mayor, so it was a privilege to be able to welcome the Friends of Cwmdonkin Park to the Mansion House for their fundraising coffee and cake morning once more, this time in a different capacity.

Cwmdonkin Park was Dylan Thomas' local recreation area and there is a memorial stone located there, which has recently been renovated by the Friends. It inspired his poem, The Hunchback in the Park.

The Friends exist to support the regeneration of Cwmdonkin Park and the surrounding area. It is a community group of local volunteers and its aim is to participate in local events and to raise funds in support of the project to regenerate this part of Swansea. The project, funded by Heritage Lottery and other funding, aims to improve access to the park, raise the standard of facilities and to replant and restore the park.

There are a number of Friends groups around Swansea supporting local parks, and this group is one of the most active. It was good that we could make the Mansion House available to help them support funds once more.

RSPCA Llys Nini AGM

One of my Lord Mayor's charities is the local RSPCA centre at Llys Nini, so it was a privilege and a pleasure to be asked to attend their AGM tonight and present the animal centre manager with an award as employee of the year.

In 2018 the local RSPCA branch rescued 19,846 animals, neutered 1,611, chipped 1,669 and offered 715 treatment to animals whose owners could not afford to have them looked after elsewhere. They have also turned the farm where they are based into a wildlife centre, with ponds, trails, otter holt, sand martin hotel, bird and bat boxes.

They have planted new woods, and a native apple orchard, They have wild flowers, bird and board walks. All of these are paid for by grants and are attracting many more people to the site, earning them more money for their animal welfare work.

It is an amazing achievement, and the centre grows from strength to strength. I hope that we can contribute to their work from the Lord Mayor's charity fund.

Finding Copperopolis - photography exhibition launch

This morning I went to the Volcano Theatre in High Street where Swansea University and Crisis were staging three photograph exhibitions associated with the former copper works site in Hafod.

One was a series of photographs of the work currently underway to restore this important historic site, another was a series of portraits of former workers at the site. The third was a project run by the Crisis Skylight project, which is one of Lord Mayor's charities and which works with homeless people to help them get back on their feet.

The photo shows me with project members in front of this exhibition.

This third exhibition, called 'Our Twin Town', took photos of the area from about 100 years ago and superimposed contemporary photographs taken from precisely the same place, so that we can assess how the area has changed. The biggest shock for me from looking at these photographs was the height of the former slag heap that used to dominate the skyline, and was taken away a few decades ago so as to use the land to construct Pentrehafod School.

The exhibition provides a future insight into Swansea's past, as well as helping to document an area which the council is now investing in though heritage grants, the building of a Penderyn Whisky visitor centre and maybe the end point for a chair lift to take people to the top of Kilvey Hill.

If you are in the area in the next two weeks, pop in to see for yourself.

Iftar, Swansea Mosque

Yesterday was all about food. First there was the big lunch in St. James' Park, and then in the evening we joined friends at Swansea Mosque for iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.

Iftar is the second meal of the day; the daily fast during Ramadan begins immediately after the pre-dawn meal of Suhur and continues during the daylight hours. In this case, Suhur took place at around about 3am this morning, a particularly punishing regime for all those observing the fast.

It was a fantastic evening with lovely food and excellent company. It was also a revelation being able to see the new Mosque. I visited a number of times when work was underway to convert the former Presbyterian Church in St. Helen's Road, and even saw the plans, but I never imagined such a comprehensive and impressive transformation could be achieved.

The building is now the biggest Mosque in Wales, a valuable resource for the local community and an important centre for Muslims in South Wales. Even though it incorporates many of the features of the previous church, it is unrecognisable from what was there before.

It took many years and nearly £3 million, all raised from within the local community, to achieve this feat, but it was well worth it. Those involved in the project are to be congratulated for their vision, for their commitment, and for providing such a fantastic building  at the heart of Swansea city centre.

The Big Lunch, St. James' Park, Uplands

After the church service, I ditched the robes (well, I removed them and carefully stored them away in a proper carrier), and we headed off to Uplands, where some residents were holding a Big Lunch in St. James' Park, a delightful square of greenery behind St. James' Church.

The Big Lunch is promoted by the Eden Project, with the idea of millions of people getting together to share food, have fun and get to know each other better, after research showed that one in five people have never spoken to their neighbours. It is a simple idea - that for a few glorious hours, cars stop, shyness stops and neighbours come together in the street to meet, greet, share, swap, sing, play and laugh.

