Bart Ricketts

The London Youth Games is a prestigious annual event which involves all 32 London Boroughs and the city of London, with over 20,000 competitors taking part. The competition is based on the concept of the Olympc Games and is the largest youth sports event in Europe.

Although the weather was not very good, it was good so many different sports events and all the athletes who competed had great day.

First Joint Public Health Annual Report published

The first Joint Public Health Annual Report from Kingston Council and Kingston Primary Care Trust (PCT) was published today (Friday 29 June).

Many public health services available to residents in the Royal Borough are now provided jointly by Kingston Council and Kingston Primary Care Trust. This first annual report about these services is presented by Kingston's Joint Director of Public Health, Dr. Jonathan Hildebrand.

 Enterprize Week Prize Presentation at Coombe Girls School

It was great to see how much energy, enthusiasm and hard work each team had put in on this week long project. A sort of cross between the Dragon's Den and the apprentice at School, to help the students learn key business skills by setting up their own company's to produce and sell products.  

Kingston Contemporary Open

Now in its fifth year, this popular open-submission exhibition provides professional and amateur contemporary artists and craftspeople with the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work in two of Kingston's most prestigious public art venues - Kingston Museum and Art Gallery and the Stanley Picker Gallery at Kingston University. Selected works will also be on show, for the first time, in John Lewis, Kingston upon Thames (Furnishing Advice Room, second floor).

Every year the new Mayor hosts a farewell dinner for the retiring Mayor. This year was at the Patcharee Thai Restaurant near Kingston Station.

The top table. From left, David Jacobs (High Steward) , Retiring Mayor Cllt Mary Reid , Cllr Shiraz Mirza (Mayor), Naheeda Mirza (Mayoress), Col Geoffrey Godbold (Representative Deputy Lieutenant), Cllr Sheila Griffin (retiring Deputy Mayor), David Griffin (retiring Deputy Mayor's consort), and  Me.

A weekend off from D.M duties and a chance to catch up with my charity Save the World Club who were at the Glastonbury festival were they provide a Green police team of 150 Volunteers a big thanks to Bernadette and Howard for organising this. 

Also met up with the Marketing mamager of Shelter to sign their campaign wall, for more affordable housing.

I also met up with the President of National Union of Students  Gemma Tumelty who running a camapign for fair student pay and support.

The Annual Mayor Making Dinner offers the opportunity for Mayors from the boroughs in which the Signals are based to meet with the Regiment and find out a little more about the Territorial Army.  I would like to thank Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Streete MBE TD, for the invitation and to Bella for accompanying me. The evening brought back happy memories of my days in the Officer Training Corps whilst at University.  It was also very interesting to hear about the Regiment's achievements over the last year. 

The London Churches Refugee Fund has been set up to provide help to destitute asylum seekers

has its official launch on Sunday 17th June at 6.30 pm. at Westminster Abbey

The fund will raise money to help destitute asylum seekers and will work primarily

through church-based organisations responding directly to their needs.

Kingston Arts Council is the umbrella organisation for arts societies within

the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames and is responsible for overseeing

a wide variety of artistic activities, supporting numerous affiliated organisations

and individuals, and organising various arts festivals.

It was with great pleasure  that I was asked to stand in for the Mayor and award  30 people

 from a number a organisations in Kingston all of whom had given over 100 hours voluntary service.

The day was really about recognising the massive contribution that volunteers make to

 our local community and formally thanking them for sharing their skills. Without volunteers organisations

 such as the ones here today wouldn't be able to provide services for people who need them. 

I would like to thank Maria from the Kingston Volunteer Centre for organising the day.

It was great to attend the Eco footprint event and network with Enviromentally minded people

from across Kingston. Still alot of work to do but a step in the right direction.. 

The sustainability challenge is for us to find ways to experience rewarding lives, within the limits of one planet.  How well are we doing?

The ecological footprint (or eco-footprint for short) is a tool to measure our ecological performance. It tracks how much individuals, organisations, cities, regions and nations, or humanity as a whole consumes and compares this amount to the resources nature can provide, for example land, water energy and other resources.
(source: www.footprintnetwork.org).

It was a bright sunny day and I was please to meet members of the local

Royal Britsih legion and inspect the standard bearers.

I also met relatives of Cyril Barton from 578 Squadron Royal Air Force

who's grave, is at the cemetery. He was awarded

the VICTORIA CROSS for his part in the attack on Nurembery, Germany.     

The Citizenship Ceremony take place once a mointh at RBK I attended

with the Mayor were over 50 people  become British Citizens.

It was a really enjoyable morning were I got to meet so many poeple.

 London Council Summit at Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Near Westminster, were I got to meet other  Cllr's from across London

and discuss how London is organised and run.

Centre for Community Development (CCD)

Elders Programme,  I would like to thank former Deputy Mayor  

Ghazala Hayat for attending with me. I was interested to learn of the

activities and  support the project gives to Tamil Elders.