Agenda item

Obituaries

The Chair pointed out that since the last meeting there had been a series of

tragic events which had been marked by the Council. These were the

Manchester bombing, the attack at London Bridge in the neighbouring

borough of Southwark, the Grenfell Tower disaster and the Finsbury Park

Mosque assault have all impacted on our nation.

The Mayor addressed the Council on these tragic events and expressed his

admiration for the national response to the outrages which he stated would

have frustrated the intentions of the terrorists. His remarks were echoed by

Councillor De Ryk.

All present observed a 1 minute silence in memory of those who have lost

their lives in the events described and also in memory of Joanne Britton and

Maria Dalrymple whose deaths were reported in the written report.

Refugee Week 2017

The Chair reported the Council had welcomed the families which it had

formally resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement and

Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Schemes at a reception in Laurence

House on June 21. He reported Lewisham had welcomed a total of 4 Syrian

refugee families and 2 Iraqi families, the latter selected for reasons related to

their children’s special needs. Two more Syrian families were expected this

week. Many of the groups who had been involved in the welcome of the

families, such as Lewisham Citizens and the Diocese of Southwark, took

part in a visit to Lewisham’s German twin town, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf,

in May. A total of 27 Lewisham community members and officers participated

in the trip, which was funded by the European Commission’s ‘Europe for

Citizens’ programme, and was entitled ‘Migration and Integration: Local

Cooperation in Action’. The group – led by Councillor Kevin Bonavia - learned

how Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf had been resettling the thousands of

migrants and refugees arriving in the last couple of years through its distinct

approaches to housing, language classes, educational provision and

community participation. The group was also joined by representatives of our

French twin town, Antony.

Councillor Kevin Bonavia reported on efforts made to welcome refugees so

far and on the intention to continue with assistance to those in need.

Fire Safety

The Mayor updated the Council on involvement with Grenfell Tower and fire

safety in Lewisham.

He stated advice on cladding in Lewisham had been rapidly received following

the calamity in Kensington & Chelsea. Three buildings in Lewisham had been

identified as have cladding of the same kind as at Grenfell Tower. Meetings

had been held with tenants who were assured fire safety teams were to be in

the blocks 24 hours a day and inspections carried out by the London Fire

Brigade. The Mayor also reported on assistance given to Housing

Associations and private sector landlords.

The Mayor informed the Council that the Chief Executive had been seconded

to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea to lead recovery efforts. Other

officers had been deployed there on a part or full time basis. This assistance

was likely to continue for a considerable time. Additionally a centre for the

bereaved had been completely staffed by Lewisham officers for six days.

Prudential London-Surrey 100 mile Cycle Ride Sunday July 30

Cllr Ingleby made an announcement about the Prudential London-Surrey 100

mile Cycle Ride and encouraged donations to be made on his ‘Just Giving’

webpage.

Beyond Boundaries India 2017

The Chair advised the Council Councillor Stella Jeffrey had informed him of a

project called ‘Beyond Boundaries India 2017’. This was an initiative involving

Lewisham’s Looked After Children who, subject to successful fund raising,

would be going on a trip to India and working with local orphaned children. He

encouraged all present to make donations directly to Councillor Jeffrey.

Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme.

The Council welcomed the granting of a bronze award by the Armed Forces

Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme. The award recognised the

Council’s efforts to support the armed forces, promote being armed forces-

friendly and open to employing those connected with the forces.

Sporting Play-Off Success

The Council congratulated two local teams who secured promotion in their

respective sports via play-offs, namely Millwall FC and the Old Elthamians.

Report of the Returning Officer - General Election June 2017

The Council congratulated Vicky Foxcroft and Heidi Alexander on their re-

election as MPs for Lewisham Deptford and Lewisham East respectively and

newly elected MP Ellie Reeves who took over from Jim Dowd as MP for

Lewisham West and Penge.

The Mayor recorded his grateful thanks to Jim Dowd for the massive

contribution he had made to public life over 45 years, both as an MP since

1992 and previously as a long serving member of Lewisham Council. He

reported he had sent a letter of thanks to Jim Dowd and was hopeful he would

be able to accept invitations to various civic events.

Queens Birthday Honours

The Council congratulated Eileen O’Sullivan, a volunteer at Age Exchange in Blackheath, who was awarded a BEM for services to Education.