Organisers are expecting more than 6 million people to come out of their homes and have lunch with their neighbours this weekend.

Swansea is in fact staging five of these events. There was one yesterday, in the Hub on the Hill, Mount Pleasant, two today, in Uplands and in Rosehill Quarry, also in Mount Pleasant, one in Swansea YMCA tomorrow and one in Swansea Mosque on 23rd June.

We called in at the request of organisers in St James' Park to support the idea and to sample some of the delicious home-prepared food. Luckily there was a tent to protect us from the rain, but everybody had a really good time.

St Mary's Church 60th Anniversary service

This morning it was back to St. Mary's Church in Swansea City Centre for a Eucharist Service, led by the Archbishop of Wales to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the re-consecration of the church. This took place on 28th May 1959, after the church had been destroyed in February 1941 during the blitz and subsequently rebuilt.

I was in full robes, as is customary when the Lord Lieutenant is in uniform. The High Sheriff and several Deputy Lieutenants were also present as well as a number of other invited guests and the normal congregation, who have kept the church going over so many years.

The current church is probably the fifth or sixth to stand on this site and is open day by day for people to call in. There is a coffee shop there too, that is open from mid-morning to after lunch each day. There is a brief history of the church on their website:

Christianity first reached Gower through Celtic missionaries. However, it was only with the arrival of the Normans that a church was first built in Swansea, possibly as early as the twelfth century. For most of the Middle Ages, the right to appoint a vicar for St Mary’s and to enjoy the income of the church’s estates was in the hands of the hospital of St David. Adjacent to St Mary’s and founded in 1332, elements of the hospital’s architecture can still be seen in the present Cross Keys pub. The fourteenth century saw the rebuilding of St Mary’s in the Decorated gothic style and by 1343 it is known to have contained at least two subsidiary chapels dedicated to St Anne and the Holy Trinity.

Mediaeval worship and piety flourished until the Reformation. Priests prayed daily for the souls of the dead, and an extensive collection of vestments and metalwork enabled the full panoply of Catholic liturgy until the Protestant changes of Edward VI. Edward’s reign also saw the transfer of the right to appoint the Vicar of Swansea to the Herbert family, through which it eventually found its way into the evangelical Church Patronage Society in 1840. There were extensive changes to the interior of the building and its furnishings during the reformation era from Edward VI to Elizabeth I. For example, vestments were abandoned and vernacular services (in both English and Welsh) were introduced.

St Mary’s was caught up in the seventeenth century (along with the whole of Swansea) in the British civil wars. Revd Morgan Hopkins was ejected for royalist sympathies and had to wait for the Restoration of Charles II to be reinstated. By 1700 significant weaknesses were starting to appear in the fabric of the mediaeval building. This process culminated in the collapse of the nave in 1739. The replacement nave was small and cheap and a constant headache for later generations. Significant enhancements to church life were however afforded by the addition of a new organ in the 1760s, gas lighting in the early 1820s, the benefaction of a valuable baroque painting of the Madonna and Child (1825), and the enhancement of the bells (1720, 1879).

The Church of England was hampered in its response to the rapid industrialisation and rising population of Swansea from the mid eighteenth century onwards. Ineffective attempts to augment the seating capacity of St Mary’s were eventually superceded in the reign of Queen Victoria by the construction of new churches. Initiated by two dynamic Incumbents, Edward Burnard Squire and James Allen Smith, this ‘Church Extension’ has continued with fits and starts until the present day. The climax of Smith’s ministry was the reconstruction of St Mary’s itself in the 1890s when the fourteenth century chancel and tower with the eighteenth century nave were replaced by a unified Early English gothic design of Sir Arthur Blomfield.

Blomfield’s church was beautified internally throughout the early twentieth century, but tragically burned to the ground in February 1941 as a result of German bombing. Reconstruction took until 1959 to plan and execute. Financial reasons necessitated the design by Percy Thomas and Sons adopt the footprint of the Victorian edifice, although much of the internal decoration reflects more contemporary ecclesiastical art. Rebuilt almost in its entirety, St Mary’s possesses a rare artistic unity, product of the great vision of successive vicars Jack Thomas and Harry Williams.

It was a lovely service, and there was a cake and prosecco afterwards. Unfortunately, we had to get to another event straight afterwards and so were unable to stay.