Weekly Column: Mayor Billy Sheerin

Date published: 03 November 2019

This weekly column from the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Billy Sheerin, is about the places he has been and the people he has met during the week commencing Monday 21 October to Sunday 28 October 2019.

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In terms of mayoral engagements, I had a pretty quiet week last week – it was the calm before the storm!

Monday and Tuesday, I had no engagements, but I was invited to St Ann’s Academy in Middleton on Wednesday (23 October) for a ‘Speed Networking’ event.

This was an open invitation event which offered employer engagement opportunities for year 9 students, with local businesses and providers attending. Councillors were also invited, but I asked if I could formally go along as the Mayor.

Students in year 9 went around different tables and interviewed us for five minutes each, before a whistle was blown and they moved onto the next person. The first question everyone asked me was ‘how did you become the mayor?’, so I talked them through the election process and what being a councillor and a mayor means.

What I thought was good about this event was it enabled me to emphasise the importance of achieving good results, but that there are also other ways for the youngsters to reach their career goals. I told them that everyone has a talent that they enjoy, and that is what you should pursue to live a happy life.

I started my career as an apprentice and was never interested in education and grades but as I grew older, I realised the importance of it and attended night school to work towards a mechanical engineering qualification. That was my talent; I always had a creative mind and wanted to make things.

Thank you to Zowie Phillips for inviting me. It was a very enjoyable event and it was a pleasure to meet so many young people, who all behaved impeccably and are a credit to the school. This was a great way to get to know more about local jobs, the working world and what GCSEs you need to get certain jobs.

 

 

Thursday morning (24 October), the annual Kashmiri flag raising was held at Rochdale Town Hall, which I raised. I wish the people of Kashmir health, wealth, prosperity and peace.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/130943/kashmir-flag-raising-ceremony-day

 

 

In the evening, Rochdale Rotary Club invited me to their 93rd charter evening at Rochdale Masonic Hall. This was a very entertaining evening with amazing people.

Toastmaster for the night was John Kay and President Ravi Sharma welcomed all and said grace before the meal. This was my first turkey of the year before the Christmas period begins!

The amount of local people who are Rotarians is amazing, and they do amazing things. There are over 40 members at Rochdale Rotary Club, and I have lots of admiration for the work that they do providing humanitarian service.

 

 

Friday 25 October, I was invited to watch Pirates of Penzance at Holy Trinity Church in Littleborough with my wife. This was another really enjoyable night as Holy Trinity Youth Theatre Workshop performed their eighth annual production.

This was a musical all the way through with some really tricky songs – I’m proud of all of the young members for learning the Gilbert and Sullivan tunes and pulling the production off incredibly. Frank Kershaw also must be congratulated for directing the musical and also designing magnificent costumes.

Theatre is a great way of bonding with others and making new friends.

 

 

Saturday (26 October), was the 70-year celebration of Ukrainians in Rochdale at the local Ukraine Centre on Mere Street. A Ukrainian community has existed in Rochdale since the end of the Second World War, when Ukrainians came to the town for employment in the cotton mills and other industries.

The Ukrainians first got a club together in 1947 but had to hire various premises before they moved into their first cultural centre on Whitehall Street. Then, in the 1960s, as the community grew in number, they needed larger premises, and raised funds to purchase Elmfield House on Mere Street, which they still use today.

I remember as a young boy on Whit Sundays and on Whit Fridays in Manchester the Ukrainians would always dress in beautiful colours, and I would be there with my boring grey trousers and white shirt! They brought so much colour to the events, I loved it.

It is amazing how they have held onto their traditions whilst being totally integrated in Rochdale.

 

 

I finished the week at Deen House for the launch of the Lamet Habayed Association on Saturday evening. I was told this means ‘a gathering of friends’ in Arabic.

This was a rather special event for the Arabs in Rochdale, organised by the chair of the association Wafa Takheroubt. I was also welcomed by the vice chairman Omar Sharif, treasurer Samina Akram and the secretary Amira Tunisi.

What the association has been able to do is obtain funding to host events and cook traditional Middle Eastern foods for those who are asylum seekers or families who need a little bit more support.

The event was so enjoyable as you could tell all attendees were delighted to be there, enjoying traditional dancing and speeches were made.

 

 

 

Mayoral Invitations

​​​​The Mayor welcomes invitations to events held by local organisations and individuals. Due to demand, it may not be possible for the Mayor to attend every event he is invited to.

To invite the Mayor to your event please complete the Mayor attendance form and return it to the Mayor's Officer.

Visit: www.rochdale.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/mayors/Pages/mayoral-invitations.aspx

Email: mayoral@rochdale.gov.uk

Tel: 01706 924773