Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities reported the following:

-       Saracens Football Club and local community has agreed to work with CBC to develop its ground;

-       the leadership summit for No Child Left Behind will be held on 30 November and the awards ceremony on 26 January.  The flag has been raised on the Municipal Offices and its designer will attend Council next week;

-       officers have been looking at warm spaces in relation to winter, working with Food Network, Family Space and others, and also considering breakfast clubs, to ensure children and older people are properly fed and looked after;

-       she has attended a Police and Crime Panel meeting, where two new independent members were appointed;

-       she has attended the University of Bristol Global Council on Political Renewal, Human Rights and Relief, and hopes to continue working with the university on this;

-       the Deputy Governor of Kisimu County in Kenya  has visited, and had interesting discussions about how Cheltenham can assist our friendship town to develop entrepreneurship for women and girls;

-       the pan-African flag has been raised at the Municipal Offices to mark the start of Black History Month, and the authority is working with Know Your Patch at how to see what can be done to help families in Cheltenham from now to the new year, amid concern at how county council finance is being delayed;

-       she attended a conference of 47 European cities and regions where she shared information about Cheltenham and what people do to help each other.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Tourism and Well-being reported that:

-       earlier that day, Cheltenham Literature Festival hosted visitors from Ukraine, including someone who organises a literature festival in that country.  It was a moving event, particularly poignant in light of recent events, and was good to show solidarity;

-       a few weeks ago, he attended a spectacular light show in one of the warehouses at Lansdown Industrial Estate, staged by Squidsoup, as part of the culture board work that CBC is supporting.  It highlighted how the town can link its expertise in the cultural and creative sphere with its expertise in cyber, and was attended by representatives of the Golden Valley Development and other interested parties.  He thanks Squidsoup for organising the event.

The Cabinet Member for Cyber, Regeneration and Commercial Income reported that he had been invited to attend the National Cyber Awards on behalf of the Golden Valley Development, which was nominated for the Cyber Business of the Year award.  It came second, receiving a highly-commended certificate.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Street Services and Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets did not have anything to report on this occasion.

The Leader reported on three events she had recently attended:

-       the Literature Festival event for Ukraine that day, together with members of the British Council, who were interested to hear about what Cheltenham does as a town of sanctuary across the board and offered support;

-       BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s ‘Make A Difference’ awards at the racecourse, with numerous people from across Gloucestershire being presented with well-deserved awards, and Cheltenham volunteers recognised, including Sarah Avery of Feed Cheltenham;

-       the Black Police Conference, with a welcome event at the Tivoli Cinema, which brought together police officers from all over the country.